Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-02-14
THE POULTRY HOUSE.


Meess and suggsstions On . Variety q
Timely Topics.
The morning food should be given
as early as it can be made ready.
Many a poultry keeper wonders why
his hens do not lay better, as he gives
them all the varieties of food. and
takes all the care of them that is ad-
vised by poultry books. but he fails to
remember that the hen is off her
roost and looking for breakfast almost
as soon as it is light enough to see a
grain of corn. If she has then to
wait two or three hours, it is period
of starvation to her and no amount OF
hot food viii make up for that. This
is one reason why some men succeed
who seem to take no great care of their
fowls. who keep grain before them all
the time. or who just throw them out
little corn when they go to the barn
in the morning; while those who mix
hot food every morning and give meat
scraps and other special foods. yet get
no eggs.
Yet there is no better food in the
morning than a pail of wheat bran.
mixed with about one-half as much
corn-meal, and handful of the ground
meat scraps. scalded up, dry enough
to crumble when stirred. Before noon
scatter oats, wheat or barley where
they will have to scratch for it. to give
them exercise, and at night. just before
roOsting-time, give all the sound, whole
corn that they will eat The plan of
keeping grain by them all the time is
open to the objection of attracting rats
and mice to the hennery. but when
they can be kept away there is no OBJ
lection to the plan. and the fowl will
eat no more than when it is given only
at meal times. Pure water. of course.
should always be where they can havo
access to it.
It is common mistake to think that
having small number of hens with q
cock increases the chance Of Matching
the eggs, and this idea has been much
encouraged by those who raise male
birds to sell at fancy prices. But the
fact remains that if vigorous young
Leghorn or Spanish cock has twenty
five or thirty hens, or a Brahma or
Plymouth Rock cock has fifteen or
eighteen, the eggs are more likely to
hatch we'll than when the number Of
hens is less than that.
A frequent cause Of eggs not Matching
we'll is the use of egg foods containing
cayenne pepper or other stimulant,
but all stimulating food, even hot food
and meat scraps. will have more or
less of the same effect. So also will
the giving of too much or too rich
food, and allowing the fowl to get
very fat II the breeder can get his
hen to lay three eggs in a week. he
will probably hatch and raise as many
chickens from her as he would if by
feeding he induced her to lay six eggs
in the same time.
II eggs are to be saved now for set
ting later. they should be collected be-
fore they have a chance to get chilled
in the nest, and should be kept where
the temperature will never be less
than forty degrees. and not less than
fifty degrees for great while at a
time They should be turned often.
It is better not to use for setting the |
first half-dozen eggs lain by pullet
or by a hen which has not lain for q |
month or two. They may hatch. but
the chickens will not be as vigorous
or strong. When the ground is COW
cred with snow see that the hens have
access to clean. dry gravel some
where. They need it as an aid to diges-
Budget