St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-13
STORE AND BARFIxTURES
FOR THE POULTRY YARD.

Fowls with small combs and clean
limbs are best on the farm.
The scraps from the table soaked in
sweet milk are good for young turkeys.
A lOng-legged. overgrown rooster
should never be used for breeding.
DO not allow rubbish to accumulate
around the poultry yard; it affords a
refuge for rats.
The hens that moult early nearly al
ways make good winter layers.
A little oats and barley make a good
ration for the fowls that are to be kept
for breeding and laying.
If the hens are expected to lay durin
the winter it is essential to provide them
with warm, dry quarters.
Suntiower seed can be fed literally
with profit while the hens are moulIing
Alternate with linseed oil meal.
Clover contains nitrogen and lime,
two essential elements needed by laying
hens, so that it can always be fed with
benefit.
Always have the poultry house COLI
siderable distance from the hog house.
unless you want the hogs to learn to eat
poultry.
Good clean straw makes the best
material for nests. During the summer
while the hens are laying the nests
should be cleaned out thoroughly once
a week.
Cochins, Leghorns, Brahmas, Wyan-
dottes and Dominiques have yellow legs.
. Many buyers prefer yellow legs, and it
is well to supply this demand.
Turnips make a good cheap green
food Tor the turkey during the winter,
and it is a good plan to grow supply
for this purpose. Now is good time to
SOW the seed.
Millet seed makes a good feed for
young ponltry. Usually at this time it
can be bought cheap.
1t does not pay to allow the hens to
sit now; break them up at the start.
Late-hatched chickens rarely prove
profitable unless we except bantams.
This month will do very we'll for them.
There is no advantage in feeding tur-
keys for an extra large size. Medium
fowls in good condition bring the best
prices per pound, and when there is an
OYerStock sell the more readily.
Gather up and store the sorghum
blades without threshIng. Picking off
the seed will help to give the fowls eX-
ercise during the winter, besides sup
plying them with a good ration store,
where it will keep dry.
Poultry Yard Fencing-There is no
material cheaper OF more enduring than
wire for fencing a poultry yard; yet, in
winter it lets the wind nave full sweep.
This matter should be con sidered by
those who may, at this season, make
preparations for the future.
Feed for Chicks-SorghGm seed is an
excellent food for chicks. and popcorn
is another, 1t is in providing a variety
that success is met with. Wheat can
probably be bought cheaper than il can
be grown, but sorghum seed is not al
ways easily obtainable at prices to per-
NIT of feeding it to chicks.
Pekin Ducks-The Pekins will often
begin to lay when they are six months
old, but for next year the layers should
be from ducklings Matched in April. or
the old ducks should be retained. 1t is
better to use old females with young
brakes, if fertile eggs are desired early
in the season next year. PekinS grow
very fast and mature early. When they
gin TO lay they produce large num-
Der of eggs before they cease.
Fattening Young Fowls-While grow
ing, cockerels and pullets will not fat
ten as we'll as adults, as they convert
their food into growth. The cockerels
should be fat for table use. They
should be separated and given all the
corn they can eat. The pullets should
be in moderate condition. Give them
little or no corn, but meat two or three
times a week. All birds to be used as
food should be kept away from the
flock.
llQld Hens-If hen is old, and has
given a good record. do not condemn
her too hastily, as sometimes hen is
Servieeable until she is six or seven
years old. The best guide is the time
at (which the hens begin to mOult. If
an old hen begins to mOult in July. she
will. in all PROBABILITY. lay as we'll next
winter as she did last. In selling hens,
Fseteet those that are over-fat. and which
have ceased TO lay. but which show no
signs OF mOulting- Those that are active.
and lay well, may be better for next
Season than the pullets.
: rCross-Bred Fowls An experienced
4p0lltry breeder. giving his experience
with Black Spanish. Light Brahmas,
Buff Coehins and Plymouth Rocks. says
they laid all winter and spring. and are
still laying; that they are good settlers
and good mothers. and that he has got
from them more eggs than his neigh
bOrS did from their thoroughbred Plym-
outh Rocks. His fowls have access to
what was large sand pile, with an oc-
casional feed of pounded rock or dishes,
and are given onion tops. chopped fine.
They have not been accustomed TO air.
tight houses" nor do they die on the
hests from lice ana smaller insects.
There is not much more expense in
producing good three-yeaI -Old colt
than in growing a good steer. but there
is an appreciable difference in the value
of the product.
Rnsks-rwo cups of high dough.
quarters of cup of sugar, half
cup of butter. two beaten eggs; let rise.
and when light mould into biscuit, and
let rise second time. Sift sugar and
cinnamon over the top and bake.