Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-05-08


eggs for setting should not be over
five days old. They should be OF
smooth. regular surface and of uni.
form shape and size. color and
(grainy) solid shells. If the strain of
fowls kept lay most white eggs, no
dark eggs should be used, that is, If
you keep pure bred fowls.
Pure bred fowls should be kept and
but one strain, unless they are kept
separated. If the eggs are to be
Matched by hen, she should be set,
about day before putting the eggs
under her, in nest made as near nat.
ural as possible to the hens nest as
made by her. It is best to put a. lit.
tie fine soil under the straw; the
hen should then be set upon twelve or
fifteen selected eggs.
If there is nothing preventing, the
eggs should hatch in about three
weeks. The chicks should be fed moth
ing for the first thirty-six to forty
hours, after which time they should
be fed small feeds but be fed often,
such feeds as cornbread, bread crumbs
or boiled eggs. After about two weeks
they may be fed small grains or
cracked corn; they will not need to
be fed quite SO often now. Chickens
should always have plenty of green
stuff and boneSkuilding material while
growing. They should also be kept
free from lice M mites. This may be
done by the use of insect power. A
very effective insect powder is BLACK
Flag" which comes ready for use.
Growing chickens need free access
to good, pure water. They may be
given free range after they become
strong or in about four weeks III
weather permits), so that they will be
able to pick their greens, and the in
sects they catch will supply them with
much building material, but they
should have some meat scraps, etc.,
and all the grit they will eat. If fed
in this way and rushed right along,
they should be large enough for fries
at the age of two and one.half or three
months.
The chickens may be "sorted out"
now; that is the Gull pullets and any
undesired ROSTERS (cockerels). may be
picked out and sold. They should be
sorted down to just about what you
want to keep as it hardly pays to
keep them over unless you are raising
chickens for meat production, in which
case an exception to the above rule
may prove profitable.
When the pullets get up to five or
six months old, they should be fed
grit and bone to start them to laying
early in autumn, as they will con-
tinue to pay through the winter, and
| this is what pays. Eve have about
so pullets, several of which are too
young to lay and we have about so
hens, several of which are laying, and
we have IA dozen eggs in seven days
from them. Part are mixed breeds,
but we are starting to breed Brown
Leghorn.)
believe the open front house pays
very we. eve have one this winter.)
Also they should be made to scratch
their grains out Of a litter, as this
gives them exercise and makes hens
lay"
In preparing for Matching season
again, 1t Is best to pick out some OF
the best hens and good rooster for
about every dozen hens. These should
be fastened up in roomy lot to them
selves. Their eggs should not be
saved" for about ten or twelve days
after being fastened up. The eggs for
Matching should be selected as l stated
| above Yours for success,
LAIRD DAVIS,
R. R. No. 4, Parkersburg, W. Va