Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-01-23
THE POULTRY YARD.
CARE OF FOWLS IN WINTER.

i The income of the ordinary farmer does
not flow, like that of the manufacturer, in
one large stream, but in many riyulets, and
one Of them has its source in the hennery.
Whether the flow from this source is large
or small depends on the care which the hens
receive. This is especially true i'll the win
ter. In the summer, hens that are allowed
a free run Of the farm can scratch for liv-
ing, AID generally can pick up enough not
only to keep soul and body together, but
also to develop new life i'm their ovaries.
Not so when the ground is frozen and COW
cred with snow. Diddy finds scratching at
this season a hard business. She now re-
quires more food to keep. up animal heat,
and to expect eggs from her without fur
nishing her comfortable room and suita-
bile material fcr manufacturing them, is as
unreasonable as it was in Pharaoh to exact
the regular toll of bricks from the lsraelites
without furnishing straw with which to
burn them. The profit from hens is small
if they lay only in summer, and make no
returns in winter. The complaint of the
old woman who said, My hens are good
tor-nothing critters; when eggs are cheap
they lay, and when eggs are dear they lay
nary aone,'' had some foundation, but the
trouble WAS not with the "critters." Hens
are jusS as ready to lay in winter as in sum-
! mer, provided the conditions are alb right :;
and as eggs bring double, If not triple, price
during the cold season, the net income may
be made as great at this time as in summer.
| The question then returns, what are the
conditions that wills make hens profitable in
winter? There are only two The first is
1 a warm, we'll lighted, well yentilald and
every way comfortable hennery. The lien
| is native of Il warm climate, and our cold
air and frozen or, ,snoW-cosered ground are
not congenial to her. When compelled to
wade III the snow she treads lightly, often
! holding up one foot to warm it in her feath-
cry mni,. and il left toroost upon a tree,
she turns her head Winlwares,, so that the
breeze may not rEffte her feathers, and the
careless farmer may think she is conlforta-
| Bile. but frozen toes and combs are often the
result. and if any one expects his hens to
give their energies to the manufactnra OF
eggs, when they are all required for fight
ing the frost, he expects too much. The
hennery need not be an extensive structure.
Much useless fancy work is often expended
upon it, as if hens, being beautiful animals,
must needs demand = beautiful house; but
they know no difference between II shanty
and palace, and will lay just rs many eggs
| ~, han, hnS in n
any. Let the rich poultry fancierSspend as
much as ehey please upon biddy's house.
/ but the farmer, who has-an eye to profit,
has no occasion to invest much capital in
poultry fixtures. The most successful hen
merry ever saw was in the basement of a
andlaying a we'll glazed front. with tight
walls on the north, east and west. The
apartment was simple enough to. sllit the
taste of Diogenes, but cozy and comfortable
/ enough toYa prince of the Brahmas Or q
princess of the Cochins. The windows on
the south side were made to drop from the
top. so as to let in fresh air. and IL wooden
tube foot square, leading to othe roof, fur
nishetl an outlet for the foul air. The sides
and ceiling were plastered and~hitewashe,
| and the floorless bottom was, well covered
with coal ashes and sand. Here tire tender
White Leghorns lived, loved. scratched
laid eggs, cackled and slept. VITA no fros
TO nip their COMBS or crack, their eggs
Such an underground room has greatly the
advantage over a hennery bsiit, rs SO many
4 are, exposed on all sides to,the ceM winds
/ 1t is almost impossible to Keep the lattel
l.warn enough withcAt a-stove, ana.with ar