The Hope pioneer., 1922-11-30

feed. Charcoal is sometimes fed to
hens to help regulate the digestive
tract for charcoal is a good absorbent.
Some flocks eat charcoal readily and
others will not, but it is good prac-
tice to supply it. Some growers find
it most desirable to NIX charcoal in
the mash for the birds often scratch it
out of a hopper and waste it.
AS shell material is comparatively
cheap it should be before the hens ut
all times. A convenient way to feed
it is in self feeding hopper with three
compartments, one for oyster shell, one
for grit and another for charcoal.
Green Feed Essential.
A good supply of green feed helps
increase egg production, keeps the flock
in good health, makes the yOlks of
eggs Il rich yellow-a condition some
times desirable. Dark yellow yolks
may also be richer in vitamines than
are the lighter colored yolks. During
the summer give the flock an abund-
ance of clover, alfalfa, or other pas
ture, and in the winter supply. green
feed in some form or other. Cabbage,
mangels, and sprouted oats are good
winter green feeds, and should be given
to the hens daily.
Cabbages are usually suspended
from the ceiling so that the hens must
jump for them. Mangles may be fed
conveniently by splitting them in half
lengthwise and driving them over a
nail in the wall about 1S or 20 inches
from the floor. Heat and moisture are
necessary to sprOut oats, but some
growers may find that mold grows and
| destroys the oats for feed If mold
develops oats may be treated with for
malin. A tablespoonful of formalin to
pailful of water used to dampen the
oats, will generally prevent the growth
of molds. The oats should be thorough
ly mixed with the solution. Glover and
alfalfa chaff fed dry or steamed with
boiling water may be fed, although
these are not as good as the other
green feeds mentioned.
| Water, sometimes little considered In
connection with the hens ration, is
an important part. Each dozen of eggs
contains about pint of water, and
about 55 per cent of the hens body
itself is composed of water. During
the summer the hen can probably find
enough water about the farm or per-
haps she must get it from the barn
yard or from stagnant pools. Many
growers do not take the trouble to
see that the hen has water to drink
during the winter, but allow her to
supply her wants by eating snow. Such
Il practice should be discouraged. Give
the flock plenty of fresh, clean water
to drink, and have it before them at
all times being sure to keep the con-
tainers clean.
Laying Rations Recommended.
Several good rations for laying hens
follow. Feeds used at the North Da-
kota station are: Scratch feed
cracked corn, 10 pounds; wheat. 10
pounds; oats or barley pounds. Mash
bran, 100 pounds; middlings, 100
pounds; fine ground corn, 100 pounds;
ground oats, 100 pounds; meat scrap,
100 pounds; salt, pounds.
The proportion of scratch feed to
mhsh is about two to one. Dry butter
milk may be substituted for meat scrap
or if sour milk or fresh buttermilk are
available in unlimited quantities the
meat scrap may be reduced to so per
cent
The following is ration recon-
mended by the poultry department Of
the University of Wisconsin: Scratch
feed-cracked corn, 2 pounds; wheat,
2 pounds; oats, l pound. Nash-bran,
100 pounds; middings, 100 pounds;
corn feed meal, 100 pounds; gluten
feed, 100 pounds; meat scrap, 100
pounds.
The standard laying ration used and
recommended by Purdue University is
as follows: Scratch feed-corn, 10
pounds; wheat, 10 pounds; oats, 5
pounds. Mash-Bran, 5 pounds; shorts
5 pounds; meat scrap, 3h pounds.
One change which may be made in
the mash j.; to substitute three pounds
of tankage or so pounds Of skim milk
for the three and one-half pounds of
meat scrap.
The Iowa experiment station recon-
mends the following feeds: Scratch
feed-corn, 100 pounds; wheat, 100
pounds; oats. 100 pounds. Mash
shorts, 200 pounds; cornmcal, 900
pounds; ground oats, 100 pounds; and
tankagc, 100 pounds.
Dried bl.tlermili or meat scrap may
be substituted for tankuge.