Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1918 — GRAIN SORGHUMS FOR FOWLS [ARTICLE]

GRAIN SORGHUMS FOR FOWLS

Blackhull Kafir Excellently Adapted for Purpose—Readily Fed Without Crushing. (Prepared' by the United States Department of Agriculture.) All poultry raisers should become more familiar with the value of sorghum grains, especially the Blackhull kafir, as a feed for hens. They are excellently adapted for this purpose as the grains are nutritious, and in size they are small enough so that they are readily fed without cracking or crushing. An investigation made in 1908 showed store than 100 firms engaged in the manufacture of over 200 brands of poultry feed. Figures furnished at that time by 33 of these flans showed an annual output of about 30,000 tons of these products. Approximately onethird of this quantity, or 10,000 tons, consisted of the seed of Blackhull kafir. This was used mostly in mixture with other grains, such as corn, wheat, screenings, etc. It probably is a safe estimate that kafir or other grainsorghum seed forms fully 25 per cent of the prepared poultry feed sold in this country. , There is a steady demand for these grains in the manufacture of poultry feed. When the crop in this country has been short, similar varieties have been, imported from as far away as India and China. The poultry industry is steadily increasing in this country, it Is probable that kafir grain would form a still larger proportion of the total poultry feed manufactured if it were always available at satisfactory prices. This avenue should not be neglected.