Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 250, 13 April 1910, Page 3

Farm and Garden

OVER-FEEDING OF FOWLS. There are few evils that fowls suffer more from, or are more subjected to than overfeeding. It is a matter not exclusively confined to the inexperienced since the most practical often commit the mistake, especially when preparing fowls for particular purposes, such as exhibiting, laying or killing. When these objects are in view, the general impression seems to be that they are soonest and best secured by continual feeding. In poultry books and poultry papers no warning- is more often given than to avoid too frequently feeding fowls generally, and chickens in particular. But how long many poultry keepers are in putting this sound advice into practice. They adhere to the idea that the 01tener they can induce the birds to eat the sooner will they gain a healthy maturity. At first they feel confident that they are succeeding, but there soon comes a time that proves the fallacy of this notion. Very young chickens may require to be supplied with food four, five, or six times a day; but they arrive at a stage when there is no necessity for such frequent feeding, and feeding must be regulated accordingly. I have offered food four times a day to birds four months old, and on occasions some of them would not come near it, while others would look at it as though it were bad, until at last they seemed to have no appetite for food at any time. It is when they are like this that they are provoking and it is then that readers send doleful tales to the editor of their fowls not taking food, and ■moping about from indigestion, although this is hardly ever admitted. The advice generally given is to supply less food, and in many mysterious cases this has a most wonderful effect. I have observed it with gratification my own birds, and can speak from experience. I readily own to occasional over-feeding, and also to the efficacy of the simple remedy. Sometimes when I had late hatched chicks, which I wanted to get up for certain occasions, I have tried frequent feeding on every variety of food. But in no single instance had this the desired effect, and the improvement which took place in their flesh, feather, and carriage when the supply of food was reduced was surprising. Other things being right, a fair supply of food will bring all kinds of fowls on fast enough for any purpose, and by a fair supply I may say I mean feeding twice daily, and no oftener. If fowls are fed at 5 p.m., none of them will wait to think which bit it should select for the next, but all will be taken with a relish, and it is then that condition is gained. To observe them taking one meal under this regulation will please the young poultry keeper far more than when only a very little of his frequently given dainties is eaten, and the remainder left to be devoured by pests of the poultry yard, or worse still, to be mixed up with fresh food, or taken later on in a sour state. Apart from cleanliness, if I wanted to keep fowln, no matter of what age, in the beat health, I would begin and end by always keeping them on the hungry side; and if a distaste for food became apparent a meal now and then would be entirely withheld. If this is done at supper time, an extra handful of meal will be wanted next morning, and care must be taken that it is

not overdone. Of course-, these remarks do not apply to fowls being crammed for the table, but only to those which are being kept for any other purpose. It would be as well if the poultry keeper recollected that where one fowl dies of starvation a thousand die of excess. It is not necessary that fowls should be always suffering from repletion ; they require exercise and the food they earn is better for them than that which they get without effort. Neither is it necessary they should always be fat. Fat birds are not the best breeders nor do they produce the best stock. A very fat hen _ squats about instead of taking exercise. It ceases to be a pleasure or to be useful and it does not take the trouble to seek that natural food which is essential to health.