Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-17
AGRICULTURAL.

How TO MAKE HESs LAY" 5. o. j.
writes to the Country Ge5itlcmGH as follows
There are many hens kept through the
winter which are not worth their feed, be-
cause they are chilled and half sick from be-
ing forced to live on food not suited to their
needs, or are too old for use. A hen Is an
egg-laying machine, and in order to keep it
in running order, it must be fed with a
yrriety of food, out Of which it can combine
the various parts of the egg--white. yolk
and shell Winter is the hardest season for
hens, and they require more attention at that
time but if suitable food i given, and the
location Of their house l. sunny and comfort
able, one can safely count on n many eggs in
December, January and February as in the
summer months Their food must be varied;
this Is an essential item in the care Of hens.
Ii is best 10 feed corn, wheat, oats, buck
wheat and potatoes. having part Of the
corn Just from the cob. and the rest either
cracked like hominy. or in ground meal; and
we find it works better 10 feed whole corn
at night. and the more easily digeSted food
at morning and noon. When the cold
weather becomes settled, it is best also to
wet up the morning and noon feed with
,caliing water, and feed it quite hot. Mr..
Cock-a-doodle-loo and Dame Partlett like a
hot bit and sup Of food when the air i frosty
and biting quite rs weel aS YOU and me and
they also like to feel comfortable and happy,
and will do their work much more regularly
if this little attention l. granted 10 them.
Small potatoes. boiled and mashed are also
valuable food for them. and it Is a good plan
to boil up large kettle Of them several
times a week corn meal or wheat screen
ings can be mixed with it. but with or with
out grain, it will prove palatahle dish and
be greatly reliShed. \ little salt Spriukled
over the potatoes will make them more
healthful The old idea that salt viii kill
hens Is not exactly true one perhaps if
they ate large bits of rock salt itmight prove
injurious. but We know from experience
that saltel curd makes chickens thrive, and
and that hens eat Of it voaciou,ly. The
practice Of eating feathers from their own
and each others necks is also cured by an
application Of salt to their food, in liquid or
bulk. 4 tablespoonful of salt stirred into a
gallon kettle of food makes it of better quail
". Scrap cake, which can be purchased t
the butchers at a cheap rate, Is a very
healthful food for poultry, a. it will supply
the place of worms and bugs. and gives
more warmth to their systems 1t can be
bought in large cakes. and cut into slices
mixing it with the boiling hot food given
morning an evening. Beef'S liver, Lights and
hearts, if chopped fine. are also highly
relished. and meat bones with small lrag-
ments attached are desirable food. and oil
cake is as good as anything else. For
several winters we have kept a kettle behind
the stove, into which all fragments of food
We're thrown-apple and potato paring-.
skins of all vegetables, bits of cooked food.
and all the Debris from the kitchen and
dining-room At noon time the whole mes,
i boiled up and thickened with corn or oat
meal, or wheat screenings. and it Is given
every day to the hens the results are seen
in plenty Of fresh eggs all winter. AMI oar
breakfasts are rendered deliciou, by their
aid. But after all, unless we give food that
will permit the hen TO manufacture the egg
shell, it will often produce fat and DO hen
fruit; occasionally an egg without Il shell
may be dropped and then we know that
lime, old mortar. bones. or some something
containing shell material must be provided.
Ii bone meal can be purchased. it Is the best
food, if not we must burn all the meat bones
we use, then pound them and mix with the
boiling food Oyster shells pounded are
good and bits of broken crockerv are e.
teemed a. tit-bits by all E. biddies'' Green
food, such as cabbage heads. etc. i also very
much relished, and farmers should always
remember to give the refuse cabbage leaves
to the hens rather than 10 the hogs Boxes
of coal ashes. wood ashes, and sand or gravel
are also needful articles of furniture in every
hennery and air-slacked lime-a Shoyeful
every few days-is a dainty to the hens. If
piles Of ashes and lime are laid in the corners
of the house, the hens will roll in them and
keep themselves free from vermin With
twelve benS and one cock. we are supplied
with six eggs day at this season and we
think the supply will continue through the
next six months, if not longer 1t ha, been
ascertained by German naturalist that the
oyary of hen contains about six hundred
embryo egg. The first year not much more
than twenty are matured the second wear
one hundred and twenty; the third, one
hundred and thirty-fiye the fourth. one
hundred and fourteen and for the next four
years the number decreases twenty each
year. and by the ninth year She lays only ten
eggs. This shows Us thai. up to the fifth
year, hens increase in value. and then are
better fitted for the soup pot cham the
hennerv