POULTRY RAISING CHICKENS 313 



Grit. Grit is essential to economy in feeding and to the health of the 

 fowls. It aids the digestion as it takes the place of teeth and is required for 

 the proper preparation of feed in the gizzard. If the feed is not properly taken 

 care of by this organ, an undue strain is thrown on the fowl's whole system. 

 This often causes disease and allows a great deal of nutriment to pass through 

 the bird's body without being absorbed. A box of grit should be kept in every 

 pen and yard. It gives the fowls strong bones, bright plumage and aids in the 

 assimilation of the food. 



Charcoal. Charcoal is fine for chickens when their stomach is sour and 

 their digestion has been impaired. It acts as a corrective because it has a great 

 absorptive power for gases, impurities, and acids. It is often well to give char- 

 coal to the birds in case they are dumpy before the feed is changed or before 

 medicine is given. Charcoal of excellent quality can be made by burning a pile 

 of corncobs until it is a glowing mass and then dousing it with water. 



Varied Ration Important. In feeding grain one must give a variety. No 

 one kind of grain is best. Variety should be secured by feeding different kinds 

 of grain on different days or by mixing the grain. If grain is made the sole 

 feed, fat instead of eggs is the result. 



Feeds Interchangeable. The following grains may be substituted for 

 each other in the manner indicated below. That is not saying that any one is 

 exactly equal in food value to the one opposite but they do not vary far enough 

 to make a material difference. If one grain is high in price in your locality it 

 will be a saving of money for you to use another and sacrifice the difference 

 in food value in that direction. 



Grain. Substitutes. 



Wheat * Corn, barley, oats, kafir-corn. 



Corn Buckwheat (too fattening fed alone), wheat. 



Oats Wheat, barley, kafir-corn. 



Barley Wheat, oats. 



Quick Fattening. 



To fatten readily, the poultry must be put in a small place where they will 

 have very little space to run about and a place that can be darkened, just enough 

 light being admitted for them to see to walk about when not eating. If they 

 have little exercise they will fatten more readily. The sexes should be separated. 

 Make a small "V" shaped trough, like a hog trough, only smaller, in which 

 to put the wet food. The essentials of fattening are quiet, darkness, except 

 at meal time, and plenty of soft feed given at regular intervals, usually three 

 times a day. Give the birds plenty of water, grit, and charcoal. Keep all 

 green feed from them. Vegetables may be given if necessary to vary the 

 ration. Fowls should be marketed at once when fat as they will lose their 

 appetites when fed too long and begin losing weight. If a bird shows signs 

 of getting off its feed, it should be sent to market immediately or put on the 



