3^4 



Poultry Feeding. 



even if they can get out on to the grass it will be found wise to 

 give them a little chickweed, fresh grass, dandelion, lettuce, 

 spring onion tops, or green clover chopped up quite small. 



A very few days will teach one how much of each of the 

 above foods is needed by the birds. One of the most important 

 rules in the feeding of birds is to give them, at each meal, only 

 as much as they will eat clean and to clear away the rest. Here 

 again it must be remembered that cleanliness plays a great part 

 in successful poultry keeping ; on no account must filth be 

 tolerated or great mortality will ensue. 



When the birds are a month old they should be taught to eat 

 soft food, as they will then put on flesh more rapidly than when 

 fed entirely on grain ; if they seem to dislike the change let 

 them miss one meal, they will then be so hungry as to eat 

 without question almost anything which is put before them. 



The order of meals from four to six weeks should be as 

 follows, the hours varying slightly according to season : — 



7.0 a.m. A little groats or canary seed put down overnight. 



8.30 ,, A warm meal mixed crumbly (either 21, 22 or 23). 



10.30 „ No. 20 mixture as given above. 



11.30 ,, Chopped green food. 



1.0 p.m. Cooked lean meat. 



2 30 No. 20 mixture. 



4.0 ,, A warm meal mixed crumbly (either 21, 22, or 24.) 

 5.30 ,, No. 20 mixture. 



From eight weeks onward to eighteen weeks (if kept for 

 stock), or until put up for fattening, the birds may be given : — 



/ Ev, 



21. — Scalded biscuit meal ... 1 part 



bran 1 r evening 



Pea or bean meal ... 1 > feed 



Barley meal ... ... 1 V groats. 



Buckwheat meal ... 1 ) 



or 



22. — Scalded bran 2 parts j Evening 



Barley meal 2 „ >- meal 



Scalded sharps 1 part j cracked wheat. 



or 



23. — Scalded bran ... ... 2 parts'! Evening 



Oatmeal I part \ dari, or 



:racked maize. 



vyaimcm i pai i r 



Scalded sharps I „ J < 



In each case they should be fed on this soft food, three times 

 daily, and they should still have one meal a day of cooked lean 

 meat, and as much green food as they will eat. If kept for 

 stock they may be fed from eighteen weeks until they begin to 



