The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-03-17
Spring Work in the Poultry Yard

The balmv, spring like days OF the
latter part or February make one fee
is il general spring were already here
and visions of fresh eggs, sitting hens
and dOwny chicks haunt the mind
Whether it is better to set hens as
early a. this Is an open question
Should the weather continue warm,
and keep growing warmer week after
week, 1t would be best to have your
hen sit as soon as possible and hatch
out chickens rs early as you can. Bul
II, after this warm spell, there come.
cold and wet spell OF weather. 1t
would be far better that your chicks
were still in the shell, for the chance,
are II they are out, that they will bt
chilled, IL not to death, at least 50
near It that death to the chick were
preferable to n lingering existence OF
a few weeks: for stunted chick never
amounts to enough to pay for the feed
1t eats So there YOU are-it all de.
p nds on the weather. But IL we hao
lots Of fresh eggs, and some sitting
hens or an incubator, We would take
Iur chances on the weather and try to
hatch out some early chicks; and II
cold weather should come, we would
take extra care of them provide wa M
place for them at night and see that
hey did not get wet or chilled during
the day. Early chicks are greatly to b /.
desired, for they are the ones that We
depend on for our fall and winter lay
ers. Early chicks also are good eatirg
about the fourth Of July; and II you
have too many for your own use. they
will bripg a good price In the market
of broilers.
Ia Lhe early spring some breeders,
especially those who raise the large
varieties Of fowls, have trouble be-
cause Of infeItile eggs, very poor
matches being the rule. The trouble
generally arises from the fact that
the hens are too fat. They are 50
sluggish and lazy that the eggs de not
let into the proper condition to hatch.
The remedy, of course, is not to feed
them SO much fattening food, especl.
ally corn. Feed wheat, or bran and
corn chop mixed with cut alfalfa or
clover and 10 probably will remedy the
evil. We have often noticed that
though the first or second batch of
eggs from fat hens will not hatch, the
Lniid and subsequent ones will hatch
al right, going to show that after the
hens are reduced In flesh to some OK
tent, the eggs are fertile again.
On the other hand. you can feed
vonr fowls insufficient food, and be-
cause Of that she eggs are not in prop
or ,ndition for fertilization. We are
not the one to advise the sklmping of
a chickens food. After they once get
to laying regularly, feed the laying
hens all they will eat Of variety of
foods. A hen that lays an egg every
day, must have plenty OF sustenance
tn keep no the waste Of the body and
provide the material for the egg The
great trouble with hens that are too
fat Is that they are fed too much OF
one kind of feed, usually corn. There
fore, IL you would have fertile eggs.
feed as various a mixture az you can
afford and az much as the hens will
sat. or course, tgOes without saving
that the fowls should always have
plenty OF pure water, and il confined
10 ward should have grit or OYSTER
'hells In order to grind their food:
also material for egg shells IN the
shape OF lime or old plaster. II the
fowls have free range, It Is not as ne
,essary to provide these things.