The Colony Range is so cared for and fertilized that the growing pullet, for the Spring and Summer months, finds an unlimited supply of succulent green food at her door.
CHAPTER XI
Anthracite Coal Ashes—A Substitute for Many More Expensive Necessities
The feather of a bird is composed almost entirely of phosphorous, and phosphorous is a great aid to the bird in digesting food. In fact, there are manufactured “grits” offered on the market, which base their efficiency on the amount of phosphorous they carry.
Anthracite, or hard, coal ashes, carry a considerable quantity of phosphorous, and this is the reason chickens in all stages of their existence are so fond of them. Our attention was first called to this fact by observing the large number of pullets on the Colony Range, where some loads of ashes had been used the previous season in mixing with the fertilizer for the growing of potatoes. It was noticed that these small heaps of ashes were very soon consumed, and when they were replenished the pullets were never absent from the piles. The experiment was then made of placing a small heap at the extreme end of the chick runs from the Brooder House, and to our surprise we found one was unable to see the ashes because of the moving mass of yellow which covered them. It was necessary to replenish these heaps almost daily. As ashes are perfectly sanitary we decided to cover the entire chick run with them, which we did, and every few days, through the brooding season, a fresh coating is necessary, as the youngsters consume so much of the surface constantly.
Better Than Charcoal
Next, we sifted ashes and filled the hoppers in the Laying Houses with them. The layers ate them in the same way in which they consumed wheat. For an experiment we stopped feeding charcoal entirely, and found that the ashes supplied everything that the charcoal did, with none of the dangers, for there seems to be no doubt that where hens consume large quantities of charcoal they are very susceptible to colds.
Large heaps of Anthracite ashes are now kept within a short distance of every Colony House on the Range, and the use of these ashes has very materially reduced the quantity of Grit and Shell consumed, thus representing a considerable economy.
Until the use of Anthracite ashes came in on the Range we placed Grit in receptacles near each Colony House, and the amount consumed was really remarkable. As soon as the ashes were placed there the Grit was deserted, and there practically was no consumption of it at all, and after a few weeks we ceased to supply it and have not done so now for years.
Since the use of the sifted ashes in the Laying Houses a soft shelled egg is almost a curiosity on the Farm.
In the Brooder House runs, beside supplying the phosphorus to the youngsters for their digestion, and the making of their feathers, it does away with the fear of contamination of soil, of which so much is now written, and it presents a surface which dries almost before the rain storm is over, and there is no possibility of the youngsters being let out into a muddy run.