Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-19
Things to Plant
For the Poultry
By Chas. H. Chesley

the poultry. We cannot hope to
raise any great amount Of the feed
which our poultry flocks require
here in New ngland, that is, not OF
the grain feed. but we can grow the
green stuff and succulent feed so
necessary to the welfare of our
flocks. Green feed Is important in
the ration of our poultry, not be-
cause 1t helps to produce eggs d.
rectly, but because it serves to keep
the digestive organs Of the birds
functioning properly. If you do not
have some kind of succulent or green
doctor them with drugs, for you
cannot stuff them with the large
quantities of animal protein which
are necessary unless something is
fed to counterfeit the harmful eff
fects. Green feed can be grown
cheaply and it is better than medi-
cines.
We would urge all poultrymen to
grow mangel beets or sugar beets for
the birds. The former will produce
more tonnage per acre and is pre-
ferred by most poultrymen. Even
the common garden beets are ex-
cellent but they will not produce as
large crops. Mangels and sugar
beets should be sown fairly early in
this climate, that is, not later than
the last of May. Good crops of
beets may be obtained when planted
after the middle of June. Soil which
will produce a good crop of potatoes
will grow mangels successfully.
Seeds are sown in drills three feet
apart. This allows for the use of the
horse-drawn cultivator between the
rows and is a large factor in the
labor cost. The seeds should be
sown thinly, or it will be necessary
to pull out a lot Of the plants after
them eight or ten inches. The Long
Red variety will stand foot out OF
the ground and the roots need con-
siderable space for large develop
ment. If land is chosen which is
comparatively free from weeds, most
of the work of cultivation may be
done with the horse cultivator or
garden tractor. Go over the ground
at frequent intervals in order to
keep the weeds from getting a start
The thinning may be done with the
hoe in most cases. Beets Of some
kind are about the best form of suo-
culent feed for the poultry during
the breeding season. Cabbage is eX-
cellent for use during the late fall
and early winter but the mangels
and beets are easier to keep in a
good condition for later use. All
that is necessary to keep them in a
good condition is storage in a COO
cellar or pit.
1t is usually advisable to plant
something for use during the late
summer and early fall. Green feed
is just as necessary for the laying
hens during the summer as at other
seasons. If the birds cannot have
outside range, and this is not pos
sible on a great many poultry farms,
1t is well to provide for a supply
of greens. Greens are strong in the
vitamins needed by chickens and
hens, just as they serve the same
purpose in the functioning of the
human race. Swiss chard is an ex-
cellent kind of greens for human be-
ipgs and the poultry relish It
equally as we'll. An advantage of
this is the fact that the leaves may
be cut back several times during the
season. If the bud at the center is
left, new leaves will spring up in q
few days, so a few plants will fur
nish a considerable amount of green
feed. This is a plant of the beet
family, but there is no development
of the root. 1t is planted and cared
for in the same manner as beets.
Chickens and ducklings require a
good deal of tender green feed dur
ing the spring and summer. Let
tuce affords a constant supply. We
plant a non-heading variety like the
Grand Rapids for this purpose.
Later in the summer endive fur
nishes a lot of green's for the chicks
and poultry. This plant should be
planted late in the spring, the seed
being sown thickly and the plants
allowed to develop without thinning.
1t is well to sow those parts of the
garden, where early crops are taken
off, to lettuce and endive for the
use Of the poultry.
Dwarf Essex rape is one Of the
best plants for the poultry during
the summer. If the poultry house
can be provided with two outside
runs it is a good plan to SOW one of
them at a time. For instance,
shut the birds out of one in the
spring and SOW the space to rape.
In five or six weeks the plants will
have made a start sufficient to al
low for feeding off by the birds.
Then the other yard may be planted
and should be ready by the time the
Three crops of rape can be grown in
year by this method of alternating
the birds on the two runsA Then
late in the fall the yards should be
planted to winter rye to provide d
crop of green stuff for the early
spring. BY this practice. the ground
can be kept in a clean condition
practically all of the time. Per-
haps this would not do for young
chicks but for old birds it seems to
work very we'll. Rape is one of the
best crops to grow for young chicks
when it is planted In rows and
cultivated like other garden crops.
Carrots and turnips are sometimes
grown by poultrymen to serve as
green feed during the winter
months. We have never seen flock
of birds which seemed to care for
such greens, however. They will eat
a certain amount, but not nearly as
much as of cabbage and mangels.
Turnips have a tendency to faint the
eggs If they are fed laying hens in
too great abundance. The principal
reason for planting turnips for the
birds is the fact that they may be
sown as late as the first Of August
and still produce fair crop for stor-
ing in tn ecellar or pit. They will
keep well for late feeding. Poultry
men should provide something for
the chicks to pick at. In the winter
the little fellows need something Of
the sort. else they are liable to de-
velop cannibalism. Potatoes serve
the purpose very well, in the absence
of other forms of green stuff
The poultryman who has a bit of
ground which he can use for growing
feed for the poultry will find that 1t
pays to do so. Really, you can grow
lot of 1t on a small patch. 1t will
save you the trouble and expense
or providing sprouted oats next fall
and winter Wa Sarnati,,aor cz,.o.z-.