Show feeding poultry breeding stock by G E conkey improper feeding of df brieding br b ci ding birds is often responsible for their inability to produce a sufficient kumher of hatching eggs or enough fertile eggs possessing the vitality necessary for the 09 production of strong vigorous chicks such loss and worry could to a great extent be very easily over for it is not at all difficult to feed breeding birds properly what they need is to be fed first for condition to be fed for a gain in strength and so that when hatching eggs are needed they will be able to produce a maximum murn number of large largie eyen even sized fertile eggs of strong vitality to secure these results the method of feeding is perhaps more important than the food for the latter good laying rations cinnlt be Imn improved roved upon tha the fading for condition should begin with the selection of the breeding birds which should take place about ther middle of december during the latter part of december and the early part January of no attempt should be made to get eggs the birds should be fed enough to keep their strength and vigor on the increase but not enough to supply them with very much of a surplus of nutriment good condition will come to breeding birds more quickly if their meals are varied so as t to include a number of nourishing foods such as grain r stion mash ind green stuff an excellent grain can be made for them by mixing equal parts of cracked corn oats and wheat this should le be fadin a deep litter so that the birds will have to scratch it out grain by grain and thereby get the exercise that is so necessary to their good health any breedi breeding nr flock will relish and be benefited by a mash made by thoroughly mixing 60 IDS cornmeal 60 ibs lbs wheat 30 lbs ib wheat bran 10 lb 1 alfalfa meal 10 ibs lbs oil meal 50 1 beef scraps 1 ib salt such a mash should be fed dry and placed before the birds for several hours through the middle of abc day one of the most important factors in any mash for breeding birds is beef scraps they contain a high percentage of protein which not only helps to put the birds in good condi tier tion but enables them to impart strong vitality to the hatching eggs green material for breeding birds may consist of the stuff that can be obtained or prepared d most easily such as sprouted Pr oits mits sliced cabbage beets mangels or small potatoes this method of feeding will put breeding bird birdt in splendid condition by the time eggs are desired for hatching and they can then be given a bountiful supply of each of the different kinds of food so as to furnish them with thy large surplus of nutriment necessary for the production of a sufficient lelent number of hatching eggs their grain ration an al I 1 supply of green food should be increased to as large i quantity as they will clean clea n up and the mash can 1 0 left before them all the time if a liberal supply of either butter milk ik or skim milk can also be fed regularly it will prove very helpful kich eich of th these se is rich in protein and ivill 11 th therefore thre foro make it ble to decrease the amount of beef scraps n the mish abol abot A ono half in addition to 0 o the tb regular foods plenty of gric shell liell a am ani chri coal shoula be bt supplied as each of these is of some benefit to the breeding hen and will make it easier for her to produce a goodly supply of hatch batch ling eggs the ground oyster hell bell is especially important as it la Is absolutely necessary tn t the production of hard shelled eggs hard shelled hatching eggs are much more to be desired than thin or medium hick thick shelled ones as they are not so like ly to got cracked or broken during incubation do not geff chilled as easily and their contents are are kept from evaporating too rapidly there 1 is no element of luk luok in the feeding of breeding birds re suits a maximum n number u m b e r 0 of f healthy vigorous chicks T are sure to any poultry owner who reali i that breeding birds must be got lint ined tip top condition before they can produce the right kind of hatching eggs and then uses good judgment in feeding to obtain such condition f |