Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-05-04

Poultry Notes.
One Of the experiment stations has
been conducting experiments to de-
termine whether a dirt or board floor
is best for poultry. The belief ex-
pressed by the experimenters is that
dirt floor is as good as board door
so far as the health Of the hens Is con-
cerned. The suggestion is made, how
ever, that the floor should be built up
by placing on top of the natural
ground layer Of six inches Of broken
stone and covering that with dirt. For
ourselves we can see no good In the
dirt floor, unless 1t be its cheapness.
II the floor is compact there must be
constant upward movement OF soil
moisture, which Ia not desirable
thing in a poultry house. Then, too,
1t must be exceptionally we'll con-
structed not to become damp in wet
weather. Too often when a dirt floor
Is used. prowling animals dig under
and get at the fowls, which Is not the
case where there is good board floor.
The use Of sand or straw in the
scratching pens may have some effect
on the habits OF the hens, as to their
places Of laying. There is preference
to the cut straw II the hens do not get
into the habit Of using it for laying
their eggs. Where old hens are &C
customed to nest boxes the chances
are that they will continue to use them
for that purpose. The trouble will be
with the young pullets. They do not
seem to be very we'll fixed In their
ideas as to where is the best place to
deposit their eggs, and 1t is no I'M
usual thing to find their eggs on the
bare floor. Where there is a scratch
ing pen with a good lot Of cut straw
they find it very good place to drop
eggs. In that case remove the straw
for a few weeks or substitute sand
for 1t.
We believe that as far as possible
old hens should be used for the pro-
duction of eggs for sitting purposes.
The result Of using eggs from mature
hens is to grow birds that will be
naturally strong and healthy and nat
urally able to overcome any bad sit
uation they may be forced to pass
through. With other animals the on
spring Of the mature individuals is
harder and generally larger In size
than the offspring from immature in
dividuals. For instance, in the last
issue of the Farmers Review, one
sheep breeder reported that one nine
year-old eve had to be helped In her
lambing, but her lamb weighed II
pounds at birth. The man that wants
to constantly improve his strain OF
fowls will find the using Of mature
birds one of the most potent factors in
obtaining his ends.
One method Of fattening geese in
France is to put the birds in a barrel,
each large enough to permit the birds
to put their heads through. The
barrel keeps them confined and thus
prevents exercise, which is the object
of the confinement. Outside Of the
barrel food is placed in abundance, and
the geese spend most of their time eat
ing. This food is mostly paste made
of barley, buckwheat and sometimes
Indian cornmeal. Milk and potatoes
are also fed, where they are easily OBJ
| tainable.
It is said that Paris restaurant
keepers are drawing largely on stocks
of poultry in American cold storage
warehouses for the supplies with
which to feed the exposition crowds
that will soon throng their city. One
cold storage firm in Chicago has al
ready sent forward five carloads OF
broilers for the Parish market.
The "wing-coverts" are the broad
feathers covering the roots OF the
secondary quilts.