The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-01-25


floor is best for the house, but il a board
OF cement floor is used, keep it covered
IN inch deep with sandy earth, renewing
the same every four weeks 10 summer, and
two or three times during the winter.
Cover the sides of the house inside with
tar paper, such as is used for roofing, or
else il board sides are used, a coaSof
whitewash is necessary at least twice a
year.
Nest boxes should be put in a dark
corner, and an excellent way to make
them is Of wood covered entirely with
tar paper tackled on. Put fresh straw
into the nests every two weeks in sum.
mer, aud every month in winter. The.
perches should be of wood two inches
wide, covered entirely with tar paper,
and hung from wires overhead. The OBJ
ject of using tar paper aud the wire hang.
ers is to lessen the number Of ~harboring
places for lice; they will never DO found
where tar paper is freely used.
Sprinkle with dry lime, dust the floor
Of the house, the nests and perches once
in two or three weeks IN summer, and
two or three times during the winter.
Also sprinkle the yards with lime about
once a month during the summer. Lime
is also an excellent powder to rub into
the feathers of the fowls, If, in spite of
all precautions, they become infested
with vermin. Lastly, lime being an
important element in the composition of
egg shells, it can be thus constantly and
readily obtained by the hens. Soft
shelled eggs will be almost unknown, IL
lime is used as above directed. The &C.
c%asional use of a little kerosene oil on the
p~erches, aud in the nest boxes, will add
to their freedom from lice-kerosene is
also a tolerably sure cure for scales on the
legs. II o fowl is thus afflicted, have
some one hold it by the wings, then hold
the leg out aud slightly upward, by the
toe nail, and pour kerosene all over the
foot and leg from the toes to the body.
Yards used by fowls must be spaded
up about once a month in the summer.
Also, at least twice a year, the earth in
the yard, and in the house-if it has an
earth flo~or-should be removed to a
depth Of six inches, and fresh earth sub
stituted. If fowls are practically eon-
fined in yards all the time, they must be
supplied with plenty of fresh green food,
such as weeds, grass, vegetable tops,
etc. If possible, let them out for an hour
or two each day for a run IN an adjoin-
ing grass plat during the summer Fowls,
having a free range over a pasture, or
other land, will do fully as well if kept
confined in the yard until nearly moor
each day, letting them out for the rest
of the time.
Fowls will eat all table refuse, grains,
meal mush scalded aud mixed with other
foods, various kinds of green stuff, in
fact, almost everything that can be eaten
by any living creature. If they are
confined in the yard nearly all day and
every day, they should have in summer
a morning ration made of two parts of
bran meal to one of wheat, wheat screen.
ings, cracked corn, oats, oatmeal, corn
meal, etc., varying the mixture as much
as possible from day to day. A little
salt, red pepper and powdered charcoal
in this feed will be greatly beneficial.
About four quarts of this mixed feed
will do for twelve to fifteen fowls. Dur
ing the middle of the day give the table
refuse in several installments, If posi-
BILE. Before shutdown give a light feed
of corn, oats, wheat, barley, or what
ever grain may be convenient. In the
winter, feed more of it, serving the
breakfast hot.
In summer give fresh water at least
twice a day, if the fowls have not access
to II running stream. In winter they
should have fresh water at least three
times a day, as it soon freezes. Use
shallow pans, with but a small portion
of the pan inside their yard fence, the
rest being outside, aud all covered from
the sun. All vessels used for food or
water must be kept substantially clean.
American Agriculturist.