The morning times., 1896-03-22
EGGS AND PROFIT.
figures by Women Who Earn Pin
Money by Keeping Hens.

ANY one having twenty square feet OF
ground 10 spare can raise chickens sue
cessfully. The only other requisites are
a warm. weather-proof coop, good food
and fresh water, with cleanliness.
Many persons set hens To hatch IN March,
but there are apt TO be many losses IN these
broods, more 80 than in later ones April
Is early enough to begin Thirteen TO fifteen
eggs constitute a setting" and small
sized ones are said to yield larger per
cent of hens than large eggs
In starting a chicken yard il is Just as
well 10 avoid fancy breeds. Mixed breeds
give more general satisfaction with less
trouble and sickness among The fowls II
fancy breeds are decided on, however there
is a great variety to choose from-Brahmas,
langshaus burr Cochins, Plymouth Rocks,
white Wyandottes, white Leghorns, etc.
ANY reputable dealer in fancy stock Will
furnish IA setting at a moderate price,
some as low as 30 cents a clutch, as they
are called
The first coop that the hen and chicks
inhahit is Il mall box, with Slated front,
opening into Il Slated enclosure. which
is not made too narrow for the peoples
10 get out. In this they stay until their
| growth is assured, or the chick" gets tired
| of them. The proportion CT chicks TO eggs
| set is generally one or two short, ana often
| hair are lost.
| The coop Itself should be completely rain
! proof with plenty OF light. An old glass
! sash makes q good investment, serving for
| both door and window. The roof should
slant. and he covered with tar paper, Tin
! or other cCntrivance TO prevent leakage.
| If all tic chickens are young, the laying
! boxes need not go in till later. they are
! liable to use them fC N~CoSting. Plenty or
! perches must bC prov = ed, and hole cut
sufficiently large in which every side is
most convenient fer the purpose, to al
| low cgrcs> ana ingrcSs into their yard,
with slice 10 fit over so that they can
al lie shut in o I out. Wire netting is the
| best fence.
The entire cost for fitting up an ordi-
nary back yard ought not TO exceed So,
! though of course without economy, the
expenses may grow excessively. If there
is a man in the house with skin as Il
| carpenter the outlay in money can be
vastly reduced.
For the little chicks, corn ohop and the
scraps form the table. stale bread, etc,
makes the best summer diet besides the
worms and bugs they pick up for them
| selves. The expenses per month of feed
ing twenty small chickens through the
season is not over fifty cents Fresh
| clean water is imperative. Pullcts are
generally six months old before laying
begins By this time boxes filled with
clean straw should be ready, and the
cocks in the brood thinned out TO the
proportion of one TO ten. As cold weather
comes on corn, wheat, scrap and oyster
shells must be added to the diet.
The whole secret of having prolific hens
! is providing them with stimulating food
| Those mentioned above are all heating
and should besides be scalded before Civ
en- to them. Hot water should be given
when the weather warrants 1t. Then in
addition cayenne pepper ought 10 be ad
ministered in the food in the proportion
OF a scant spoonful to every ten hens, every
other day. All the egg foods sold arr
merely stimulants in one form oil
another. Hot ashes shaken from thC
range and thrown in the bottom of thu
coop for the hens to roll In and also t
| supply the materials for the shells, serve;
| the same purpose as oyster shells. Ashe
that have been sprlnkled IN the chickeI
yard, may be sold ut profit later on TO
| flower fertilizer. PanSies flourish bes
| in such soil.
Hens lay every other day, and their tim
| of service seldom exceeds three years. Pro
| fessional raisers try To exhaust their egg
producing capacity in one year, then SCI
them and keep only the young stock o
| hand.
There is Il very fair profit in egg farming
| even on q small scale. Seven hens wi
| under ordinary conditions, supply d famil
| or three with all the eggs they n0xd, thu
| realizing an advance over their cost. Bu
| 1t is better to have from twenty TO fit
| fowls for IL small space.