Food and Feeding, 2 1 1 



CHAPTER XVm. 



FOOD AND FEEDING. 



Food the Fuel of all Life— Effect of Bad Food— Effect of Over-feeding— Food for 

 Fowls in Confinement not to be same as when at Liberty — What is Needed in 

 Food — Qualities of the Grains— Barley — Oats — Wheat — Maize — Buckwheat 

 — Pulse — Rice — Bone-meal— Water. 



The question is often asked, especially by new beginners in 

 poultry-keeping, what is the best food for poultry, and the 

 matter is of such great importance, that we wish to deal with 

 it fully, so that our readers may know what is the best food 

 for poultry under the conditions in which their fowls live. 

 That food must have a very great influence upon the health 

 and success of the birds, will be acknowledged at once by all, 

 for it is virtually the fuel which keeps the engine going, and 

 any neglect to supply this fuel, or the supplying of improper 

 fuel, means that the machine will not work properly, and 

 that there will be a great loss of power. This is the case 

 with all animals, and the attention which has been paid to 

 the question of feeding by scientific men during late years, 

 shows that the importance of the matter has been somewhat 

 realized. But even yet there is a considerable amount of 

 ignorance on the matter, for there are many who appear to 

 think that so long as an animal or bird gets plenty of food, 

 that is all that the owner need care about ; but this disregard 

 to the kind of food so given, to its effect upon the birds 

 themselves, and to the conditions under which they labour, 



