POULTRY NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 649, 7 March 1914, Page 6

POULTRY NOTES.

SOMrj OF THE ME KITS OF DRY FEUDING. Although dry feeding is no new idea io the poultry world, it is only of recent yvnv-i that the subject has had ro Twenty years ago Dre\ .nstedt was a strong champion of this system, but at that date the .poultrymen would not take kindly to the dry mash grain system. Cooked ioocl, fed warm, seemed to be the proper trick ; to-day, dry mesh in the troughs, raw vegetables and good hard grain are in favor with many. Of what benelit arc these changes in the diet? The matter, sa\s an American writer, has been carefully tested, and it is now held that dry food is far superior for several reayens ; First, after becoming used to it, the Jowls prefer the ground grain to that which has been cooked or steamed. Second, it is a labour saving plan. Third, it keeps fowls in a more healthful condition.

Let us go a little deeper 'into the subject. For a while after you begin putting the dry ground grain and meat scraps into a trough for the fowls to help themselves they do not take very kindly to it. They pick out the meat, and then the corn meal, and some prefer the bran, but the line stuff like middlings is left untouched. Gradually the fowls go to eating more and more until tlu-j ~.<.n eagerly clean up all that is in the trough, and after becoming accusaecustomed to a dry mash it is surprising how much of a wet mash they will leave untouched in the troughs. It is wonderful the amount oi labour that is saved by this new method. In the time that it took to heat the water and mis; up the morning breakfast, you now go along from pen to pen v ith a bucketful of dry feed in one hand and a wateringpot in the other, performing the two duties of giving food and drink at the same time. As yet I have not tried the hopper way of feeding, but have in mind a* feeder that can be closed up at night to prevent mice and rats from having a feast while the fowls are asleep. There are hoppers having three partitions, and one of the compartments thus provided is supposed to contain meat scraps. Thus these scraps are always befoee the fowls so that they can help themselves at will. At first it would ssem that they would eat too much meat and. while they Will at the start consume a considerable amount, they soon get to gauging themselves and will eat no more than they need. Now, I am sure dry feeding will be found much better and more healthful for the fowls. There is less chance of developing eases of bowel trouble than when feeding with mash, especially if the latter is too moist. During hot weather wet mashes sour very quickly, and all uneaten food must be removed from the troughs about an hour after feeding. With the dry mash this is not necessary. For young chicks the dry mash is especially recommended as this system means much harder stock. They eat a few mouthfuls, then take a swallow of water and scamper off for a run. In a few moments they return and repeat tht dose. They never gorge themselves in this way. At night an allowance of food is placed in little troughs so that the youngsters can help themselves at break of day. Nothing '.vill give a chick a worse setback than to be found pining- for food. A hen is not so apt to ove.Wf.tt.cn if she is given dry mash. .She does not eat so greedily as she does wet food, and the fact that she eats a little at a time and returns often to the trougha gives her a better chance to properly assimulate her food.

The proper way of feeding the mash to laying hens or to growing chickens is that of strewing in straw or other light litter so that the fowls are compelled to scratch for it. They must have exercise. it bhould be given t.n hour or more before roosting so that the fowls will have plenty of time to hunt. If fed ia a scratching shed attached to the roosting pen, and the fowls have free afresh to it, they will get off their porches at the break oi day and scratch and work hard until the at-tenJi-.nt comes out to give them their break fast.—'" The Leader.''