Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-05

COLD WEATHER. ||<<1= ..1Ig by
the downward 90 q <FsIiry we
should say tho #|o| md from
this time w + a ID we may
expect VIZ U@S|< a B. Fpolar waves"
and boiste>T snerally. Well,
who cares # 4 Ike cold weather,
any way. w. mercury ge.s to
slipping down Low zero and the people
go around looking blue and pinched and
cold, and saying, What awful cold
weather this is" / just begin to enjoy my
self, and when no one sees me | clap my
hands and exclaim. Isn't this jolly
weatherp
OF course this Jolly" weather makes
extra work for the poultry keepers, but a
little extra labor won't kill anybody. For
the next four or five months the fowls will
| be obliged to remain in their houses
during the crater part of the time, and if
we expect them to pay their way We must
give them extra care. The pullets, if they
understand their duty, have already begun
to lay. Our Plymouth Rock pullets have
been laying for six weeks The old hens
are well through the annual moult, and
are beginning to think about returning to
duty; help them all you can by giving
good egg-producing food. plenty Of it, and
regularly. Do your part and the hens
will do theirs.
Don't treat your fowls as YOU do tramps,
and limit them to "cold vctuals" during
this cold weather Give them hot break
fast every morning, Potatoes, turnips and
carrots, boiled and mixed with bran and
corn meal. is greatly relished by Il sensi-
bile fowls Save all the scraps from the
L.. l. al L., 10, ~ , In
WATER and when hot mix up with wheat
bran. Let me tell you that this is the
best egg producing food that you can give
to your fowls
See that your fowls have supply of
clean, pure, unfrozen water before them
, as much of the time as possible. Fowls
drink great deal when confined to close
: quarters, and if you have any regard for
their comfort you will take some pains 10
, keep water before them in Il drink able
shape. The fortunate ones who have fowl
houses that can be kept above the freezing
point inside can easily do this, and for
others, they can either carry water two or
$ three times day, caref lily emptying the
, vessels each time after the hens are
| through drinking; or they Can fill cask
, with hot water in the morning, and use
/. one of the drop faucets; or they can put IA
small coal oil lamp in a bucket and set a
pan of hot water over it.
Remember that when the groun is GOV
| cred with ice and snow or frozen as hard
us hrick-b bat, the fowls can not supply
themselves with gravel, and they will not
do well without it.
} Whenever they can be procured, oyster
, shells, pounded up, should be kept where
the fowls can have constant access tt
: them. Crushed oyster shells can be bought
I at almost any country grocery, but if you
: buy the crushed article it will be cheaper
to send to some firm that deals in poultry
! supplies, and buy hundred pound box al
IL time.
The poultryman Or the farmer who keep,
the single .combed fowls, and does moi
r possess warm fowl house, must look Out
for their combs when the mercury gets to
, zero and below, or his fowls wi |, in one
night, be dlsfigured for life. One of my
3 neighbors who keeps fowls with two story
] combs, and whose hen house is none 81
he best, made flannel night.caps for every
t last one of her chickens. and regularly
every cold night last winner she visited the
hen house after the fowls had gone tC
f roost, and put on their night.caps. 1t was
= il comical sight to see thirty hens all in q
q row with their heads adorned with rec
e flannel night caps This fall she had the
5 fowl house repaired, and ''cupboart" pu
I in one corner for the fowls to roost in
Size hopes that th. house within Il houst
will be comfortable enough so that tn,
night-caps can be dispensed with.-Fumnl
hield, IN ohio Farmer.