Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 217, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1918 — FOR THE POULTRY GROWER [ARTICLE]

FOR THE POULTRY GROWER

Fowls, like pigs, do the best and make the most rapid growth all through the summer season, if plenty of tender green feed is provided, says a writer. Even in towns and villages where there is plenty of space, this green feed can be provided in abundance for the poultry. It is, however, on the farms, both large and small, and where large flocks of fowls are kept, that this green feed should be provided. As the fowls are, or should be, excluded from the gardens and truck patches at all seasons, some other spot must be used for providing the green feed. The two crops to sow periodically are rape and oats. Many poultry breeders provide these, but make only one sowing and that about April and May. Repeated .sowings for a regular succession of fresh, tender stuff is recommended. As the early sowing of both oats and rape is now growing scarce and getting tough replow the ground and resow again in August. The larger the young chickens get, the more they will eat of such tender green feed and as it is both cheap and healthful, the more expensive feeds are saved. The idea is to produce mature poultry and an abundance of eggs at the minimum of expense, and the work of providing green feed must be begun early and continued all through the growing season.