POULTRY COLUMN.

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1927, Page 1 (Supplement)

POULTRY COLUMN.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS. CARE AND PROPER FEEDING. Nothing gives the poultryman more pride, aside from winning the blue ribbons, than to beat his neighbour getting eggs (writes “Practical” in an Australian poultry journal). There are many breeds that are called “egg breeds,” but friends, they arc all egg breeds if properly housed, fed and cared for. It is the care that counts more than the biped. Some breeds do lay better perhaps, but I do not know of any breed of fowls that will not lay if given good care, and properly fed.

There are so many ways and notions about feeding these days that the beginner scarcely knows which way to turn. He reads articles by the dozen, telling how to get winter eggs, and probaldy not two writers follow the same rule. The “secret” of getting winter eggs is not told in a few words. You should have a comfortable house, but not necessarily a real warm house, in fact, a house does not want to be stuffy. Plenty of fresh air is a necessity, but there is an extreme to everything and in my opinion all open-front houses are extremes in the fresh air line in our colder districts. They are all right for mild -weather, but in winter should have a curtain to keep out the chilly blasts.

In feeding one does not need to bother his head too much about balanced rations. Give a variety of food. There is the secret of the whole matter. A variety is what they want and what they must have to give best results. In the morning feed whole oats in the litter, for all grains should be fed in litter to make fowls work hard and give them exercise. They will g right after the oats and keep buy, nearly all forenoon. At noon give sone other change, such as stale bread, u pick at, or some wheat or buckwheat in the litter for them to scratch for About an hour before dusk give a feed of whole maize in tne litter and some scalded oats; at noon for a change, crack maize which, while no better than whole maize, helps to add to the variety. A few sunflower seeds also help to add to the variety, and are relished by the hens. Do not be afraid of feeding too much as long as you make thetn work for it. It takes food to produce eggs, and the most economical way of feeding is by the full anil plenty method. Green food should also be supplied. Beets are greatly relished by the hens; small heads of cabbage, apples, potatoes, parings of all kinds are good for them, and will help to keep the feed bill down and the egg record up. Variety in Feeding. No set rules can be given for feeding, but usually a quart of grain for twelve hens is about right, or one gallon for fifty; three times a day. In addition to this, keep before them all the time a dry mash made up of 100 lbs bran, 501bs pollard, and 501bs maize meal. If oilmeal is added, say 251bs, it will be so much the better. I think this is a great thing as it is not gorged by the hens. They cat a few mouthfuls, then scratch for a few grains of wheat. To be sure, they must have pure water, oyster shells, and the like, and some kind of animal food is an absolute necessity. The best grade of meat meal is the most suitable product for this purpose, and it had best be placed in a hopper by itself rather than added to the mash. I have not said anything about feeding moist mashes, and I do not intend to say much, as I think the less hot, sloppy mashes fed, the better. I have almost feeding mashes altogether, except the dry mash mentioned above. The only excuse I can offer for feeding them at all is that they furnish a variety. Never feed your mash sloppy. Just have it crumbly and moist enough for swallowing easily. If you run short of green food you can get some chaffed lucerne and steam it. Just see if your fowls won’t “dig in” after it. Feed variety. Variety is what will fill your egg basket. Let the other fellow puzzle over balanced rations.