Hens Drink More in Afternoon
At first the watering was done early in the morning, but now the watering hour has been changed to the first hour of the afternoon. The reason for this is because, by sitting in the Laying Houses and watching the birds, it was discovered that from one o’clock to roosting time more water is consumed than at any other hours of the day. At first it was thought that Biddy, on leaving her roost, immediately sought the drinking fountain, but we find the first act, generally speaking, is to endeavor to fill the crop with grain, and she vigorously starts to work in the litter.
By placing the hot water in the fountains during the hour after noon, we find that with the closing of the house for the night, the water retains its temperature to a remarkable degree, and it is not at all chilling to the birds in the morning of ordinary cold weather. If the night has been an extremely cold one we make it a practice of going through the Houses with boiling water, emptying out what may be in the cups, and refilling them from the hot water can, thus giving any bird which may desire a large quantity, warm water to drink at this time in the morning.
The supply of water for all the stock on The Corning Egg Farm comes from the deep well, already described in the chapter on “Building the Farm.”
CHAPTER XV
Hard Coal Ashes, Oyster Shell, and Grit
As stated in the chapter on “Anthracite Coal Ashes,” ashes have entirely taken the place of charcoal on The Corning Egg Farm. They are fed in hoppers with the Grit and Oyster Shell. These hoppers are divided into three compartments, and are automatic in feeding down the ingredients, in small quantities at a time, for Biddy’s use.
It is very essential to supply the hen with the proper grinding material for operation in her mill, for, from the crop, what she takes into her system in the way of grain, etc., is passed into the gizzard, where she places a certain amount of hard, sharp stones, to use as mill stones, and this great muscular organ then puts the food into the proper condition for her to assimilate it.
The Grit placed in the hoppers is hard and sharp. Ordinary pebbles are of no use to Biddy in preparing her food for digestion. There are a great many different grits on the market sold through Poultry Supply Houses, and by the manufacturers themselves. Where it is possible to procure Grit having the essentials as already described, and carrying a good percentage of lime, it adds very materially to the desirability of the Grit.
Oyster Shell occupies the third compartment of the hoppers, this supplying the hen with the lime necessary for her own system and for the shell of the egg. It should be seen to that the Oyster Shell is free from dust, and rather coarse as to its size. This represents an economy because there is so little waste by the fowls when the Shell is fed to them in this condition. The lack of lime in the system of the hen is one of the reasons for soft shelled eggs, and the lack of lime in the ingredients fed to a young chick means soft bones, which shows most decidedly in leg weaknesses.
Where the hen is supplied with the full quantity of the ingredients which give her lime, she turns out eggs which you might term “well shelled” and this adds materially to the appearance of the egg, and, consequently, helps to give it a better grading.
CHAPTER XVI
Beef Scrap and Green Bone Substitutes for Nature’s Animal Food
Undoubtedly the ideal animal food for the hen, if it were possible to procure it in sufficient quantities the year round, would be angle worms, grasshoppers, and other members of the insect family, which the early Spring supplies in such liberal quantities. It must be remembered that in these different worms and insects there is a large amount of phosphorous, which adds very greatly to the ability of the hen to successfully digest the large quantity of food which is necessary, if she is to produce a large quantity of eggs.