The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1913-05-09
WINTER EGG PROFITS
Hens Should Have Been in Good
Condition in Fall.
Fowls Should Not Be Allowed to Eat
Grain as Fast as They Can Con-
sumo 1t, But Rather Made to
Scratch for II.
tBy M. M. cHANDLER.)

AS much depends upon the condi
ton of the hens themselves as any
thing else. If you are expecting the
winter eggs. You should have seen to-
it that your hens were not running
wild during the late fall, getting too
much corn about the fields or hog
pens, or that they are not starving
when you think they are picking up a
good living for themselves after the
grain has all been put away for the
winter.
For many years kept only small
flock of hens and paid little attention
to them except during the winter. |
got, Of course, very few eggs and
found that If | wished this much
sought winter supply / must look clos
er to business.
tried shutting my hens in a large
park during the month Of November
and feeding them cooked vegetables,
milk, little Of everything in the
shape of grain, instead of letting them
run to the corn houses; that Is, all
but those l wished to market, and
those confined in large coop with
floor in it, SO they could not do too
much scratching, and fed them more
grain and less milk, plenty of clean
water and usually two weeks would
find them in good condition for the
market.
This, / find, pays better than al
lowing the hens you wish to keep over
remain with those who are going to
sell, since the feeding methods differ.
A hen should not be fat when the
cold weather sets in any more than
she should be starved. She should be
fed according to the reproducing
method, and with me that method Is
regular meals, plenty of variety In
food and a good chance to scratch for
her living
l never allow a hen to eat grain as
fast as she can pick it up, but make
her hunt for it in a good pile of litter.
Soft food for breakfast, fed at six
o'clock, milk and little wheat or rye
for dinner, and supper at four O'Clock
of corn, two quarts to forty hens.
This may seem a small ration, but
where three meals are given you will
find that 1t is enough and II more Is
allowed them there will be fewer eggs,
Some think 1t better to feed all
small grain and no corn, but in the
cool weather ! find that corn satisfies
the fowls much better and it should
be fed as hot as they can stand it.
Never expect real success with win
ter egg-raising without good bone
mill. A bone mill can be had for SIS
and will pay for itself in six months.
Bone meal should be part of every
breakfast in the hen roost and the
oyster shells and skimmilk are quite
as essential
Meat Is good, but never throw the
carcass Of a dead animal into the
chicken house unless you want to
create disease germs and impure eggs.
Keep the carcass frozen out of doors
and cut from 1t small ration of meat
at time, and see that 1t Is all eaten
fresh
Never expect winter eggs in dark,
damp, chilly coop. Have plenty OF
windows and fresh air. There is
nothing better than fresh air and
sunshine. Keep the house clean.
Every morning while the flock are at
their breakfast take a shovel and
scrape up the droppings under the
perches. Take care that they do not
use the nests as roosting places, and
always change the straw in the nests
and get fresh straw or, better still,
clover hay scatterings for litter at
least as often as once week.