The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-03-25
WINTER CARE OF FOWLS.
Leaks and Cold Draughts Not Conducive to
Records in Egg-Laying.


Records in Egg-Laying.
The winter profits to be derived from
flock of fowls depends largely very
largely upon their housing and keeping.
1t is unreasona BILE to expect hens kept in
cold, damp, filthy house to produce
eggs, and they simply will not do it. 1t
is much easier to fix the house up early
than it will be after the weather gets
cold; in fact, the chances are ten to one
that if the repairs are not made before
cold weather sets in there will be lot of
roupy, sniveling, proftless. hens and a
disappointed owner, says the American
Cultivator. The little cracks in the poul-
try house are what play havoc with the
flock, especially if they are where they
will allow little currents OF air to reach
the fowls when on the roosts. Fresh air
is beneficial when properly supplied, but
where it is filtered through cracks or
knot holes it will cause death and disas-
ter
1t is very easy matter to make the
poultry house warm and comfortable,
even though it be an old building. Ali
that is necessary is to cover it with some
good roofing paper-both roof and side
walls-apply a coat Of tar, with little
fine gravel on the roof, and if the job is
properly done you will have house that
will be absolutely wind and water proof
If the roosts are on the north side of the
room it ism t bad idea to cover the in
terror at the back of the roosts with
building paper, first giving the walls
coat of tar to prevent lice from breeding
under the paper If new buildings are to
be erected it should be attended to at
once, so that they may become thorough
ly dried out before closing up for the win
ter. If the poultry house is damp at the
beginning Of winter it will remain so until
spring, unless the ventilation is excep-
tionally good. Even when building new
houses we would advise that they be
covered with roofing paper and coated
with tar. The object of tight house is
not only to keep the cold from coming
in, but to converse the animal heat con
stantly emanating from the bodies of the
fowls
A good but somewhat dangerous way
OF determining whether there are any
crafts around the roosts is to light a
match and hold it in the hand. If it
burns evenly and steadily you can be GER
tain that there are no drafts, but if it
y,
one side or the other, there is draft,
and its source should be discovered and
corrected. We would not advise this
test, however, where there is much litter
or other infiammable material in the
house. The poultry house should be kept
clean at all times, but it is especially i'm
portant that it be given thorough clean
ing and disinfecting before closing up for
the winter. The whole interior should be
whiteWashed, adding about one-half pint
of crude carbolic acid to each gallon of
wash. Care should be taken that the
lime is forced into every crack and crew
ice. All old litter and nesting material
should be removed and burned, and new
supplied; the roosts and dropping boards
should be painted with some good liquor
llce-killer, new dustbath should be sup
piled, and, in fact, a general cleaning up
is necessary if the fowls are going to be
comfortable and profitable.
Even after the houses are put in good
shape there are numerous other matters
that must be looked after before one is
fully prepared for the winter. Arrange
ments must be made for a supply of
green feed, without which the fowls will
not do their best In localities where
such things are plentiful it is very easy
to get supply of vegetables at small
cost, buying up small potatoes, turnips,
etc, that are not fit for the market or
the table. We have always made it a
practise to arrange with some cabbage
raiser to get the undeveloped heads that
are not worth harvesting except for win
ter feed for poultry or other live stock.
These can generally be secured for next
to nothing-in fact, we have seen acres
of them left in the field to decay Cab
bages make excellent green feed for
poultry and can be kept all winter.
A RELIGIOUS AUTHORS SrArEMENT.
Rev. Joseph H. Fesperman, Salisbury, N. c.,
who is the author of several books, writes:
''For several years | was afflicted with kidney
trouble and last winter was suddenly stricken
with a severe pain in my Kidneys and was
confined to bed eight days unable to get up
without assistance. My urine contained a
thick white sediment and passed same fire.
quently day and night. l commenced taking
Foleys Kidney Remedy, and the pain gradu-
ally abated and finally ceased and my urine be-
came normal. | cheerfuly Recommend
Foley's Kidney Remedy Sold by all drug
gists.
Literary News and Notes.
Tho Mactar P,i11 dave , po1,, na,,al e