Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-11-18
A LAYING FLOCK.
Thorough Feeding AID the Wedding
Out Of the OlC Hens and Scrubs
WIN Increase Profits.

once nta.l g EnNI NDrSeman say
that man has M means of knowing
the power aai endurance there is in
a team until be has. cn6er eood care,
fed and worked ON lot of hard
muscle-the very utmost that horse
flesh is capable OF putting on. He said
that 10 is possible To add leo per cent.
- the streng-A ana endurance OF
horses in this way. I was reminded
of this when. after d.spos.rg of one
third of my tocE OF hens. / lind that
am getting about as many eggs from
50 as I did from 15. OF course. only
the old hens and the scrubs" were
sold. The rema.nd.r are now helping
themselves TO some ripeuiBg grain
and besides get a good mess OF meal
twice each Gay. They have squared
up and frightened up remarkably.
An underfed horse lets his rigs
grin at the owner and the owner can
either do something 20 cover them up
or bear the sight OF them. II a hens
ribs could show through her feathers
7 fear they would be too often visible.
says the Michigan Farmer. other
signs. just as plain as the ribs in
poor horse Indicate an underfed con
dition in the hens. Hens would keep
| easier afterward. II once put "a good
! condition. and the feed then con
sumed would be used to a good pur-
pose. I am therefore forced 20 the
| conclusion that too large docks are
| kept on many farms.
II there are too many in the flock
when running az large. and feed only
GO. o..
next winter when both feed and room
viii have 60 Le considered? am in
clined 10 think that crowded poultry
houses and scant feeding have much
10 DO with making hens a tax in win
ter instead of source OF income.
With many IL viii oe necessary to
diminish the flock or enlarge the win
ter quarters before cold weather
comes. Many VIII be disinclined 20 do
any lessening of the flock for fear OF
lessenins the egg product in the same
| ratio. This. however is not apt 20 be
the case. In fact the effect is apt 70
Doe the opposite
Last winter ! had 80 hens In
building lGxlG feet and although
worked faithfully with them. they
held back their eggs much longer than
I wished and much longer than they
ought. In winters when only 90 hens
were in the same building eggs came
without SO much labor ON my part.
Whether the flock shall be dimin-
ished or the winter room increased,
| depends. n the flock consists OF
| choice young hens the space for keep
ing them next winter should be in
/ creased. unless IL Is already adequate.
| II the flock contains lot OF old OF
| scrub" hens. these had better be sold
| pretty soou-bef0re the market IS
| crowded as II generally Is every
! autumn.
No iuvariahle rule can DE given In
| answer 90 this question. ones ability.
! taste and good Judgment must govern
| ia the matter Lumber that has served
| a purpose in barn viii Dee an right II
! put together with "a good admixture
/ of building paper or some other ma
| terial 90 shut out the cold and wind.
/ Dryness. light and warmth must be
| secured at any rate. Filling the walls
with six OF eight inches OF buckwheat
huils viii insure dryness much better
| than two thicknesses of inch lumber
| with building paper squeezed between.
| Windows set iu rather high will give
| more light than lower ones. The earth
makes good floor IL free from sur
| face water