The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-01
Care Of Fowls in Winter.

Most persons who keep fowls derive 7
very little benefit from them during the
winter. They gain little if anything in
weight, and the losses are often large.
Many b'ris are injured by the severe
cold They are liable to have their
combs or feet frozen, or to become dis
eased or get out of condition. As
fowls are generally selected and man
aged, very few eggs, are obtained during
the winter season. As fowls are not
generally a source of profit ring the /
winter their owners are very habIe 10
neglect them. This neglect IS the cher /
cause of their being improbable, and OF .
the bad condition of the birds IN the |
spring. All the gallinaceous fowls /
are of tropical O. semi tropical !
origin However long they may have /
been kept in cold climates they retain /
their love of a tolcrably warm atmOs- |
phere They also retain their desire for /
green food and for a partial meat diet /
during all seasons of the year. DOmesti- !
Gated fowls raised in the North are not as /
we'll supplied with feathers as those that
run wild in countries aving quite warm
climates. On this account they should
be well housed during the winter They
suffer in winter not only from the cod
but from the wet. They can endure a
tOlcrably cold atmosphere provided they
have suitable food and are kept dry II
their feathers become wet and the water
turns to ice they will suffer on account
of il. The roof of a pOultry-hOuse
should be tight and the building should
be well supplied with glass windows on
the south and east sides. If it IS well
ventilated and kept scrupulOuslv clean
it may be artlcially heated to good
advantage
Next to shelter and warmth the sup
ply o food should claim attention. in
most parts OF the West this consists al
most entirely Of raw corn. This is good
for partial food, but it should not be
relied on exclusively for keeping fowls
during the winter Generally it should
/ not be fed OfUcner than once day, and
/ The best time to give it to fowls is at
night. Other grains should be fed dur
/ ING the day, and it is desirable to so
| feed them rs to afford a variety Oats
/ can e given one day, rye the next, and
! then wheat screenings or buckwheat.
/ The seed Of sun overs, bTOom-cOrn
/ and sugar-cane are all desirable. 1t IS
/ best to give yo"ng fowls some cooked
meal in the Orm OF dough Coarse fat
may be mixed with the dough to excel
/ lent advantage. Fowls OF ali ages re-
| Quire some meat, or substitute for it.
/ Where wild rabbits are plenty, as they
/ are in many localities, there IS little
| trouble in supplying fowls with meat
| during the winter There is always
! considerable waste meat about iarm-
| house that can be given to fowls. The
| trimmings of cut meats, hearts and
| llvers can be obtained from butchers.
/ Vegetables Of some kind should be given
to fowls every day during the cCntinu-
anre OF cold weather. ! he trimmings
and rusty leaves of celery are. excellent.
Cabbages arc also very good. These
can be fed without preparation. Beets,
carrots, parsnips, pumpk MS and
squashes are all good in their way, but
they should be cooked before they are
given to fowls. They may be mixed
with meal to which coarse fat 5 added.
Fowls are very fond of hash, and show
q greater preference for it han most fire.
quenters Of city boarding houses do. 1t
can be made of scraps of lean and fat
meat potatoes esculent roots, and
| favored with mustard see Is, chopped
/ on Ons, or peppers. As n morning
meal there is no hing superior to hash
made in this way. 1t should be served
warm on clean boards or in low dishes.
Many persons who keep fowls arc
very negligent about supplying them
with wafer. They think it is not neces-
sary to give them a supply Oftener than
once a day. Generally in the morning
they bring in a pailful of water and
/ pour it in a pan or other shallow vessel,
and pay no more attention to the water
; supply till the next day. The water
may freeze in the course of q few hours,
if the weather is severely cold, and the
fowls have nothing to drink for twenty
four hours. Ii the water is not frozen,
the chances are that it will be wasted
or become too dirty to drink TO be Of
/ the greatest value to animals and birds
water must be pure and fresh. Hens
that are laying eggs, or are expected TO
iay eggs require q large amount OF
water Especially is this the case wher
they have little TO eat but dry food
Birds that are producing eggs, like
= cows that are producing milk, require Z
Iarre amount of water, for water is the
largest ingredient OF eggs and milk. /
Is generally more profitable to feed milk
to fowls than to pigs. SIX mined milk
Z or sour milk can be fed TO them to grea
= advantage. If the weather is severely
cold il is better to convert the SKINNED
milk into curd. 1t forms a very gOOC
/ substitute for meat. IulveriZed shells
bones. or limestone should be provided
< for forming egg-shells. Sand or fine
, | gravel should also be provided. WheI
4 the weather is fair the birds should 81
! allowed TO exercise i'm the open air
), They should also be encouraged to eN
I ercise in the poultry house. The en-
T enlargement may be Afforded by put
ting in bundles OF unthrashed grain
!. stalks of buckwheat, heads of sunHow
i ers. and cabbage-heads, and allowing
y them to pick out wha they want to eat
Strict attent'O on must be given to killing
" vprmin on fowls aud to keeping the IN
u sects away. This matter viii require
y repeated attention during the white
u season Chicago Times.