Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-11-15
Farm and Home.
More Eggs.

three months after moulting season we new
er knew the supply of eggs TO be equal TO
the demand and this though the price rises
to twice and often thrice what it is al other
seasons The cry fer month before
Thanksgiving and month after Christmas
is for more eggs. Everybody uses them
economically at this season. still the supply
in cite. is limited, and in the country mer-
chants are offer compelled TO turn off their
customers with. ,.e have not an egg in the
store, and can't set one" Farmers should
take note of these facts and wake up to the
demands of the market. There is no ncces-
sity that hens should lay by for repairs three
or four months every winter, Ike an old wo-
man who COM, ,ined Of her hens laying
abundantly when eggs were cheap and stop
ping the supply when they were dear. Far
mers know. or ouEht to know. that the hens
are not 10 blame in this matter. They are
merely machines for manufacturing eggs,
and proprietors Of machinery don't expect
products without furnishing raw material
and all the adiuncts necessary for tie smooth
running Of their machines As few farm.
products are commanding such remuneraiiye
prices as do eggs. and every farmer is in
curing what he can do to raise little cash.
few suggestions as to the winter produc-
ton Of eggs may timely.
In the first place. it is the pullet that
must be relied upon TO lax daring the moul'-
ing season. Pullets DO not change their
feathers in the fall. and. and while the old
hens are passing through this revolution in
their system, there should be some early
chickens ready 10 keep up the supply of
eggs. Chickens Matched in April and May
vii commence layin- in October and Nov
emher. If kept thriving through the summer
AMI stimulated with suitable food in the
autumn The age at which chickens lay de-
ponds also in part upon the breed.
The power u heredity is as manifest in
chickens as in ILL featherlesS biped> The
Brahmas and the large Isiatic fowls gen
orally come to maturity slowly. The White
AMI Brown Leghorns and the Dominiques
are ready to lay in five or six months from
Matching. if properly treated. Then again,
the moulting season need not be protracted
so indefinitely, as it often is. It is the old
feeble, poorly fed hens that are long time
replacing them. \ hen is not good egg
making machine 5fier she is two wears old
and the greatest product MA, he expected
from her when she is from six TO eighteen
months old. The true plan. therefore, is
kill off the old hens and keep the flock
young and vigorous. If for any reason it is
desirable to keep them through two nloult-
ing seasons. feed them well and keep them
comfortable every way, and they will soon
recover from the depression which seems to
accompany mouiting.
This leads us TO say that the great rea-
son why We have no more eggs in winter is
that the hens have not comfortable quarters
and requisite food The hen is a tender an
imal. She is an exotic in this cold climate
and wants warm bedroom and a comforta-
Die nursery. If We compel her TO sleep on
fence or OF tree, and TO Law her eggs
where the snow can sift upon them and the
frost will kill them She will lay very few
Under such circumstances she has little en-
ergy in this direction. and knows too much
to waste what She has.
Comfort is the concomitant Of egg produc-
ton. and food the forerunner In summer
hens. if allowed the free run Of the farm. can
scratch for living. and pick up seeds, grubs
and perfect insects enough to supply all de-
mands Of the raw material from which eggs
are manufactured. In winter this supply
fails, and the eggs Of course fail. An egg
is essentially animal food; in fact, it CON
tains the elements Of perfect animal, the
chick. Hence it requires for It's manufact-
ure in winter some substitute for the insects
which the hers eat in summer Comfort
able quarters and mixed animal and veg
etable diet are, therefore, the great secrets
Of egg production in winter. The animal
food is best furnished in the form of animal
meal. This is made at our large laborato-
ries in great G antilles, by steaming the
bones and refuse parts of the animal, and
then drying and grinding them. This mea
cost but little more than corn meal, and
quart of it mixed with three or four quarts
of corn meal and wheat bran will furnish
hens just the raw material for making. w
have tried 1t and know. Some recommend
adding to this mush little red pepper, anc
this is good s,imulant, but we have no
found it necessary. A box of coal ashes il
one corner of the hennery, and another DO,
Of pounded clam shells in another corner
with pure water in abundant supply, ant
the hens will cackle out their eggs ans
thanks every day. Poultry Magazine.