Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-04-13
PROPER CARE OF HENS.
How to Manage Flock to Secure
Best Results.

How to Manage Flock to Secure
Best Results.
The henhouse must have comforts
equal to the demand of a hen. Fancy
buildings are not needed; in fact, any
old building viii do that is dry. com
Portable and clean 1t must be proof
against wind, rain and cold and abso-
lutelv dry inside, says the Feather
Each fowl should have six square
feet of floor space The whole interior
should be a scratch room, where the
hens can be shut in during the cold or
wet days when it is not best for them
to go out. Colonies of twenty-five or
less are best, and a room or apartment
10 by - feet gives six square feet for
each The floor should have six or
eight inches Of dry soil or sand, so they
can dig in it. On top of this should be
thrown every bit of grain that is fed,
compelling them to dig and hunt for all
their food This hunting and digging
in the straw and loose earth or sand
keeps them busy, gives them plenty of
exercise, keeps their blood in circula-
ton and makes them healthy and vigor-
GUS.
All the wafer vessels should be emp
tied at night and in the winter filled
about 10 O'Clock in the morning with
warm-not hot water. The reason for
filling at 10 in the morning is to give
the hens chance to hunt and dig and
get warmed up before they have
drink. Warm water should be given in
winter so as not to chill the hens. Hot
water or hot food is bad at all times
Warm mash and warm water that feels
pleasant to your hands are good for
them, but hot food or drink unnatural
" heats them. and when they cool off
1t is bad for them
Night and morning feed dry grains.
Have mixture of wheat, oats, corn,
barley. buckwheat and some millet
seed. If the proper amount of grain
food and animal food is provided,
mix these grains about equal parts
and only feed what they will eat.
Don't be afraid to feed so long as they
will hunt and dig for the food 1t will
not hurt them if they are hungry
enough to hunt and dig for it. At
noon feed mash food made of equal
parts, by measure, of ground oats, bran
and middlings In this put at least
half an ounce per hen per day of good,
high grade meat scrap, mix with hot
water or hot milk and feed just little
warm to them in troughs. Give them
all they will eat up clean. Take away
any that is left.
Green food is of vast Importance.
Cut clover hay is splendid for them.
Cut about half an inch long and put
into the feed trough; give them all they
will eat. Beets, little turnips and
cabbages are good; not too many tur-
nips, as they will flavor the eggs BY
all means feed all the green food the
fowls will eat Frozen cabbage or veg
etables of any kind are bad for poultry.
Have the green food so good they will
think it is summer.
This ration of grain. mash and green
food is given with the understanding
that all will be used as directed. If
any part is left out the combination is
broken and the best results lost.
Grit, shell and charcoal should be at
hand all the time, so they can help
themselves All this is of Importance.
1t is quite easily followed and will in
sure success, providing, as we stated
at the start, that the hens are well
selected