POULTRY AND VEGETABLES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3828, 7 August 1928, Page 1

POULTRY AND VEGETABLES.

ADVANTAGES OUTLINED,

For keeping down the solids in n poultry diet there is not anything better than juicy vegetable, and it cannot to too freely fed to chickens and other poultry when they are not being fattened, and when they are a little is very beneficial, because it acts a.s an aperient, preventing constipation, and the saline matter in it is very necessary, and more especially when even only a- portion of the diet is grain or the products of grain. Some vegetables are more useful than other kinds a.s regards their beneficial effects, as some act on the liver, and others on other, organs, and all tend to keep the blood in a healthy condition; and some of those persons who advocate a system of feeding chickens with dry foodstuffs rather exclusively advocate the feeding of jniev vegetables to the chickens. However, they lose sight, or are unaware of, the fact that chickens fed oxelus- j ivoly with grain, seeds and juicy vegetables would not obtain nearly half enough flesh-forming matter to , keep them in a good muscular condition, even were they to coni innon,sly gorge themselves with food. ! Anyone who may try such a sys- ! loin of feeding can ascertain this i by examining the thighs of the birds jo fed, and they would find them to bo soft, and not firm and symmetrical, as they should be.

There is not any hotter way of ascertaining the muscular condition of: a bird than by examining its thighs. A bird in poor muscular condition may lie fairly heavy for its size and have a plumpisli breast. This is owing to fat becoming deposited in all parts of its body, except in the muscles of its limbs. Fat will become deposited in (lie muscles of the breast in considerable quantity, giving it a fairly firm and plump appearance. When a bird is losing muscular tissue, it may be ascertained that such is the fact by an examination of the thighs sooner than in any other wav.