Value of Hove- dust lv Pee n tvg. 
'39 
oi 
There is, however, one ingredient in chicken-feeding which deserves special notice being 
the greatest assistance to those whose space is limited. We allude to the bone-dust ’or mound 
dry bones, which is often used by gardeners in potting plants. For the knowledge and use of this 
ingredient we had originally to thank Mr. John Stuart, of Helensburgh, well known in Scotland as 
a successful breeder, and to whose unvarying friendship in many other ways and instances we feel 
pleasure in acknowledging heavy' obligations. After full and satisfactory trial ourselves, we had 
no hesitation in recommending the use of bone-dust to other breeders ;* and the extent’ to which 
other writers have followed us in various periodicals, and to which the substance is now advertised 
in the pouttiy papers, besides the many private testimonies we have ourselves received, are con- 
clusive evidence of the value of an article of diet which Mr. Stuart’s kindness had enabled us to be 
the first to introduce generally to poultry-breeders. We do not pretend that bone-dust is of any 
special assistance to those who have at command unlimited grass-range over a good soil, or to 
those who rear chiefly small but hardy breeds. Neither of these require it, though even then its 
use usually affords some benefit, with no trouble and scarcely any expense. But to weakly breeds, 
especially such as — like La Fleche — suffer from leg-weakness, it is of the greatest service ; and 
to such as wish to rear large birds in a limited space, it is the most valuable aid with which we 
are acquainted. Its effects are, I, to supply abundance of bone-making material ; 2, to counter- 
act any tendency to diarrhoea, causing the excrements to assume that firm character denotive of 
perfect health; and, 3, greatly to postpone what poultry-men call “setting,” or maturity, and thus 
ensure a longer period of growth, on which ultimate size so greatly depends. Being ground 
up whole, a fair amount of animal food is also contained in the bone-dust. The year after we 
first made publicly known the benefit to be derived from this ingredient, we had a letter from 
an extensive breeder of Light Brahmas, stating that he could more than confirm all we had said ; 
that, on trial, his birds that season showed far more bone and substance than ever before ; he had 
not more than half the usual number of cockerels with any weakness in the legs ; and diarrhoea, 
with which he was formerly troubled, had disappeared. We have other letters to the same effect 
from well-known English and American fanciers. 
Bone-dust for mixing in poultry food should be on an average about the fineness of coarse 
oatmeal. There are usually larger pieces interspersed, but these need not be taken out, as any 
too large will be rejected : though the meal may be sifted free from any larger than peas if 
desired. The price being never very much more per hundredweight than good meal, it should be 
used liberally with all the soft food, and about an ounce may be mixed with eveiy half-pint of 
dry meal before adding the milk or water. In small yards, as we have already said, cut grass 
must be liberally supplied as well to the mixture; and on such food the biids will grow wonder- 
fully, and acquire a constitution which in confinement we have nevei been able to attain in any 
other way. We may say that burnt bones pounded have not by any means the same effect, being 
reduced to mere phosphate of lime with some amount of animal chaicoal , neither have crushed 
raw bones, which have been stated by some to produce similai tesults. On the contiary, 
bones have been proved by the very simple test of experiment to hasten la\ ing in the pullets, a d 
“furnishing” or feathering out to maturity in the cockerels, as might be expected fiom the quan y 
of fresh jelly they contain— hence, while excellent in moderation for laying stock, or during a 
limited time to prepare cockerels for actual exhibition, they are not adapted for the regular food 
of chickens whose period of maturity the breeder for exhibition rather desires to postpone. T 1a 
this postponement, and with it continuous growth, is effected by the dry bone mea , we 
fully proved ; and in the case of weakly breeds, which have it for ,ts strengthen^ power, but 
» “The Brahma Fowl,” Chap. IV. 
