Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29
CHICKENS IN COLD WEATHER..


Coming Of Winter.
The first thing TO do is to reduce the
size of the flock. DO not try to winter
more than your benhouse viii shelter
comfortably; crowding together invites
disease. Experienced poultry keepers
find that from fifty to one hundred hens
are as many as can be profitably kept in
one yard; when the number is increased
the proportion of eggs is lessened. SO
Gull you1"flock judiciously, leaving those
only that you feel sure will do good
work. BE hard hearted for once, and
gather up those long cherished favorites
that are too old and too fat for future
usefulness Then select q number of
your incest hens to keep Chose in their
second and third year will be most
protitable), and in addition to these
choose about the same number of your
prettiest pullets, which, If early hatched
will begin to lay in the fall and continue
at intervals throughout the winter. The
eggs of the older hens, however, are best
for Matching, and the hens themselves
will make more reliable mothers.
Next, get rid of all your roosters ex-
still, market every one of them and buy
lot of thoroughbreds. An infusion Of
new blood will work wonders If your
object is to raise early broilers. procure
some Plymouth Rock or Wyandotte
cockerels. You will find that the chicks
Of mixed blood will be healthy, hardy
and attain desirable size. But should
you wish to improve the laying qualities
of your flock, buy thoroughbred Leg
horn cock. The pullets resulting from
this cross will be much larger than the
pure Leghorns, will prove excellent lay
ers and be less inclined to sit than their
mothers. By Il succession of judicious
crosses you can in few years grade M
a flock of common hens until they
assume Il uniform color and markings.
Such flock about the house and lawn
is really ornamental, and will give pleas
ure to all who see it; and besides. one is
less apt to consider troublesome the
work of caring for that which is both
handsome and profitable. After the flock
is reduced in number we can afford to
feed it better, and We will probably find
the number of eggs increasing, for it is
the surplus food that makes eggs. Barely
sufficient nutriment to sustain life leaves
nothing over for egg production.
The next thing to do is to take look
at the henhouse; the walls are probably
not at all tight, numerous cracks all
about, or board off here and there.
These openings were very useful last
summer, admitting plenty Of fresh air on
sultry nights but in winter there is no
need for SO much ventilation. Cold pu1i-
ties the air everywhere, and an almost
imperceptible aperture will cause quite
draft; therefore nail on the boards and
make the house as tight as possible, for
even the hardest breeds of fowls will
produce few eggs in winter unless they
have comfortable roosting place. A
good tight roof is Indispensable; cold
rains and snow will cause roup and other
diseases. If the sides of the house are
thin and open they may be made almost
impervious to the cold by placing tall
cornstalks against the outer walls This
is both inexpensive and easily done. and
the stalk fodder can be quickly removed
next spring, There is no real necessity
for building costly, elaborate houses for
poultry; simple, inexpensive structures
will answer every purpose, provided they
are comfortable and convenient. Before
winter sets in clean the house thoroughly
and give it good coat of whitewash,
sprinkling Kerosene upon walls, perches
and floors; then make Il number of new
nests of soft grass, leaves or straw, and
last of all dust the floor literally with
dry earth or fine coal ashes. If your
hens have not been accustomed to laying
i'll the henhouse, confine them there for
several consecutive days until or 3
o'clock in the afternoon, and they will
soon become attached to the house, es-
pecially if food and water are supplied
them, 1t is also a good plan to place
their dust baths ndoors.-American
Dnultr1y Word