The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-03-01
PRODU ING EGGS.

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This subjsct Is one that has been
written upon often. and there are
many good methods Of feeding but L
has been my experience that the pest
method for any one person Is tne
enc thai conforms to their surround
,ng conditions anG the material LOT
food most readily obtained In the
first place, for successful egg produc-
ton other conditions must be right.
we must have a good warm house.
NOT necessarily an expensive one, wen
ventilated, free from drafts and WIN
a roomv scratching shed well bedded
with good, clean straw or millet SIX
to eight inches deep.
For penned birds, | have found tne
following method very successful. In
the morning, about 6 o'clock or $751;
I scatter equal parts OF cracked corn
and oats If can get oats, otherwise
cracked corn. in the scratching she'd
about a quart to each fifteen Diras'
This starts them to scratching the
moment they leave the roosts ana
warns ND their blood, giving them
the necessary exercise and keeping
them busy until almost noon. TINS
meal is a warm mash composed OF
table scraps, scalded alfalfa meal two
parts bran and one part meal mixed
with water to crumbly mass Win
two tablespoonfuls Of poultry 1000
added to each fifteen hens. Give all
they will eat in FIVE minutes. Cooked
pumpkin, turnips and Feelings OF all
kinds are sometimes added for va
riety. Immediately after they have
finished eating open a gate INTO a
reversible pen OF green rye, on wnicn
thew range the balance of the day.
Cabbage and turnips are also fed at
times for green stun. At night they
receive wheat and whole corn after
nately. receiving corn with the wheat
ON very cold nights. Warm water Is
given every morning, and replenisneo
when needed. oyster shells, mica grit
beef scraps, charcoal and ground
hone are kept before the birds con-
stantly in hoppers and they neip
themselves when needed.
This method has given me very gooo
success, and have White Wyandotte
hens at the present time (Dec. ord.)
with records Of SO eggs since the lStn
OF September, on which date return
ed from the state fair.
Breeding for Eggs.
| believe most OF you Will disagree
with me when | say that the majority
of poultry raisers are breeding tneli
chickens down, instead Of up, for egg
production. Nevertheless, believe i
Is fact, and will endeavor to prove
ii to you. Poultry raisers as a rule
set most Of their eggs In the spring
or early summer. BY this time mos
Of the winter laying hens have ceased
laying and are trying to sit and they
hatch their chicks from the summer
LAYERS. hens that have not laid an egt
all winter, most likely. Is this MOI
breeding down for egg production
Don't you believe If we should hatcf
our chicks solely from these winter
LAYERS we would increase the laying
qualities Of our flocks. ] think yol
will agree with me when l say tina
our winter layers are our best layers
All flocks, whether mongrels or pure
breeds, have their good layers as wei
as their poor ones. The question 4
how to breed from these good layers
II is almost impossible for some 0
YOU to trap-nest your whole focks a
the beginning, but still this Is TN
only exact way to- increase egg produc
ton. Experienced poultrymen, by Oh
seryation, can pick most OF their goo'
layers by red combs, activity OF BIRDS
shape and other characteristics, still
the method often fails and Is not exac'
For the farmer with a large fiocl
in starting with trap nests, ! woui'
say. watch your hens closely In tn
winter. observe the best layers. II
the spring, before the Matching season
pen these birds, giving as much rang
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