The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-21

Dust baths, so-called, are also a never
ending source of chicken comfort. A
roomy box partly filled with road dust,
sifted loan or coal ashes and placed in
sunny spot will prove to be a very popu-
lar resort
Exterminate Parasites
Few fiocks are entirely free from lice.
and though these do comparatively little
harm during the cold months, they arc
/ the source of continued annoyance. A.
thorough busting of the fowls occasionally
With good Iice-bjlling powder will SUBJ
due the pests 9l
In the food supply the things most often
neglected are water, animal food and
green food. No matter how carefully the
other essentials are looked after, failure
to supply these freely will have decd-
edly adverse effect on the egg yield.
On many plants the watering is done
only once daily, the intent being to fur
nish enough toslast for the next "a hours.
But though intentions may be good exc
cution Is often faulty. Where the water
is given in open pans or pals these are
frequently upset early in the day and tho
stock gets no more until the following
morning. If the water dishes are not
protected their contents are often fouled
by the birds themselves or through the
medium of dirty litter fiirted into them.
Water pans and founts will quickly
freeze over during cold spells, and unless
this ice is removed the stock is unable
to secure the needed fluid.
The laying hen needs water and plenty
of it. This is especially true where dry
mash feeding is practiced. The egg itself
is two-thirds water. Therefore the rule
should be to furnish clean drinking water
in abundance to see that 1t is available
throughout the entire day. This is a
simple matter and entails little, if any,
expense.
Green food is also inexpensive and the
birds will consume an astonishing guam
tity of it to their advantage. Few of
these succulent feeds contain any very
considerable amount of nutriment. Their.
function is to keep the digestive tract in
good condition, to act as an appetizer and
a tonic. 1t is a. safe plan to supply them
in sufficient quantity to permit each fowl
to have as much as 1t really Graves.
1t will be noted than some hens have
a greater appetite for green's than do
others. Also that on certain days the
flock will consume less than on other
days. Therefore, no set rule can be laid
down as to the exact amount to give a
stated number of fowls.
Farmers can grow n,angolds-cattle
beets-and cabbage for their flock. These
are excellent. But sometimes the supply
runs low and other forms of greens must
be provided. The town poultryman whose
land is limited in area is almost always
forced to purchase his supply. Under
these conditions the use of sprouted oats
and dried beet pulp may be recommended.
Dried beet pulp is by-product of the
beet-sugar factories and may be pur-
chased at most large feed stores 1t con-
sists of the substance of the sugar beet
from which the sugar and moisture have
been extracted, and in appearance re-
presents certain fAked breakfast foods
After being soaked for a time in hot
water these flakes swell up and look like
pieces of freshly chopped beets.
Most hens soon learn to eat this ma
terial very readily, though some refuse
1t for long time In such cases the