The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-10
Making Hens Lay.

vent hens from laying in the fall and
winter 80 as to have them lay through
the spring in order to provide eggs tor
Matching. One of the experiment sta
tons also demonstrated that by judi
cious feeding it was possible to make
hens lay or prevent them from 80
doing. Nc egg foods, condition pow
ders, or drugs were used-the regu-
lating of The food serving to control the
production of eggs. 1t is a simple mat
ter, all that is required being to feed the
hens intended for laying on lean meat
in the morning and mess of oats or
wheat at night. To prevent hens from
laying, feed them all the corn they will
eat. II not confined, and they have
free range, give only one meal per day,
at night, of meat, using an ounce for
each hen. In winter give two ounces
of meat per hen and then quart of
corn and wheat, mixed, to fifteen fowls,
allowing no food at noon. Green food
may be given in the morning when the
meat is fed. The reason no food should
be given at noon is TO have sufficient
interval of time between meals to al.
low the hens to become hungry. THEY
will then work and scratch, which will
be very beneficial. A little ground
bone should be scattered over the yard
for the hens to pick up, or a mess of
cut bone may be given three times
week. A gill of millet seed, scattered,
usually induces fowls to scratch. By
observing care in using proper foods,
hens can be made to Icy at all seasons
of the year.
vIGOR AS A FOUNDATION.
One rule which should be rigidly OBJ
served is never to use bird for breed
ing purposes that has at any period of
its life been sick or which has shown
evidence of not being perfect in every
respect. AS the summer passes and
the fall comes there will be a large
number of young birds from which to
select, and as the work of selection is
done frequently with more regard to
beauty of plumage than to the hardi-
ness and future usefulness of the
birds, the result is manifested the
next season. The foundation of the
flock must be secured. The first es-
sentials are health and vigor, and as
the ills of the parent stock can be
transmitted to the young it is saving
of time, money, and labor to use only
birds that will produce vigorous Off
spring. That dread disease of poultry
(roup) which destroys every year
thousands of birds, may not actually
be transmitted through the agency of
the egg, but from each parent is in
herited liability or susceptibility to
the disease, as it is known fact that
in yards where roup prevailed some
| h,,-Ja mi he W
persisted. Keep disease out by allow
ing no sick birds on the premises, and
! the flock will be safe. 1t will be but a
few years, by careful selection, when
a flock can be so bred as to have i'm
munity from disease.
UTILIZING LABOR FOR PROFIT.
Farmers are not always busy in the
winter season. In fact, fruit growers
and gardeners lose large portion of
portunity to apply their labor. A large
flock of hens will then pay, as the labor
(Which is the most important item of
expense) really costs nothing if the
work is done by the grower. If the
flock pays only for the labor it will be a
gain or saving, as time wasted is
equivalent in loss TO its value in dol
lars and cents. Now that there are
hundreds of chicks past the critical
stage of existence it will be an adj
vantage to sell the males and keep the
pullets. True it may entail work and
care, but it is the labor that is sold in
everything that goes from the farm to
market. Provide work for winter by
keeping poultry, even if the fowls must
be sold in spring to get them out of the
way when work in the garden is press
ing, as the same land that is used for
growing crops in spring and summer
can also be utilized for poultry when
the winteri is present.
EVERYTHING MOVABLE.
The roosts and nest boxes of the
poultry house should be movable.
When the house is to be cleaned take
the movable articles outside, dip soft
sponge in kerosene, squeeze out the
surplus fluid, and lightly sponge every
portion Of the roosts and boxes, apply
ing a lighted match to them. Fire will
quickly run over the articles and can
then be easily extinguished without in
| jury. Every louise will be destroyed
! BY having all accessories movable the
white washing or swabbing of the
walls can be more easily done, and be-
fore the roosts and nests are replaced
in position they should again be lightly
sponged as preventive. This method
requires but little time and the work
will be well paid for in the increased
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