192 SECOND THOUSAND QUESTIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



Oily Food Causes Late Molting. 



Why are my chickens malting in the winter? They commenced early 

 in the fall and looked fine as though they were over it, but have not laid as 

 well as they should. 



They have continued molting or have completed one molt and 

 gone into the second, because of too much oily or fatty food. Soybean 

 meal, linseed oil cake, cocoa cake meal, whole or ground flaxseed in 

 oversupply will cause this trouble. It is possible to cause them to lose 

 their feathers and rebuild new ones continuously through the whole 

 year if enough vegetable oil is supplied. Animal fat acts in the same 

 way, but in smaller degree. 



Sunflowers for Eggs. 



What is the value of sunflower seeds as food for chickens, in special 

 regard to eggs. Can they be fed whole or must they be crushed? 



Sunflower seeds are a valuable addition to a ration, but as they 

 contain a great deal of fibre, they have a low digestibility. They are 

 much too concentrated to be fed as a daily ration. Their chief use 

 is in the molt; and then should be fed very sparingly. Fowls will 

 eat them whole just as well as crushed, but they are too rich to feed 

 heavily. 



Feeding Broilers for Market. 



Will you give me a good formula to feed broilers for market? 



If you can get sour milk or buttermilk, mix all your mash feed 

 with it, as the broilers will fatten quicker and be a much better color. 

 If you have cheap potatoes, cook them, then mash, adding corn meal 

 or ground pats and shorts with a little salt. Potatoes make a cheap 

 fattening diet but need thorough cooking. Mix one part ground oats 

 with one part fine shorts or low grade flour and one part bran. Mix 

 the whole with sour milk or buttermilk and feed what they will eat 

 up while fresh. In feeding all milk mixtures this rule must be fol- 

 lowed, because if the food lies around and gets sour, the chickens 

 will not eat it or if they do it will cause bowel trouble. The second 

 week leave out the bran and feed just ground wheat or oats and 

 flour, the third week add a tablespoonful of tallow to the mash for 

 every bird fed, this is as long as they can be crowded with this fatten- 

 ing) diet so don't commence feeding this until your broilers have 

 reached the required size. 



Dried Milk-Curd for Poultry. 



I have more skim-milk than I can use to advantage. I am curdling it, 

 then draw off the whey and dry the curd in the sun. Will the curd make 

 good chicken feed, and what is its feeding value compared with good beef 

 scraps or fish meal? Is there any feeding value to speak of in the whey 

 drawn off? 



