Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-05
Fall Management Of Poultry.


~ some suppose Indeed, we prefer TO see
hens putting off their summer clothing quite
early in the autumn and getting ready for
winter before the cold weather has fairly be-
gun for we have come to the conclusion
that this indicates n healthy condition. II is
Just as natural for hens to shed their feathers
as it is for trees to shed their leaves, and each
process requires some vitality. Cut branch
from tree, and the leaves remain upon il n
long time, because there is no vigor to shed
them and in like manner a hen whose ener.
gies have been exhausted in producing eggs
will hold her feathers till the weather is so
cold that the exchange of old for new clothing
is a hazardous process. In such a case the
feathers are apt to fall off rapidly, leaving
the hen in such a nude condition that she suf-
fers from the cold, and rarely RECEIVERS so as
to be worth much. The Leghorns, Spanish
and other non-sitting breeds are specially liza
bic to late moulting, and we do not know how
to account for it unless it is caused by exhaus-
ton from constant reproduction. Iii rare
to see nude Dominique, and rarer still to see
a featherless Brahma, for these breeds stop
laying occasionally, and make r change of la
Dor by sitting A Brahma may not lay as
many eggs in year MS q Leghorn, but she has
better constitution, moults early, and is
ready for producing eggs again at Christmas
and sometimes at Thanksgiving.
During the moulting season all hens seem
TO feel miseraby. II should be the aim of
the poultry keeper, therefore, not only to ia
vor early moultng, but also to make the sea-
son as short as possible. In order to do this
the feed should be such as to induce the
growth of feathers. As these are largely nj
trogenous in their composition, so poultry
food should be something of which nitrogen
is a prominent constituent If fowls are al
,,F
such food for themselves; will run for grass
hopper and scratch for worm with much
more eagerness than they do in the summer
As they do much less damage in the garden
now than in the spring we let them scratch
there. If any one prefers to imprison his
hens, he should feed them with oats rather
than corn, and never fail to give them daily
ration of bone meal, scraps, or something of
the kind, which will furnish material for feath-
ers.
Almost equally important with proper food
is proper shelter. In summer hens can roost
on fences or in trees, or almost anywhere they
please, and suffer no harm; but when the
nights grow long and cold. hens need q com
Portable place. Hens know what they want,
and we find them in the autumn leaving their
outdoor roosting places and seeking n shel-
tered spot for doing and dreaming. The
average farmer does not mean to be cruel to
animals, but he does not think of the wants
of his hens, and does not provide them with
a warm, cozy hennery. Such place does not
cost much, and pays II large dividend on what
it does cost. Take three or four old windows
and put them into the south side of she'd
and lath and plaster small, hoorless room
behind these windows and furnish it with
roosting-poes and boxes, and the hens will
produce enough more eggs in two years to pay
for oil tNroviIoH much nit al i
not invested. The trouble with most henne-
ries is that there is too much gingerbread work
put upon them.
In case hens retire into winter quarters that
are old, the poultry keeper should see to it
that their quarters are swept and whitewashed.
Possibly they may need purifying with sui
phur-certainly if there are any signs of their
being infested with vermin. These signs are
unmistakable. If, on poking around in the
old nests, you find your hands and clothes
covered with minute lice, and feel an itching
sensation all over you, an impression may be
got of how hens feel that are condemned to
hibernate in company with such vermin.
These lice are so small as to be Just discerni-
BILE by the naked eye, but they bite with a
good deal of vim, and hen that has thous-
and of them on her body is not to be blamed
if she does not lay eggs. why don't my
hens lay 2" is the question we have often been
asked, and the answer has been, Yankee fash
ion, with another question, Are not your
hens infested with lice Z" and an examination
has generally revealed that both hens and hen
merry were overrun with vermin, though the
owners were utterly astonished at the fact.
As a remedy for this trouble we find sulphur
the most effective, though kerosene and car
bolic acid are also good. If the hennery is
tight, the vermin can be killed very easily by
closing the doors and windows and burning a
little birthstone in some old iron vessel The
suffocating fumes should be continued until
they have permeated every crack and Granny
and effectually accomplished their purpose
To render this publication doubly sure, the
hennery should first be thoroughly cleaned
out, nest boxes and ALL and it is well enough
to repeat the fumigaton after the lapse of a
week, so that if any vermin may have hatch
ed out since the first operation they may not
mourn the loss of their relatives. If the
roosts and nest boxes are also well sprinkled
with the flowers of sulphur, we will warrant
"A thorough publication of the hennery at an
expense of an hours labor and a sixpence
worth of birthstone.
To cleanse the hens themselves is a little
more difficult process, but one easily accom-
plshed if the poulterer has the confidence of
his fowls and they will allow him to handle
them. Put on some overalls take each hen
in your lap, and sprinkle some flowers of sui
phur among the feathers on the back, from
the crown on the head to the adams nose"
which supports the tail, not emitting to give
a dose to the vermin which seek shelter under
the wings.
Looking into the apartments allotted to
poultry on many farms, one would conclude
that farmers considered fowls as having no
rights which they were bound to respect. The
hens are too frequently allowed to rOost in
some open she'd on the wagons aud other
farm implements, which they besmear dis
gustingly, and the whole arrangement looks
slovenly and uncomfortable. The impression
with these farmers seems to be that the hen is
an unclean animal, and can put up with un-
clean quarters This is great mistake. Be-
cause they wallow and founder in the dirt,
some conclude that they have proclivity for
the unclean, but it should be noticed that they
select dry, clean soil for houndering, and
when they arise and shake themselves the
dirt does not stick to them any more than wa
ter does to "A duck. Let the alternating quar-
| tiers of the hens, therefore, be made as neat
and inviting as possible-the fitting abode OF
a most tidy and beautiful animal Hens pre-
| fer to sleep on trees in the summer, because
| the trees are SO well ventilated, and it should
| be the farmers care to see that when they re-
tire into their winter quarters they are not
| suffocated for the want of air, nor poisoned
with that which is foul. In order to induce q
| good circulation of air in the hennery, we al
ways keep open the little passage through
which the hens enter, no matter how cold it
| is, and one or more windows dropped from
the top except in extreme cold nights In
this mild autumn weather it is better that the
upper sash should be dropped its full length
for hens can Withstand cold much better than
they can foul air. 1t is estimated that each
hen wants a hundred cubic feet of air foi
healthy breathing, This would require hen
merry for 20 hens to be 20 feet long, 10 wide
and 10 high, but it may be smaller if properly
| ventilated.
EcOnOmiEIng Fodder.
In seasons of short crops of hay, we
| ara Oftau mt IN IL fnr ypave and n,eans ~