140 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
which it is not wished to increase in size, the changing it at the proper time for raw bone will 
produce all the desired effect. 
In this place, also, it will be best to discuss the question of the benefit to be derived from the 
use of condimental or “prepared” poultry foods, as advertised by various manufacturers, at prices 
ranging from 20s. to 35s. per hundredweight. There can be no doubt, according to our own 
experience and that of most breeders, that the occasional and judicious use of stimulants or 
spices is of the greatest service. On very cold or wet days they often have a marked effect in 
preventing or obviating ill effects, especially in early broods. The rationale of such use is obvious, 
being strictly in the nature of medicine rather than of food ; but when the vendors go further, and 
recommend the constant use of their nostrums, it becomes necessary to examine the question 
differently ; and we feel obliged to remark that the promises usually made in the laudatory 
circulars issued are simply self-destructive or contradictory. Thus, when it is said that a certain 
stimulating food often causes laying at the age of four months, we can readily believe that ; and 
when it is said that it increases the size of the birds, we can at least understand, though we can 
hardly believe that ; but when it is said — as it is said in a pamphlet before us — that it does both, 
every practical breeder will see at once that the very early maturity first spoken of must of 
inevitable necessity deteriorate the ultimate size of the bird, though very probably early size may 
be to some extent increased. Accordingly, we have never but once seen a testimonial from any 
eminent breeder in favour of the constant use of these foods, except his birds were either pheasants 
or small varieties of fowl, in which condition and early maturity were of more importance than 
size. That exception was in the case of a first-rate poultry-man, whom we have already quoted 
with pleasure in these pages, who bred Asiatics, and who published a very favourable account 
of his experience in one of the poultry journals. We ventured at the time to hint that he would 
probably change his mind, and wish by-and-by to withdraw his testimonial ; and meeting him 
again some time after, he informed us that we were quite right ; that the food was first-rate for 
“forcing on’’ birds, or for small varieties; but that this very quality did, as we predicted, quite 
prevent the ultimate grozvth of his Asiatic fowls, and that he had now in consequence entirely 
discontinued its use as a regular diet for his stock. 
As regular diet, therefore, these foods cannot be recommended ; besides which there is the 
important consideration of cost. One which has been perhaps the most extensively advertised 
costs 30s. per hundredweight ; and as good oatmeal for feeding purposes can be bought 
almost always for 15s., and other good meals for little more than 1 os. per hundredweight, the 
difference is really enormous. In treating of similar foods as prepared for cattle, Mr. Lawes has 
some valuable remarks in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, from which we may 
extract a few sentences with benefit : — “ It will be clear,” he says, “ that these manufactured foods 
cannot substitute any of the necessary constituents of our ordinary stock foods any further than 
they themselves supply them. So far as the mere supply of alimentary constituents is concerned, 
a mixture of [various ingredients] can provide these at one-fourth to one-fifth [in our case one-half 
to one-third] the cost of the specially-made artificial foods. Such food cannot therefore be relied 
upon as staple articles ; the virtues which they really do possess over and above those which could 
be secured at one-fourth [one-third to one-half] the price are confined, therefore, to the action on 
the health and digestion of the animals of the small amount of stimulating and carminative seeds 
which they contain. In fact, so far they are sauce or medicine rather than food.” He then gives 
an experiment in pig-feeding, which showed no advantage in favour of the “prepared” food, over 
food judiciously mixed at one-fourth of the price. Mr. W. C. Spooner, of Southampton, also 
remarks on this subject, admitting that as stimulants the foods may be and indeed often are 
