The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-09-22
FARM PAGE: ~
E1iad Agriculture Instructors
HOW TO FEED WINTER LAYERS ,"
ITOJD BY LAWRENCE M'KAY
+. What part of the total cost ii

\ What part of the total cost is
the feed cost?
With US our feed cost is at least
rs per cent of the total cost. This
is of course counting in the pur--
chase price for feeds furnished
from the farm. AS the feed cost
is our biggest cost, and as TINS
wear feed costs are some higher
we need to work to get the best
possible production from our
flock. We cannot afford to waste
feed. Ard we waste feed when
we feed culis. We waste feed
when we feed layers not comfort
ably housed. And we waste feed
when we give them ice water 20
drink on cold days.
Then you can save feed in sew
eral ways?
Yes. We need to Gull closely
this fall and winter so as to carry
no "boarder" hen or pullet.
Also a flock IN a cold drafty
house burns up considerable feed
to keep up their body heat and
besides, "a cold hen shirks the
nest"
And lastly ice water wastes
feed. The layer uses feed to warm
the water, and what is worse she
refuses to drink sufficient water
in winter for good production, I'M
less the chill is taken out. An egg
is Sc per cent or 2-3 water, and
unless she drinks enough above
her body needs to put into the
egg. she just won't lay. Not lay
ing, she will continue eating, so
water is a very important part of
winter feeding. Empty the water
vessel and refill with warm water
the first thing on cold morning
and you will be surprised how
many more eggs you will get.
What about vitamins we read so
much about?
The ration we use has plenty of
the different kinds, particularly IN
the yellow corn and alfalfa leaf
meal we use. Sunshine and green
stuff when possible are important
in health and production. Last
winter when it was so cold for so
long, our flock produced well, and
the eggs from the breeders hatch
ed well.
Do you keep the layers in the
house all winter?
Yes, this years laying pullets
will not put their feet on the
ground until late next spring OF
early summer. The old layers are
let out in the afternoon on warm
days when the ground is dry. l
believe that our farm flocks are
allowed to run out too much dur
ing bad weather, and that this IS
one cause of low production.
Do you give them grit and oys-
ter shell?
We give our layers creek sand
for grit. We also buy oyster shell
and keep it before them in hop
rers because in winter the egg
Shell tends to get thinner when
production is heavy and the lime
in oyster shell helps to maintain
good shell quality in the eggs.
Which is more important prop
er feed or comfort?
Neither, for they must go to-
gether for profitable production.
The flock must be happy to be
profitable. If the layer is hungry
or cold or her feet are wet she is
not happy and will not be. profit
able. The singing hen is the pay
ing hen. h,
How do you know your layers
are profitable?
Because we keep records. And
by the way, October is the month
to start the record for a flock,
The lay year starts October l and
ends September 80 and record
is simple and easy to keep; besides
taking the guesswork out of flock
ownership. If the flock doesn't
paw, the hens are not worth keep
ing, and we can't know whether
they pay without keeping a rec
ord. Our record is just daily egg
record and record of feed and
sales. From this we figure out al
the end of each month the num-
Der of eggs per layer and the feec
price per dozen eggs Produced
| Progressive Farmer.