THE POULTRY FARM

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 32, 6 February 1913, Page 6

THE POULTRY FARM

GSIT FOR BIRDS

In his review of the third Tasmanian egg-laying competition-, Mr R i'^S G]i7' V°n]try expert to th» Agricultural and Stock Department, ,ha,s the-fallowing interesting; remarks , to-make* on the.value of grit in the poultry-run:— "The more I study intense egg production, the greater •I am impressed with the necessity of keeping; birds supplied with as much as they will consume, not only of •: grinding grit, but some substance ,sueJi. as crushed sea-shellfe, which con- ; tain an abundance of lime. From 'previous experiments carried out I ami Qsnrineed that tlfe.ijaadness of tlis erit for grinding purposes has very little effect on the .digestion of the :bird; The softer the material the areater tlie amount consumed by the birds, that is, whew the birds am being fed as they ordinarily are on the farm; but if a- large amount of oats is consumed' by. the birds, then 1 would advocate that as hard and sharp grit as possible be used, even to a certain amount of broken glass, ; which I do not advise under ordinary ! methods of feeding, as an excels of | glass is inclined" to inflame the. walls !of the gizzard i$ the birds are raceiv- | ing soft grain? and food.

/'Many believe that if shell-grit is I given there is no . necessity to give { other grit- Tliia is a mistake.. Others again content! that it is unnecessary to supply sh*ll-grifc, pointing-to tho. fact that many birds on farnrs do not ' receive it, and yet they Iky eggs. j "Well, they, do; Unt they * csnnot lay ; a large number. While on the subi ieot of grit it might be us well to | mention thrtt it is .very probable that, j some classes of grit have furthersi benefit to the bird than the mereI Krinding process, certain mmeraJ r matter which it conta-ras probablyj helping in the sti's.cture of | cbifas&a*6 frame."