Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1875 — Cooking Food for Fowls. [ARTICLE]

Cooking Food for Fowls.

Much has been said for and against tills practice. Some affirm that the gizzard or muscular stomach of the fowl is given them expressly to grind their food, and that all attempts to do it artificially are impeachments of the wisdom of the creation. This same line of argument would abolish all shelter and care of them by man; would return man himself back to the savage state, and feed him on wild fruits, nuts Mid roots. Those who talk so reverently of nature and fear so much to improve upon her forget that fowls in their wild state in their native climate feed only upon freshgrowing herbage, berries, seeds and insects, and as these become dry and tough or scarce in the North they migrate to the South, where they again find a supply of what they require naturally. This accounts for the flocks of wild geese and pigeons which are aU moving 'South at this season of the year. Thus it will be seen that man, in domesticating fowls and keeping them in a cold climate, changed their mode of living; establishing dry for green food in the winter, and that it becomes necessary to compensate for this by assisting in mastication and digestion. * Man has produced from the long-legged specimen of years ago the beautiful Brahma and Cochin of to-day. This, too, has been done in opposition to the natural habits of the fowl, and is likely to continue his efforts as long as he is rewarded by such results. Our modem fowls are a work of art. Cooking food for them is of comparatively recent date, and only practiced by few to-day; nevertheless I deem the practice as great an improvement over feeding whole raw grain as the fowls are themselves superior to those seen forty years ago. It js a property of starch to be insoluble in cold water, but to readily dissolve in boiling water, and to thicken into a jelly of paste when cool. Very much of the nutriment in grain, meal or potatoes is lost, therefore, when fed in a raw state. lam satisfied that one-third less food can be used with better results if cooked, instead of being fed raw or simply mixed with cold water. I have tried nearly all kinds of whole grain, both raw and cooked, and the same grain ground, mixed with cold water; also the same ground and thoroughly cooked, If grain is to be fed whole I prefer to nse it uncooked, as I believe the fowls prefer it in that condition, occasionally, for a change; but if ground, should have it cooked by all means. “ Many men have many minds. ” Borne advocate fMnily oat meal and fine middlings and many other metropolitan dishes for young, growing chicks. It may do for the first few weeks, but uo longer. I have had better results the past summer than ever before, and have fed almost entirely (since early potatoes could be obtained) with boiled potatoes mashed hot and mixed with an equal quantity of wheat bran and the corn and oats ground together, in the proportion of four parts potatoes, one part ground com and oats and three parts wheat bran. After thoroughly cooking together have allowed the mess to cool before be ng fed; have fed occasionally com at night, usually cracked, but the main feed has been the mixture given above.

The chicks have had unlimited range in grass fields on a large farm, which of course has afforded them ample exercise and opportunity for insect diet Many consider wheat bran of little more value than chaff, yet it is true of nearly all grains that they are as valuable for food with their enveloping husk ground into meal with them as when nothing but the clean grain is employed. In fact, some affirm that the husks of some of them contain more the grains themselves. This I believe true of wheat bran so far as forming bone and muscle. How ever this may be, all should be ground into meal to be most nutritious, and a large percentage is added to their value by cooking. The object with growing chicks should be to give them the greatest size at maturity (I am speaking now of those intended for breeding. Men who raise early chicks to be killed for market of course aim to get the greatest size at the earliest age), never forgetting the importance of strong, healthy constitutions. Pampering and stuffing may result in greater weight at four or five months old, but the excess will be internal fat, rather than bone and muscle. When I can raise dark Brahmas that weigh seven and a half to eight pounds at five months old, without being fat, I am satisfied with their prospects for size at maturity. A very fist fowl- is an abomination; not fit to be eaten; does not lay so well; is more liable to disease and is not desirable to breed from. Great weight and size in mature fowls, if accompanied with health, strength and vigor, is always to be sought for. A large-framed chicken reared by the hardy plan can be easily fattened in a few days, but a pampered fat chicken can never be made to reach the same size and weight as those reared as suggested above.—H. A. Mansfield, in Poultry World. ■ *»’*' —— —Every farmer should keep a good wrench which can be adjusted to fit a nut of any size that may be employed on wagons or farm implements. The woodwork of implements and carriages frequently shrinks so that clips, bolts and braces hag* an opportunity to work; if the nuts are not tightened the parts commence wearing or the nuts soon work off the bolts. The same is true of rivets, when they pass through wood-work. They often need to be drawn up tight with a riveting-hammer.

“How to Make Good Coffee.”— l will gfve my mode, the result being very satisfactory: First of aU get a good article—that is, coffee that will brown well —this can be tested easily, as the grain* should swell almost twice the size when browned than when green; brown it evenly; never leave the stove when once the coffee has commenced to broWn, or you will bum it, and good coffee cannot be made out of charcoal. I have an oldfashioned mm, the kind that are nailed the wall; that miH three-fourths full makes sufficient coffee for four persons. After grinding it I put it in a bowl, pour some white of egg to clarify, then dampen thoroughly with cold water, stirring well to mix the egg through completely, then pour into the boiler, and to this add three pints of cold water, instead of hot, as manv use. Set the holler upon the fire and, as the coffee heats, stir it two or three times before it arrives at the boiling point. Let it boil for twenty-five minutes, set it off, pouring in the spout of the boiler about one tablespoonful of cold water, which will clear away any grounds that may be there. Ih five minutes it will settle; pour off then Into the coffee-pot for the table. If your meal is not quite ready set the coffee where it will keep hot, but not boll. Never serve coffee that is half cold; on the contrary, take pains to have it piping hot.— Oar. Cincinnati Times. A Beautiful Woman.— The perceptive faculty of women is usually keener than the same phrenological organ in men Woman knows that beauty rather than genius is worshiped by the sterner sex. A man may talk with his lips of the latter to bis ladylove, but the keenness of the woman knows he is thinking of the former in his heart. All women have an innate desire to please their beaux. They are fond of admiration, hence one of their longings is to be beautiful. The grand secret of female beanty is health —the secret ts health is the power to eat, digest and assimilate a proper quantity of wholesome food. Take Vinegar Bitters. It will cleanse the stomach, tone the vital organs, give a perfect digestion, purify the blood, clear up the complexion and produce a state of mental and physical electricity which gives symmetry of form, bright eyes, white skin, glossy hair and a genuine type of female loveliness which no cosmetic can compare with. . 19 There are few who need to be told that the Sherman House is the best hotel in Chicago. But all may not have learned that its prices have recently been materially reduced.

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