The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-11-15
FIELD AND FARM,
Care of Poultry in Winter.

Fresh laid eggs in winter, says A.. D.
Thompson of Mercer, Pa, are generally,
in country towns, from 20 to 80 cents q
dozen, and in large towns and cities
from 80 to rs cents. In summer they
usually are from 10 to 20 cents The
important question, then. for those who
keep poultry for the eggs is, how to
produce them in the season at which
thoy will bring the highest price. To
do this requires care and skill. It is
not enough to simply throw the fowls a
sufficient amount of corn or rather grain
10 keep them from starving, let them
roost on the trees, under the barn or
shed, or whatever place they find, as is
the practice of money. Nor is it much
better to have a low garrett over the hog
pen, or some other out-building, with q
few poles across for perches. and a
small hole for the fowls to go in and out,
and so dirty and filthy that they will
only 20 there to roost when compelled
to for want of better place. It is no
wonder that fowls thus treated do not
lay in winter.
My object in writing this article is
not to give the poultry fancier any new
ideas, but to give the farmers and those
that keep few hens to produce eggs
for their own teble and to buy grocer
les with few practicai directions about
the care of poultry in winter, in order to
secure the best 1esul s; and we believe
if these directions were followed we
would seldom hear the remark that
"hens don't lay"
In order to pro luce eggs in winter the
hens should have comfortable house.
This can easily be built by any farmer
reasonably handy with tools, and at a
very small outlay. 1t should be built in
a place where it will be as much as pos
sible protected from the north and west
winds. It should be large enough to &C.
commodate the number of fowls de-
signed to be kept. For twenty to TWEEN
ty-five hens a house 8 x 10, 5 feet high
back and feet front will do. The front
should always face the so 18th, and be
well supplied with windows. You
cannot get too much sunlight in winter
into poultry house. "A cheap and sub
stantial house may be built of inch
boards, battened and Ii, ed with tarred
paper. The perches should be placed at
the back, with platform to catch the
droppiDgs. The droppings should be
removed frequently. The ground al
ways makes the hest floor FIR the hen
house, but should always be kept dry.
If not too cold fowls should be permit
ted to run out part of the day.
Feeding fowls is always a very impcr-
tant matter. They should be fed regu-
larly, but not too much. We have found
the following successful: Have kettle
in which all the scraps of bread, meat,
potatoes, potato and apple skins, &C.,
from the kitchen are thrown. Put this
on the stove in the morning as soon as
the fire is built, and when it has boiled
few minutes take two pints Of chop,
ma ie of corn, oats, and barley or rye,
and one part wheat bran, and mix into
it. Be careful to have the mash thus
made as thick you can stir it. When
you put your hand into 1t, give it to
your fowls, Do not give them more of
this than they will eat up clean in five
minutes. At noon give them light
feed of oats, 5uckwheat, or wheat
screenings. Have your house we'll litter
ed with straw, or, what is still better,
the litter from the barn floor and b y
loft; scatter the grain over this. 1t will
keep the hens in exercise all afternoon,
and prevent their learning bad hab its.
In the ev ming give a light feed
Of whole corn. 1t is a very good plan
to give laying hens meat and
vegetables, such as cabbage, potatoes,
and onions, once or twice week. They
should always be supplied with pure,
fresh water, in vessels that are kept
clean. There is no animal that will
drink more, or that water seems to be
more indispensable to than the fowls. If
the weather is too cold for the hens to
stay out of the house, or if the ground
is covered with snow, they should be
furnished with lime in some shape. A
box kept filled with old plaster and
placed where they can have access to it
is very good. They should also be pro-
vided with a dust bath. A box two feet
square and one foot high, kept half or
two. thirds full of roai dust, is about the
best thing, but if the du-t has not been
saved during the summer, fine coal ashes
will do.
There is very great difference in the
lay ny qualities of the different varieties
of,fowls ia WINTER The larger varieties
usually excel as winter layers, and the
smaller as summer. But take the mixed
breeds. as usually kept by farmers, and
care for them as ABOVE directed, and
the result will be an abundance of eggs
in winter.-Poultry journal Record.