Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-12-08
AG RICU T u r A L
THE POULTRY YARD.

The season is approaching when lay
ing hens must receive the best OF care If
any eggs are to be obtained. Old hens
must be in very good condition and
receive the constant attention Of the
keeper I'd lay many eggs in November
and December, but pullets that begin
to lay before cold weather sets In will,
with fair treattD emit, lay until Christ
mas, but to get eggs beyond that time,
even from pullets, they must receive
not only good care, but must have a
good location aud good quarters. BY
good quarters we do not mean a very
tight, warm place, but house that Is
in sheltered position, and has on the
south side plenty of windows TO let in
the light ard sunshine.
A hen house should always be so con-
structed ~ to let In plenty OF light and
sunshine, and above all things fresh
air better have the house little cold
than 40 tight AZ to make the air impure
Serious losses often occur by keeping
hens in houses 100 tight. While it Is
best TO have the house warm enough 30
that water will not fire., re, except when
the thermometer IL bclow zero, IL would
be better to have the water freeze when
the thermometer alta nds at 20 degrees
than TO have the house NO tight AZ to
make the air impure.
As soon as the ground is covered with
snow some means should he taken TO
furnish the hens not only with fresh
nth, but also something 10 take the
place of grass this may consist of
rowen moistened with water, and II
run through the hay cutter so much
the better. Cabbage leaves arc read lily
NJ m hu hama uni han thaU
thing else that Is green. The food that Is
given hens in cold weather should be
principally dry, ungrOund grain meal
should be given sparingly and as q rule
mixed with potatoes or apples that have
been cooked soft.
One meal q day of this may be given
at noon /; IT should be q little warm in
cold weather, and no more should be
given than is at once eaten up. Chop.
ped meat Ia limited quantities 10 good
never give in large quantities. Corn,
wheat, rye, barley, oats and mile,
mixed together make q good variety.
In buying grain never buy poor
quality, whatever may be the price
Nothing tends to stop hens laying
more than damaged grain. Coarse
ground bone, oyster shells and coarse
sand shou ii always be kept where the
hens can get all they want.
FEEDING VALUE OF CORN FODDER.
Prof. j. W. Sanborn, of the Missouri
Agricultural College, is teaching farm
ers in the west the value Of corn fodder
for cattle fodder. Last winter he con
Quoted some experiments with steers
covering three sets IN 100 days time
A lot of three steers weighing 301t
pounds, February Is, fed on timothy
and red top hay, gained to March %
but 33 pounds. Lot two, weighing
February l6, 3005 pounds, gained, t,
March 10, 1902 pounds. Their food wa
clover hay and corn fodder. Lot
weighing 2S60 pounds, February 10
gained to March Is, % pounds. Thei
food was corn fodder and 2Iz pound
each of middlings and of cotton SEED
meal per steer.
Lot ate ol3S pounds hay and An
pounds meal. Lot 2 ate 1851 pound
clover Lay and corn fodder and 45
pounds of meal. Lot 3 ate $40 pound
corn fodder and 400 pounds meal. or
pounds by each steer daily. The re-
suits arrived at after trials continued
through eight years showed that il
certain combinations of food, lik
| clover OF cotton seed meal, corn fiddle
has pound against pound, substantial.
the same feeding value as timothy
When the fodder Is cut up in ma
chine the whole IL eante without waste
and it was found that fodder 80 pre-
} pared aud combined in q ration Is a
good as hay.
Our farmers have long known tn
, value of corr fodder as feeding stuff
land have used 1t freely, at least a ma
jority of them have. But there ar
still some who do not cut the fodder
but throw 1t into the yard in the bun
die. 1t will probably be news to thos
TO he told that they thus waste th
best part of the fodder. Analyst
shove that the part of the stalk froI
the ear down contains more nutrimer
; than the part above. When the whol
stalks are given to the cattle the
never eat any thing but the blade an
, the husk. When cut and made I'M
mess all is eaten.