The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-02-02
HARRY FARMERS TALKs.-CxXXIX.
How Harry Succeeds With Poultry.
Editors Progressive Farmer:

Have your hens laid any high-priced eggs2
Egg, have been selling a little higher every year
for three years, and only a few farmers have
gotten the benefit of the high prices. 1t is SO
easy to make them lay when properly fed and
managed. Mary Jane reports a fair supply from
our own farm. And yet we do not spend more
than six hours a month in looking after them.
And our farm is not an ideal place for poultry,
by any means.
There are certain little details that must be
attended to in order to get the best results.
Every farmer feeds his chickens more or less,
principally on corn; so do e,but not very heavily.
When the weather is very cold the feed of corn
should be increased. 1t is best to give the hens
all they will eat up clean at night. If there is a
snow or very heavy frost on the ground Il feed of
mush made of corn meal or wheat shorts with a
pod of red pepper for an average of 3 or 4 hens
in the flock, fed warm. will greatly benefit the
hens.
Then they should have some small grain fed
in the sheaves hung up so that it will be necessary
for them to jump up to get the grain. When
there is none of this to be had, the grain can be
scattered among leaves and straw. What you
want by this plan is to make the hens exercise.
When you feed corn alone and the hens sit under
the houses and have purple combs you are sure
to have no eggs.
We should have said that corn can be substi-
tuted for the small grain to a limited extent by
feeding it without shocking, thus forcing them
to scratch in order to get the grain. The follow
ing small grains have been used successfully by us:
rice, oats and wheat. Rice seems to be best, but
on account of the great number of insects pro
duced by this grain, we were forced to abandon
it years ago, and now depend entirely on oats.
Bones and blood from hogs and other animals
killed on the farm should be fed to the hens in
stead of letting the dogs eat them. 1t is light
work to break the bones up in small pieces so
that they can be swallowed easily. Nearly every
farmer has chicken or other fresh meats for his
Sundays dinner through the winter, so that a
continuous supply of bone can be had. 1t is only
necessary to feed bones during cold weather. as
the hens can supply this want with insects during
warm weather.
There is another matter we wish to emphasize,
and that is a good warm house for them to sleep
in. We can do no better than to describe the one
we use. 1t is made tight on the north, west and
one-half of the east side, so that no cold drafts
can affect the hens. The roof is made so that no
water can leak through, thus protecting the
hens and manure too. The roosts poles are differ
ent heights, from IS inches to 3 feet. We prefer
this plan, as some chickens like high and some
low roost poles. The poles are made of Pinch
sawed Stats.
We prefer the Leghorn and Plymouth Rocks,
as they give us most eggs through the year. If
you want the pullets to lay carly they should be
Matched the last of February or March. Some of
the above ideas have been printed before, but as
new subscribers are added yearly many of the
ideas will be helpful TO them.
This subject will be considered further next
week.
HARRY FARMER.