The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1879-12-11
POULTRY KISSING.
Useful HINTS and Instructions as to
Their Raising.

quest will give you series OF arti-
Giles on farm aff.irs for insertion in
your valuable paper. My first will
be poultry raising, and hints as to
their management in winter in the
northwest.
In the first place we want good,
secure and warm place for their bed
room. I have found that the best
kind Of I. house is to make an excl
vation in the ground about four feet
deep; where there is Il sandy subsoil
it would require to be toarded up on
the sides. NJ Ike roof the same as
if you were going to put GA shakes,
put one pane Of lass in the gable end
and put poles up and down on the
root; then Oh top Of the poles lay
about one foot ofstraw. Then cover
the straw with earth and in the center
of The roof hive a pipe tor the pur-
pose Of ventilation; hens want fresh
air and plenty OF it. Put in Il floor,
if your means will allow it, and make
it as smooth rs possible for this is
really q source Of profits to the intelli-
gent, practical farmer which will he
shown firtlc: on. And now for the
ronst. Some advocate the use OF
poles, but the right thing tor roosts
are b>lrl about folr inches wide, Or
take Il pole about four inches in d.
ameter and hew it down htt; the
difference between the two kinds Of
roosts are apparent 1T a gl;tnce, and
TO iloll good my position I will ex-
plain the difference. The round pole
is bad because the hen, when getting
onto it has to clutch hold Of it with
her toes and they are very easily
frozen, the feathers not being long
enough to protect them. Another
fault have to find with poles is that
young fowles have very tender bones
and thei: own weight twists and de-
forms them. But with q fat surface
to sit on the feathers cover the feet
and they can keep their forms strai yht.
The roosts want to be from three to
four feet from the floor. and never
put one higher than another because
all the hens will crowd on the III CHEST
one, and they don't want to be high
for the ;.ir gets more impure the
higher they go. This part Of their
house must be kept very clean, and
it would he well to wllitcwash the
coop once or twice q year. Never
let the hens lsy in this part of the
house. Feed them once Il day anil
that about one hour before shutdown
give them nothing but hard feed such
as whent, barley and corn. D,n't
give them oats during the winter I'm
less it is ground.
Now about the source Of profit
The droppings Of the hens make q
first class manure if properly handled
The best way to secure it is to pre-
pare in the summer time heap OF
dry earth ahl sprinkle it all over the
floor twice u week at least, and uil.
der the roost every day, and clean
o.,C once or twice u week; it makes
very nice compost. Pula box OF
ashes into the coop and put some
sulpler in the ashes. The hens will
get into the ashes AMI take bath
two or three times Il. day. Also put
in some gravel as it is all the teeth
the hens have. A little old plastic
j.. is a good thing to give them as il
helps them to make shells Tor theil
eggs. Bear in mind, gentle reade:
that it is not impossible to have eggs
Tor your trouble in the winter. All
it requires is care AMI attention &c
their wants.