A COMMERCIAL POINT OF VIEW. 31 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON POULTRY FOOD AND 

 DRINK. 



When poultry is kept in a confined state its food must 

 be appropriate. A fowl kept in a free state on a farm 

 can with advantage be fed all the year round with barley 

 or oats only, as she will supplement her meals with ani- 

 mal and vegetable matters of her own finding ; therefore 

 an equivalent should be given to penned-up poultry ; but 

 again, as they have not so much bodily exercise as when 

 in a free state, their digestive powers are weakened, con- 

 sequently they are subject to inflammation of the bowels 

 when fed on whole grain only. After this explanation, 

 my readers will understand the reason why I advocate all 

 grains to be ground, and the meat and vegetables to be 

 minced ; but apart from the sanitary consideration, it be- 

 comes an important economical fact in a large breeding 

 establishment, as it is well known that poultaceous food 

 made of pounded grain, and which calls little on the 

 digestive organs, has far greater feeding and fattening 

 qualities than the whole grains. 



There is another point connected with the feeding to 

 which I wish to allude. The diet should be varied almost 

 daily, but green vegetables finely minced ought to form 

 part of every meal, and occasionally some oxide of iron, 

 and at other times flour of sulphur, mixed with their food 

 will greatly tend to keep poultry in good health. 



THE DRINK FOR POULTRY. 



The water should be changed daily, and occasionally 

 clear lime-water, and at other times sulphate of iron 

 mixed with it. 



