Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-01-25

in her relation to the price of eggs IN
winter and many poultry raisers have
been so far successful as to make the
winter hen pay larger profit thar
the summer hen. But the general rule
is otherwise, due, perhaps, to misun
dcrstanding of the best methods Of
feeding and housing, or to lack OF
proper quarters for the housing of the
birds. 1t is our purpose in this article
to show how results may be secured IL
winter as well as in summer, and il
order to get at the subject properly
it might be well to lay down few
fundamental principles, the following
Of which is indispensable to the secur
ing of results in the henhonse.
First, hens must be kept warm at
night; second, the quarters must be
perfectly dry; third, the henhouse must
be free from vermin; and fourth, the
hen must be kept busy. If these four
things are looked to, the egg basket
will always be full, granted the stock
is well selected and the food ration is
right. As to the selection of stock,
it makes very little difference as to
breed among the recognized staple
breeds, but constant system of culling
and selecting is necessary in order to
get rid of the hen that doesn't pay.
An idea of the enormous amount of
work done by the hen can be gained
from the fact that in producing 200
eggs year she is accounting for u
marketable product that is from three
to five times her own weight. All this
comes at the expense Of her own vital
| ity and the interior mechanism is of
such delicacy that sudden shock that
interferes in airy way with her com
egg factory will go out of business
This fact has been clearly demonstrated
by experiment. Two flocks of hens
selected as equally as possible and hav
ing equal laying records, were placed
in separate quarters, the one being full
of cracks and open to the winds anc
storms of winter and the other com
fortably housed in waterproof and
wind proof shelter. Within three days
the first flock began to fall off in ege
production and after two weeks not {
single hen was laying. Instances arr
on record where the results we're ever
more immediate than this. In the othel
case no change was noticed in the egg
production and the hens were active
and Industrious while the first flocl
stood huddled together in corner dur
ing the day, eating very little.
In order to keep the factory goins
it must be supplied with plenty Of ami
NAL heat. For, in the absence of com
fort, the fat of the body is called upol
to furnish the fuel needed by the lay
ing organs. This creates demand
upon the hen that she cannot stand
and when the surplus fat is exhausted
the laying organs cease to work. TIL
over-fat hen becomes lazy and sluggish
but the under-fat hen has not sufficien
fuel supply for egg production.
This does not mean that fresh al
must be excluded from the roostin,
quarters, but that the place must b
free from drafts. Many poultry raiser
have the best success with open from
houses, curtain of cheesecloth beinI
dropped before the opening at night +
exclude the draft. This allows the fire.
, circulation of air, without the banefu
, eifectseof damp or frost-laden currents
Other houses are so built that the opel
! portion is used only for scratching
pen during the day, a separate apart
. ment being provided for roosting an
being completely enclosed. This al
rangement finds favor among man
poultrymen because it enables them t
keep the hens unoccupied for som
time after sunrise, before they ar
; turned into the scratching quarters. ]
is claimed for this arrangement tina
. the hens have better appetite an
work harder for their breakfast.
j Too much heat is just as bad for tn
p laying hen as too little. 1t must b
!, remembered that the budding togetl
j. or of a large number Of hens creates
o vast amount of animal heat. Too clos
h quarters may produce suffocation, tn
farmer finding some of his flock dea
under the roost in the morning. TIL
can be easily avoided by providing ver
tilation, fresh air being an essential
h the health of the hen.
n There is division of opinion anon
y poultry men as to the virtue of I'll
h ground floor for the flock. 1t seen
v the only test for this question shoul
Q be whether or not it can be kept dr.
l. In moist climate, the drainage abo,
d the coop must be looked to if the dil