The record-union., 1892-08-10

the hens III flock eat alike, or prefer the
same kind of food, When feeding the
mems give them variety, but never give
mem more than they can eat up clean.
II IS DETER to give too little than too
much. In the winter the hens should
nave TWO good meals each day, but in
summer one meal is ample. Ii they are
on a range 1t is safe to assert that one
haiI OF the quantity supposed to be a
meal Will be sufficient. The poultry
man must observe his iocks, and Judge
OF their wants by the amount of forage
on the range.-Earm and Fireside.
MoULTING HENS.
As soon as the hens begin to show
nakedness, and also to commence drop
ping their feathers, but few eggs should
be expected, as the hens will rest from
their workiuntil they take on new plum
age. The sooner they put on their new
attire the sooner they will begin to lay.
The best food for them is lean meat, or
fresh bones from the butcher, but as all
oily foods hasten moulting of the feathers,
pint of linseed-meal may be added to
thelr 1000 daily, for twenty hens. Feed
The moulting hens once day, and give
them liberty on the range.
FATTENING THE TURKEYS.
The turkey will not fatten if closely
confined in a coop. For a few days it
may gain in flesh, but after that length of
time 1t will lose in weight, no matter how
well fed, as 1t will worry and fret for
liberty. The proper way to fatten the
turkeys is TO begin about month before
the time fixed for marketing them, and
feed them early in the morning and also
when they come up at night. In the
morning give them all the wheat they
will eat. and at night give corn. Give
them full liberty on the tields.-Farm
and Preside.
DUCKS FOR LAYING.
The ducks that are retained for laying
will not begin to lay until about Febru-
airy, and in the meantime they need only
be kept in moderate condition. If made
too fat, it will postpone the laying period,
and the eggs secured will be infertile.
They should be kept on grass at this sea-
grain once day. About January begin
with feed of meat at noon, which will
induce them to lay regularly.
POULTRY CHATS.
A man blames the hens when eggs arc
scarce and in demand and he has none
TO sell. 1t is not the blame we'll placed at
his door when comfortable house and
proper dict have never been theirs? He
argues that the manger rack in the horse
stable under the barn is good enough Tor
any chicken, the dung heap ample to pro-
VIDE In6m Win q llVlng.
Feather farming ought to pay. Geese
and ducks are the fowls for this purpose.
Good, clean geese feathers will command
at least 40 cents per pound. For this one
revenue it would pay farmer to keep a
number OF White China or Toulouse
geese. They are hardy fowl, and roam
IN the meadows and fields in search of
food and live well on much that a chicken
would not touch.
for laying hens. SawduSt is also used
and is quite clearly and convenient For
sitting hens tobacco stems keep away
Vermln, inSuring a close, steady sitting
which brings more chicks when the time
arrives for Matching. The material for
nests should be renewed every other
week, and some supply it once week.
With clean quarters and quiet, Sc
Guided nest, the flock will do excellent
work throughout the season.
Wheat has and will continue to be one
Of the best foods for laying hens, as it
contains the elements that stimulate egg
production. Hens will always eagerly
consume as much wheat as is fed to
them. 1t is best to be little moder-
ate in its use, owing to its fattening
qualities, as fat hens soon forget
how to lay. Some feed screenings, or
broken wheat, but no farmer who raises
his own grain should consider for mo-
ment the use of anything but sound old
wheat.
Failure often comes from attempting
too much. a single variety of pure-bred
fowls, turkeys, ducks, or geese can all be
raised on the same farm without danger
of intermixing. Better to handle six va
rieties and be successful than two dozen
and only partially succeed. Speciality
farming, stock raising, fruit culture and
horticulture are not successful together,
being surrounded with all about you on
the same farm. Unless ample capital
with Intelligent management is provided
the farm cannot do well.
AS the egg of the hen contains nearly
all the elements constituting The human
body, 1t IS reasonable to suppose that a
flock Of hens require constant variety
of food to make up the egg. 1t should.
therefore, be the aim of poultry raisers to
study the feeding Of fowls economically
and Judiciously, keeping the question of
egg-formlng materials always in view.
The success we read about by large poul-
try breeders, lies hidden in their knowl-
edge of how to feed-Which thew have
discovered by observation and study
American Agriculturist.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
The hen that leaves her nest more than
once day will take twenty-five to twenty
three days to hatch the eggs under her
care.
Don't try goose farming unless Won
have good pasture for them. Ducks will
do without it, but geese never thrive on
barren soil.
Never grease setting hen, unless Won
don't care for hatch. Insect powder
will do the work more effectively and
with less danger.
Budd Doble, on being asked toname
the best and gamest horse on the turf to-
day, said: ''Axtell for a stallion. Nancy
Hanks for mare, and Direct for pacer.u
There is no green food equal to cbopned
onions, both for the adult stock and
young chicks. Onions are not only in
yigorating, but are excellent when the
fowls are subject to colds.
For soft-sbell eggs put the hens at
work scratching, as they indicate that the
fowl are too fat. Soft eggs, apoplexy.
egg-bound, and nearly all such diseases
are due TO the hens being too fat.
The white Egg" turnip is an excel
lent variety for amateur cultivation. as il
has a fine. firm flesh of the purest white
ness, and the flavor is very mild and
sweet, without trace Of bitterness.
The guinea lays about 100 eggs. and fo,r
weeks are required for incubation. They
are seldom marketed, being usually con.
suIned on the farm. The eggs are claimed
to possess a rich yolk, and are highly es-
teemed.
1t is wise plan to go ever the fields
after corn is laid by'' with the hoe. and
cut down all struggling weeds that re-
main. Clean UP the fence corners. too.
while you are about it. It will save time
and labor next year and the years to
come.
The duck lays from 100 to 200 eggs in a
year, but the average is about the same as
that of the hen. The eggs require four
weeks for Matching, and the young ducks
may be marketed when three months of
age, at which time they are more than
half grown.