Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-04-01
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POULTRY ON THE FARM.
Some Attention Paid to This End OF
the Stock Raising Industry.

The day has gone when the care
of poultry on the farm consists of let
ting them range at large during the
summer and throwing the hens bit
of corn for their feed during the win
ter, allowing them access to the snow
drift for their water supply.
To be sure, poultry can exc out an
existence with this treatment now as
well as formerly, but if it did not pay
when eggs were from to cents
per dozen, it surely can not pay now
when the rate is from Is to so cents,
The farmer has an advantage over
the city dweller as he is able to pro
duce large partof the mixed ration
necessary for the profitable feeding
of poultry. Still on most farms it
will not be unwise or improbable to
buy some of the materials needed to
give the poultry a mixed ration dur
ing the winter if it is not profitable in
the summer.
There are but few farms upon which
with little care most of the material
for mixed ration can be raised.
the soil of which is of such a COM
position, that it may be necessary to
buy the grit supply. Upon many more
supply of protein may be bought
cheaper in the form of beef scraps
than produced upon the farm. Like
wise, where poultry is kept in large
numbers, the necessary supply of
charcoal may have to be purchased,
unless the consumption of wood hap,
pens to be large on this farm.
If the farmer has not given tho
subject thought, he may not realize
that the fodder produced on the ordi-
nary farm does not give enough of a
supply of green food for the poultry
during the winter. With some a sup
ply Of green food may be secured
either by raising clover or cowpeas,
both of which will, besides giving
supply of green stuff" give an abun-
dant supply of nitrogen. If the farmer
cares to raise neither of these, he may
supply the vegetable food needed in
the shape of cabbage, turnips or beets,
preferably the latter, as the users of
high-priced eggs sometimes stipulate
that the hens shall be fed on cabbage
or other substances that may give an
off flavor to the eggs.
After provision has been made for
variety of food, says the Farmers
Voice, care must be taken that the
poultry, especially the laying hens,
have an abundant supply of water, if
they are not given slIim-milk, or the
egg supply will be shortened. We
know from actual experience that 25
hens will use gallon of water a day,
during cold weather, if they are per-
mitted to get at it readily and as fire.
quently as they like.
We do not warrant any one an abun-
dant supply of eggs, even with
mixed ration and plenty of water,
if their fowls are old hens or imma-
ture pullets, but with pullets mature
by the 1st of November, or hens not
more than 1S months old at the be-
ginning of the winter laying season
eggs should be obtained in paying
quantities.
After the eggs are gathered it is
not necessary to trade them to the
grocer for whatever he is disposed to
give for them. Fresh eggs during the
winter are in demand at god prices
in very large city; indeed, many
towns will use small number at a
premium over the price of store
eggs"-or storage eggs. The producer
of winter eggs can easily find mar
ket for his product at paying prices.