Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-01-16

Of animals is 30 susceptible to the i'll effects
of crowding rs the feathered class. Hens will
not lay when too much crowded. nor will
they remain healthy long il too many are
kept together. The building should be well
ventilated without admitting any gusts or
draughts Of wind. It should face the south
If possible and have several windows in front.
Where the weather gets very cold it will be
well to have the whole front glazed and have
a stove inside. Hens cannot lay unless they
are kept comfortable, and when the tempera-
ture falls to l0' below zero or lower, they re-
quire a little artificial heat This heat must
be carefully managed; little fire only should
be kept and it should be as steady rs posi-
BILE. Uniformity of temperature is what is
wanted.
The houses must be kept clean and neat
The floors should be swept every day, and be
busted over with dry EARTH ashes, chat,
short straw or litter of any kind that can be
easily removed. Every hen house should
have plenty Of suitable roosts. There should
be shallow box or bin in one corner-a sun
ny corner is best-containing dry earth, ash
es, ohip-dirt, or mixture of them, for the
hens to wRllow in; they enjoy their bath in
winter as well as in summer. Where oyster
shells cannot be easily proc ured there should
be box containing gravel within reach of
the fowls. A sufficient number of nest boxes.
with glass nest-eggs in them, several shallow
vessels for water and feed trough, will COM
pleto the necessary outfit for the hen house.
very important adjunct to the hen house is
an open shed where the fowls can stay at
pleasure when the weather is not too cold
Such shed should protect the hens from the
prevailing winds.
When the house, with ali the necessary fix
lures is rendy for the stock, the next consid-
GRAFTON is to have the right breed Almost
any breed will do tolerably well with proper
usage; but there is great difference in the
laying qualities of fowls. Under the same
conditions some breeds will lay twice or thrice
as many eggs in given time as others. As
rule the smaller breeds are the best layers
and of the smaller breeds the Leghorns arc
preferable for various reasons they lay
full medium-sized egg, are enormous layers,
are docile and easily restrained and have a
yellow skin. Of the large breeds the Brah-
mas are the best layers. cross of Leg
horn cock on light Brahma hens will be sat
isfactory. Where one wishes to make eggs
specially only pullets should be kept for the
purpose, and the earlier they are Matched the
better. Don't keep hens over more than one
winter unless for some good reason.
When the proper accommodations are fur
nished and the proper breeds selected, the
next and most important step is the feeding.
Egg production is hard work for hens, espe-
clally for those that are large layers An egg
is highly organized and complex substance.
II Is for the most part composed of albumin
GUS matters and oils or fats, together with fl
brin, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, ETC., in small
but appreciable quantities. An egg is a po-
tential chicken. The Matching process adds
nothing to the contents of the egg, but only
develops the chick from the substance al
ready there. Thus in an egg there is the ma
terial for bones, flesh, blood, brain, nerves,
feathers, and all the organs of life. Hence
egg prodution, considered physiologically, is
an exhaustive process when hens lay regular
ly and constantly. Furthermore, the shells
of eggs are composed almost exclusively of
carbonate of lime. When hen lays freely
She requires supply of the raw material
from which to secrete this carbonate, and it
should be furnished to her ut all times. Is it
a wonder then that hens, as they are ordinar-
lily kept do not lay in winter? Their food
must contain the materials from which they
secrete eggs or they cannot lay. Probably
nine-tenths of all the poultry in the country
are fed on raw, whole corn. We know that
corn contains all the elementary substances
that eggs do, but in very much smaller guam
titles bulk for bulk and when hen has no
other food she cannot eat enough to afford
the materials for an egg day, or every other
day. She will get fat and lazy, but cannot
lay. Hence the necessity for a variety of
diet
In summer, when at liberty, the hens can
lind the variety of food that suits them, and
generally lay well without much care but in
winter they can get only what is given them,
and generally they do not lay. But if we
know the wants of the hens and supply them
we may have as many eggs in winter as in
summer Poultry are large consumers of
grass when they can get it, and to keep in
good health they must have it or its equiva-
lent in winter. Cabbages or boiled vegeta-
bles of any kind are good substitutes. Grass,
if cut green and carefully dried in the shade,
when cut fine and stepped awhile in hot wa
ter is nearly as good as green grass, and is
eagerly eaten in winter. Besides grass or its
equivalent we must give a supply of lime.
Oyster shells when they can be had are the
most convenient; when they cannot be had,
ordinary stone lime from the kilns will do as
well after it is Stacked, but gravel must be
supplied with this latter form of lime.
Domestic poultry must be classed among
the omniverous animals. There is nothing
that can be eaten that hen will not eat if
she can get it; any kind of odds and ends
therefore will not come amiss, and much ref
use matter that would otherwise be wasted
may BIO thus turned to good account. Hens
are very large consumers in proportion to
their size, and scanty feeding in winter will
not do. They should have as much as they
want to eat and as often as they want it, es-
pecially when they are laying well. They
should be supplied with animal food in some
form oHal meat, cracklings, chandler's
scraps, thick sour milk, etc., will give the ne
cessary supply,
1t thus appears that an egg is a complex
that it is composed of the highest
products Of secretion that egg production is
an exhaustive process to the hen; that to
produce them in large quantities we must
supply the proper variety of diet, and plenty
OF it and to keep up the health and strength
of the hens they must have green food and
animal food in winter.
have made out bill of fare for my hens
based upon physiological principles, keeping
IN view the composition of the egg itself, and
the health and comfort of the hen. will
not occupy space in showing why this is in
accordance with theoretical principles or ana
lytic results. do not claim that it is the
best or the only way to feed hens, but it has
answered so well with me that do not know
how to alter it for the better. My hons have
laid enormously.
This is how feed; Their morning feed
consists Of cracked (very cOarsely ground)
corn, wheat screenings, or wheat, or oats,
and wheat bran scalded and fed warm in
trough. This is given them as soon as they
can see to eat. AS soon as they are fed
break up pound of oyster shells for thirty
five head. Then they have fresh water from
the pump, AZ much as they will drink.
Fowls often suffer for water in winter. AZ
ter have had my own breakfast give them
about pound of scraps or cracklings from