THE POULTRY RUN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 October 1939, Page 6

THE POULTRY RUN

ECONOMY IN FEEDING. USE OF TABLE SCRAPS. Economy in feeding materials is a major consideration, especially to a beginner, and it can be extensively practised, provided that such economy has no adverse effect on egg production, or the encouragement of flesh-growth in table birds. Such things as table scraps, potatoes and green stuff of every description can )oe used advantageously and to the evident appreciation of the birds. Care'must be taken, however, to observe a certain amount of balance with these rations, as with any of the higher-priced feed stuffs used by those who number their fowls by the thousand.

Vary the Feedstuffs. One need have no fear in sensibly using the simplest of feedstuffs, for a bird is as much a living entity as any animal or human being, and to the latter, variety is generally considered the spice of life. Chicks may be reared intensively for the first four weeks of their lives, being accommodated in a brooder house, where it is possible to open the whole front, thus allowing the entry of fresh air and sunlight to the fullest extent. One poultry keeper states that he had fed chick mashes, containing from twelve to fourteen different ingredients, and has seen no appreciable difference in their growth from that of chicks which have been fed a simple mash, containing four ingredients, until last year he reared a batch of chicks intensively during the autumn months, when there was little, and often no sun available for them, until six weeks of age. They were fed on ordinary layers’ mash, containing four ingredients, until from sixteen to eighteen weeks old, when they were killed for the table. The response to the feeding was excellent throughout the period, while the layers mash did not in any way encourage early precocity. Another rearing season the chicks were fed on a special chickmash, coupled with chick grain. With each batch was placed a hopper of broad bran, and they were allowed to feed ad. lib. from this, with the mash, until noon, when all mash was removed. The chicks seemed to prefer the bran, and an excellent rearing season was the result. At Eight Weeks Old. When the chicks -were eight weeks old the grain fed to them was half wheat and half kibbled maize—and the pullets came into lay at 24 weeks old. Obviously the maize was not too forcing in its effect, and did not encourage precocity. Another poultryman keeps about 15 to 20 birds, and feeds practically anything that is edible. Wheat is given in the morning with any kind of table scraps—pieces of potato and other vegetables, with odd bits of meat and fish. The scraps are mixed with a layer mash, and the birds always look and lay well. Keeping from 50 to 60 birds, another man had 12 White Leghorn pullets in a separate house. There was plenty of table 'scraps—all kinds of vegetables, bits of meat and fish, and much bread. Preparing House Scraps. The uncooked stuff was boiled, the bread soaked and the whole then mixed with a plain layer mash. From this pen of 12 pullets the egg production averaged 235 per bird in 52 weeks—proof enough that a complicated ration was not essential to a high rate of production. All such miscellaneous feedstuff should be used whenever available, as a wet mash food, mixed to a crumbly consistency with a layingmash mixture.