Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-05
FEEDING METHODS HELP
AVERT OVERCROWD|NG
Routine Should BE Changed So As
to Prevent an Abandonment
ofsFarthcSt Houses.
BIRDS GAN FEED THEMSELVES
Make Ample Provision for Non
wasteful Hoppers of the Weather
proof Design-Fceding Ground
Should Be Changed Frequently.

is the breedsr Who gets tie most most rom Sa
his flock. He sees TO il that all are
tortured by vermin. that they are not
menaced by rats. hawks. crows and
other pests. that none are killed acct
dentally and their bodies left to decay
in some obscure place where the rest
of the flock can eat this pu;rid matter.
skilled caretaker knows that the hooks
must have IN abundance OF clean cool
water. He appreciates the Importance
roam for insect life and mineral food.
Poultry must have plenty Of eNer-
S ears or in ,Se late ne T99 orx xa
else sharpens the appetite and encour-
ages eating large quantities OF food,
ercise also wards on any tendency
toward leg weakness, which il apt 20
result from heaNy eating. :. 49,
greatest safeguard Give fowls range
and clean LYME .GNarteTs and their
CrowdInS Into Few Houses.
BY ali means avoid ove-crowding
at this season. True II is eas!e: said
than done. even when sufficient build
ways. They are gregarious They like
to assemble in large numbers. Where
one ao goes they r az Wani to so,
may. have been 20 distribute the young
stock among brood coopS and colony
houses, If these buildings are on one
chicks are almost sure 10 desert some
houses and crowd into others. Every
pervers:y. II is as certain 10 follow
as two or three hens trying 70 crowd
into one nest though there may be
dozen or twenty other empty nests.
Keep Houses Fnr Apart.
Keeping the houses fairly far apart
tends 10 overcome the habit OF crowd
ing into certain buildings. but this
wh her largs nnbefs "0f
chickens are grown great deal OF
ground is required. And when the
1t means considerable additional labor
20 distribute feed and water and per
form the daily tasks Large farms do
only economical method
AS a rule the houses thatare farthcst
away from the central part of the farm
dored. The reasons for this are easily
understood. Chickens soon learn the
ways of an attendant and the hours
when feed is distributed. Day after
day they watch the feeder approach
from the central par, OF the farm, and
they go to meet him. The stock from
the farthest points on the range comes
in and joins the flocks close by. In a
large herd they congreEatc. impatiently
waiting for the dinner pail.
Alternate Feeding Ground.
Efforts should be made to avert the
forming of this habit though | con-
TESS il is not always possible to do
The first step is to keep the nocks
guessing a 10 where the attendant is
going 10 make his approach. In other
words, " practicable. alternate the
routine as much as possible: approach
the colony field from different points.
SO that no particular place exists as n
feeding ground. On some farms this
is easy 10 do; on others il is out
of the question.
Another stunt is to avoid distribut-
ing the feed near the houses that are
nearest the central part of the farm,
but 10 carry j; to the iarthest houses.
In this way the flock Will follow TO
the fartheSt points. and when the
chicks have finished their meal. cs-
pecially in the evening. they are most
likely 10 remain in the vicinity OF htc
farthcSt houses. and to take shelter in
them rs darkness falls.
Let Birds Feed Themselves.
Some OF the most successful poultry
raisers work on the assumption that
the fowls know what is best for them
in the matter of food. better than the
caretaEer who does the feeding. In
stead of feeding the stock at regular
intervals, feed is placed before the
focks In commodious hoppers where
the birds have access To IL at all times
1T is quite common to do this with
dry mash, but some poultrymen follow
the same idea with grain.
The virtue Of mis- method is that
the birds do no .ablish any habits