Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1891 — THE POULTRY-YARD. [ARTICLE]

THE POULTRY-YARD.

FdMlinc: Soft Feed. Soft feed is not natural to birds—that is, wet and sloppy materials—as nature provides them with the means of reducing the hard substances. We have fed hens on glass, broken flint, powdered china and other substauces, but the gizzard ground them to an impalable powder. Hard, sharp substances assist the gizzard in grinding the food and the process is such as to pass the food slowly into the digestive organs. When the crop is filled with soft food the work of the gizzard is lessened, and the process of forwarding the food too rapid, the result being indigestion. It may be noticed that when a full meal of ground grain is given, the hens at once they remain in a state of inactivity until the crop is emptied of its contents. The Ideal Fowl. The ideal fowl is a very practical sort of a bird. One that is plump, fine-flavored and quick of growth, that is what any one wants in a broiler—a good roaster with heavy breasts, tender flesh. As layers we want hens that will begin to lay when six months old, that will lay eggs two ounces each in weight, with rich, yellow yolks. Every hen should lav at least 100 eggs and rear a brood of chicks the first year and a half of hei life. This is not wanting too much, but there are many fowls kept on the farm that fail to come up to What constitutes good, practical stock. It is a poor policy to retain poultry which does not retain an equivalent for its food. —J. W. Caughey, in Agriculturist.