Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-01-24


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 than
the summer hen. But the general rule
is otherwise, due, perhaps, to a misun-
derstanding 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 in
winter as well as in summer, and in
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 henhouse.
First, hens must be kept warm at
night; second, the quarters must be
perfectly dry; third, the henhouse must
be free from vermn; 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 It 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 a
marketable product that is from three
to five times her own weirht. All this
comes at the expense of her own vital
lty and the interior mechanism is of
such delicacy that sudden shock that
interferes in any way with her com
fort will stop the machinery and the
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 and
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 egg
production and after two weeks not n
single hen was laying. Instances are
on record where the results were even
more immediate than this. In the other
case no change was noticed in the egg
production and the hens were active
and industrious, while the first flock
stood huddled together in corner dur
ing the day, eating very little.
In order to keep the factory going
it must be supplied with plenty of ami.
NAL heat. For, in the absence of com
fort, the fat of the body is called upon
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. The
over-fat hen becomes lazy and sluggish
but the under-fat hen has not sufficient
fuel supply for egg production.
must be excluded from the roostine
quarters, but that the place must be
free from drafts. Many poultry raisers
have the best success with open front
houses, curtain of cheesecloth beine
dropped before the opening at night tC
exclude the draft. This allows the free
circulation of air, without the banefu
effects of damp or frost-laden currents
, Other houses are so built that the oper
, portion is used only for scratching
pen during the day, separate apart
ment being provided for roostng and
being completely enclosed. This ar
rangement finds favor among many
poultrymen because it enables them tc
keep the hens unoccupied for some
time after sunrise, before they are
turned into the scratching quarters. II
is claimed for this arrangement that
the hens have better appetite and
work harder for their breakfast.
Too much heat is just as bad for the
, laying hen as too little. 1t must be
remembered that the budding togeth
er of large number of hens creates
, vast amount of animal heat. Too clos,
h quarters may produce suffocation, tn,
farmer finding some of his flock deat
under the roost in the morning. Thi
can be easily avoided by providing ven
tilation, fresh air being an essential t.
b the health of the hen.
There is division of opinion anon.
: poultry men rs to the virtue of tn,
ground floor for the flock. 1t Seems
the only test for this question shoul,
be whether or not it can be kept dry
In a moist climate, the drainage abou
l the coop must be looked to if the dir