Milford chronicle., 1910-03-11
The FARMERS INSTITUTE.

Our account Of the recent Farmers In
stitute closed with the forenoon session.
In the afternoon W. q. Anthoney, Of
Smyrna, spoke on poultry. The follow
ing is an outline OF what be had to say
am not in the egg business, but am
raising poultry for market One-half OF
the poultry ship are capons. The variety
] use is Barred Plymouth Rock The
breed to use depends entirely upon the
Durpose in view. II / we're in the egg
business / would use the Leghorns. 1t
we're selling feathers ! would have white
foul because YOU can get more for the
feathers. Just at present l am not forcing
nv hens to lay, for the reason that ]
want strong birds when they are hatched.
The first OF March ] start my tirst incu'
batOr All through the winter hold the
hens back, although most people make
them lay IL you make them lay all
winter, when spring comes they won't
eive you eggs that will make strong
chickens. Maintenance rati0ns during
the winter will keep them in a healthy
condition but you don't want them to get
thin This week am preparing them
for making eggs. / used to wait before
starting the incubator until | had eggs
enough 10 I'll them all but they deterlO-
rate verv rapidly after two weeks When
they are fresh / get l72 chicks from q
24O egg incubator If / wait six weeks, !
get so. Use fresh eggs always. Keep them
where il is cool and stand them on the
little end unless you are fitted up SO that
you can turn them every day You will
have some chicks that do not come out,
but do not try to help them out any
chicken that is not Matched in p days is
not worth keeping. Many Of them
should be out bv the end Of the 9Th day
and all should be- out by the 10Th day.
II YOU are ahead Of time you have got
your incubator too hot, and If they come
too many on the 18th day regulate the
Thermometers. The thing to do with
your incubator is TO follow instructions.
At the end Of twenty-one days ! put them
in the broOder house. ! commence at
once to feed nv little chicks and give
them a little finely cracked oyster shells
and sharp grit the very first thing. GOu
want to give them some teeth to grind
their food. / never feed wet mash. The
next thing to the grit is finely cracked
corn thrown in the litter, and they will
scratch for it and in this way will get the
exercise that is necessary for them, give
them beef scrap and wheat bran and al
Ways have charcoal for them When they
are a few days old ] throw them bits Of
cabbage. At first they do not know
what it is, but soon learn. The pieces
sre too large for them to swallow, and so
one little chap will get piece and they
all ran for him aud OF all the foot ball
games that you ever saw this is the great
est. Always keep them well supplied
with litter. As soon as there is grass,
they should have plenty Of it, but litter
without grass is better than grass without
litter. When they are six weeks old they
should weigh pound and one-half each,
and some of them NAV weigh more, and
as soon as they have feathers enough to
keep them warm ! turn them ont on the
range AT this time | select my breeders
the ones that are to give me my eggs the
following spring. My colony house is
six feet long, three feet high in front, two
feet high at the back. and will hold
forty chickens until they are ready for
market / make these houses myself
and put them together with hooks so
that they can be taken down and stored
away in the fall. They are made with
square edged lumber, not tOngued and
grooved, and therefore, YOU can get at all
the cracks to kill the mites II you have
them. but the place you want to look for
red mites is at the corners and you simply
unlock the back of the house at the top,
open it a little, and if there are any mites
YOU can see them. II YOU find any sign
OF them you will know that YOU are get.
ting the first Of them. You clean them
up with miscible oil, such as scalecide or
target brand. One application will clean
them up and the house should stay clean
q year. Use one gallon of oil to twenty
OF water, making a mixture costing two
and one-half cents per gallon. Every
spring when I put the houses out / spray
them, and every fall when | take them
in spray them, and never have any
trouble
For feather lice, you need nothing but
dust, but it must be fine and l ase equal