Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-02-21
THE SECRET OF HAvINs EGGS IN WINTER.

THE SECRET OF HAvING EGGS NwINTEk.
keep nothing but pure bred fowls.
and those that are acknowledged by all
the best breeders in the country 10 be
the best winter layers that there is in
America, the Light Brahmas. gener-
ally set my hens early in February or
March; this gives me early pullets,
which commence laying as early as Au-
gust, and keep it up from that time till
spring. When cold weather comes |
see that all The cracks are closed in my
chicken house, and every thing made
snug and warm; at least stop the cracks
and not let the fowls set in a cold
draught all night l get a supply of
gravel and place il where the fowls can
help themselves, when they want it.
Next give them box of road dust 10
wallow in, placing it where the sun will
shine on il as much as possible, and
throw handful of sulphur in it once in
a while TO keep the lice at bay. If you
watch the hens when they are taking
their daily dust bath, you will see that
they enjoy it very much. They need a
bath as much as we do, and
it does them as much good.
For feed, have common camp kettle,
made of sheet-iron, into which all the
dishwater and refuse Of the supper table
are put When make the fire in the
morning, the kettle is put on the stove,
and by the time have eaten my break
fast, the contents are hot. l take
patent pail and put the water intoit and
then stir in shorts and corn chop until
il has taken up all the wafer. Make the
mass as thick as possible. Use two
thirds shorts and one-third corn chop,
have small wooden troughs which l
empty the feed INTO. If the weather is
very cold give them in their morning
feed, once week, tablespoonful of
cayenne pepper for every II fowls, and
at least twice week. give them in
their soft feet, handful of salt. At
noon give them rery light feed of
wheat screenings, oats or barley. and
for the last feed. corn, all they will eat
up clean. Be sure your fowls 90 to roost
with full crop. take care to give them
all the pure clean water they want. | use
4 common milk crock, which is As good
rs any thing that | have been able TO
find; it is easy to keep clean and
will last a long time, if you do not for
yet to throw the water out OF it some
cold night. In very cold weather | give
them water warm. Hens require a great
amount of water. They win drink the
last thing at night and the first
thing in the morning. Plenty of good
clean water goes 4 good ways toward
keeping them in good health and laying
condition. Once week | give them a
mess of green food, such as turnips,
cabbage, or potato, cooked and mixed
with meal, and by all these small de-
tails make my hens give me plenty OF
eggs in the season when every one is
complaining, my hens don't lay; |
don't see why. They have all the corn
they can eat That is the trouble,
too much corn. ! suppose there are
some farmers and others who will say il
don't pay to 90 to SO much trouble and
bother, but it will be those who think il
too much trouble and bother to put their
reapers, mowers and plows under shelter
out of the rain and snow which wears
them out more than use. Such farmers
think it too much trouble to do any
thing rs it should be done. We have
one of the best States in the Union for
poultry, with good markets, and there
is more money in it than any other thing
the farmer can do or raise. Fowls must
have some care as well as other stock,
aud not be left to scratch for their living
on the frozen ground and roost in the
trees. if we expect them to pay for their
Z. Marsh, Manhattan,
hasls., III hdnsds Farmer
Ammonia is good for great many
things. 1t cleans gentlemen's coat
colla,. n nd 81. hat- ,ninal,- n;l,,Aa ,,-;th |