IfjO POULTRY SliCTION. 



tlieir own ration and supply their own needs according to their individual require- 

 ments. Overfeeding is more harmful than underfeeding. It tends towards fatness 

 and laziness, and a lazy hen is not a laying hen, hence the necessity of feeding the 

 proper amount in such a manner as to give the necessary exercise. Exercise is 

 necessary- to keep poultry in good condition. When fowls are confined, all grain 

 food should he scattered in si.x inches or more of straw, leaves or some other sim- 

 ilar litter. Of course, this is not so necessary for fowls that have free range. 



There are so many different methods of feeding poultrj-, varying with the 

 variety of fowls, the climatic conditions surrounding them, and the purpose for 

 which they are fed, that it is impossible to describe them all here, but a few sugges- 

 tions may be helpful. 



FEEDING CHICKS. 



Do not feed young chicks for twenty-four hours after they are hatched. The 

 first thing that chicks will look for is grit. Be sure to supply them with coarse sand 

 or fine grit, for without this they cannot readily digest their food. Their first feed 

 should consist of hard boiled eggs chopped fine and dry bread crumbs, to which a 

 small amount of Dr. David Roberts' Poultry Tonic should be added. This acts as a 

 tonic and helps to assimilate and digest the food, thus warding off indigestion and 

 bowel trouble, wdnich carry off 75 per cent of the chicks that die under two weeks 

 of age. This food should be fed for two days; then for eight or ten weeks prac- 

 tice this system of feeding : In the morning feed mash composed of the following 

 ingredients, in the proportion given : 



Wheat Piran 5 , lbs. 



(3atmeal 2 lbs. 



Unbolted Cornmcal ^ lbs. 



Middlings 2 lbs. 



Beef Scraps 4 lbs. 



Crushed Oyster Shell 'j lb. 



Dr. David Roberts' Poultry Tonic 1 lb. 



l\Iix with warm milk or water to a crumbly mass, not sloppy. Allow to 

 stand at least fifteen minutes in a closed vessel or covered with a cloth, carpet, sack, 

 or something similar. Feed just what they pick up clean without stuffing them- 

 selves. One of the best indications whether or not you are feeding the correct 

 amount is th'e fact that when the chicks are through their morning mash, they 

 should at once start in quest of insects, bugs, etc. ; but if overfed, they will sit 

 around all drawn up as is usually the case from a derangement of their digestive 

 organs. 



At noon, feed bulled or pinhead oats. In the evening, feed small wheat, or in 

 place of the grains here mentioned, you may feed any of the commercial chick feeds 

 w-hich may be obtained of your grocer or feed store. Scatter this feed in fine litter 

 of some kind and see how greedily they will search for it even when but two or 

 three days old. In feeding young chicks always keep in mind that they need coarse 

 sand or grit of some kind. If this system of feeding is kept up until the tenth 

 week, you can feed chicks just the same as adult birds, and you should raise 90 

 per cent of those you hatch. 



FEED FOR GROWING AND LAYING STOCK. 



The feed for growing stock and the feed for laying stock should be practically 

 the same. In both cases food is needed for building new material, for keeping the 

 body warm and for replenishing the energy used in every movement. The ele- 

 ments required for those purposes are found in the nearly right proportion in the 

 ordinary grains, such as corn, wheat, and oats. The amount of benefit derived 

 from these grains in feeding poultry will depend on the skill of the one who selects 

 and mixes them. Growing and laying stock need more of the foods that are rich 

 in protein and carbohydrates than of those that are rich in fat. A good balanced 

 ration for layers is the following in the proportions given : 



Wheat SO lbs. 



Oats US lbs. 



Wheat Bran 10 lbs. 



Beef Scrap 5 lbs. 



Dr. Roberts' Poultry Tonic >2 lb. 



