The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-10-08
Points For Winter
Care Of Fowls

We will consider this month some
Of the requirements and conditions di-
rectly associated with the changes that
take place in the focks of fowls to be
kept during the winter for egg produc-
ton or for breeding PURPOSES next
spring.
Ii one is i'll the egg business, strict
ly speaking the changes have already
been made the object beino to get
rid OF all surplus stock or stock objec-
tionable for breeding before the mott
ing period Profit demands this. And
if what he have put down does not APP
ply to every poultryman jus' at this
particular time he NAV have us mind
the facts and utilize them when, ac-
cording to his best judgment. they are
N season
There are some general principles
that hold true the year around, and
with them we put the details which
must needs be part OF the individual
plant at the settled periods when its
are made to assume their pur-
posed relations The known facts are
applied to our own conditions and re-
qurements.
With the commercial poultrymans
be it for eggs or meat, and with the
former the great object is profit.
Never yet have | known a man that
was intentionally working simply for
fun and most certainly no one with
poultry, in numbers, could be guilty
Of any such msdemeanor.
Take care of the little things and
the big ones will take care of them
selves, may fit every business; there
isn't any doubt about it i'll the chicken
business. Lice and leaks are little to
be sure, il we take them individually.
You have had your attention called to
the lice, The leaks may be just as
bad. Hunt for them One barren
hen kept on your yard for one year is
a dollar and a hall gone to glory. Did
you ever think about the glory in the
chicken business? 1t belongs with the
ice and the leaks What about the
eggs that were fertile but didn't hatch?
What about the chicks that started off
with every promise OF true worth and
then commenced to get IN mornings
smaller than they were the night be-
fore. kept getting smaller until they
gave up trying altogether? What about
the bare ones, Sunburned, stunted,
eat but-won't-grow, ever have any like
that? All this is glory. pure and I'M
furnished Your barren hens are glory.
Those drawn-up, dried-up, ieatherless
representatives or those whose fea
theirs have stood still until they look
moth eaten--thcy are all glory chick
ems They won't sell for what they
have eaten. Your work with them
YOU needn't consider; YOU have thrown
it in Tor exercise. And the glory and
the leaks go together. Stop the leaks
and keep out all the glory you can,
that is helpful.
Once a year there is a general house
cleaning in chickendom. Before the
-Jslsyrs are brought iii from the range
~ the layers OF this year are to be
changed to breeding pens the houses
should be thoroughly cleaned. II
there is any repairing to be done, do it
now. Look particularly after the roofs,
for there should be no leaks from that
source, and remember that the three
sides of every chicken house (to be
used for winter quarters) should be
alr-t:ght Set your openings all on
:he South side and don't be afraid of
admitting plenty OF air and unobstruct-
ed Sunlight from that quarter Oppo-
site openings are what you want to
avoid-it is the currents OF air, the
drafts, that are a menace
Take out OF the houscS everything
movable land everything should be-;
remove all nesting materials, all litter.
If YOU have hens in the habit OF using
white wash, scrapc it off all you can
of it, and never use it again. In Its
cracks and under it when it COM
menccS To scale off the mites find
refuge from which they can DEFY your
most persistent efforts to effectually
get rid of them. Sweep down the
cob-webs In short. do ANYTHING pos
sible to make the quarters as near new
As your conditions will admit Spray
into every crack and cover every sur
face with the mixture of "ScalcCide'
and water--I to 10 Put in fresh lit
ter and nesting material, and don't
forget again, that your future sue
cess is greatly influenced by an abund-
ance of hen exercise Keep the litter
i from six inches to a loot deep
u nbroken or uncut wheat straw or
oat straw free from chatf is excellent
litter for scratching purposes. For
nesting material know nothing bet
ter than excelsior. Hay does very
we'll Straw | object to because it is
hollow and into the open Straws or
stems Ice find another safe retreat
from the spray mixtures.
When YOU move old fowls to new
quarters and when you bring in the
pulets from the colony houses on the