288 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Food. —Fowls like a change of food. The greater the vari¬ 
ety the better they seem to thrive. With variety, should be 
system in feeding. In the feeding of grain, I approve the use 
of a feeding hopper, and keeping the grain constantly before 
them. I am aware this is contrary to the advice of most 
writers on poultry, but after several years’ trial I am convinced 
it is the better way, being more economical, by saving waste 
of grain. It is better for the fowls, as they will never gorge 
themselves, as is frequently the case when they are fed from 
the hand ; and it is particularly convenient for feeding mixed 
grain, as it allows them to select that which suits them best, 
and to eat at their leisure. The feeding hopper is also a good 
arrangement for fowls running at large—if kept supplied with 
a variety of grains, and placed w r here they can have ac¬ 
cess to it at all times. Even with a supply of grain, fowls 
relish a change to soft food, and this should be fed to them 
every morning ; middlings and bran, mixed in equal portions, 
to be fed when eggs are in demand, and corn and oats for fat¬ 
tening and for growing chickens. All soft food should be 
mixed up thick or “crumbling” as it can be conveniently with 
water. It may be improved, particularly for growing chick¬ 
ens, by mixing with milk—sour or sweet. In cold weather 
mix and feed it warm ; and an addition of mangolds or pota¬ 
toes, boiled and mixed with middlings or ground feed, is 
highly relished, particularly during the wunter. In the spring 
add a quarter of a pound of sulphur to a pail of soft feed; 
giving this to the fowls once each week is very beneficial and 
does much to ward off disease. Give sour milk to drink, 
when it can be had, winter or summer. 
Fowls that are confined to their yards should be allowed 
their liberty towards evening, to range for choice morsels that 
cannot be found in their pens. This can be done without any 
detriment to the growing crops, as they will confine themselves 
to picking up the stray grubs and insects, that the crops can 
spare as well as not, while “ biddy ” is made happy. Gravel 
must, at all times, be accessable; fowls must have it, in the 
shape of sharp stones, broken crockery, shells, or something 
