Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-04-01
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 1t did not pay
when eggs were from 3 to 7 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 a large partof the mixed ration
necessary for the profitable feeding
of poultry. Still on most farms 1t
will not be unwise or Improbable TO
buy some of the materials needed to
give the poultry 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.
There are some farms so situated, or
the soil of which is of such com
position, that it may be necessary tc
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 o
charcoal may have to be purchased
unless the consumption of wood hap
pens to be large on this farm.
II the farmer has not given thu
subject thought, he may not realiz,
that the fodder produced on the ordi
nary farm does not give enough OF
supply of green food for the poultr,
during the winter. With some sup
either by raising clover or cowpeas
both of which will, besides giving
supply of green stuff" give an abur
dant supply of nitrogen. II the farme
cares to raise neither of these, he ma
supply the vegetable food needed 4
the shape of cabbage, turnips or beets
preferably the latter, as the users c
high-priced eggs sometimes stipulat
that the hens shall be fed on cabbag
or other substances that may give a
off flavor to the eggs.
After provision has been made &c
variety of food. says the Farmer
) Voice, care must be taken that tn
poultry, especially the laying hen
have an abundant supply of water,
they are not given skim-milk, or II
egg supply will be shortened. W
know from actual experience that
hens will use gallon Of water da
during cold weather, if they are pc
mitted to get at it readily and as fr
> quently as they like.
We do not warrant any one an abu
dant supply of eggs, even with
mixed ration and plenty of waite
If their fowls are old hens or imm
ture pullets, but with pullets matu
by the list of November, or hens n
more than 10 months old at the
ginning of the winter laying seast
eggs should be obtained in payil
quantities
= After the eggs are gathered 1t
not necessary to trade them to t
grocer for whatever he is disposed
give for them. Fresh eggs during t
winter are in demand at god pric
in a very large city; indeed, ma
towns will use a small number at
premium over the price of ''sto
eggs"-or storage eggs The produc
of winter eggs can easily find M
ket for his product at paying prices