The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-06-25

VI toe FkrlO1s xmas OF I'VE sto(A1
poultry ss most widely adapted 10 sub
urban conditions for several reasons.
II can Be handled successfully on =
very small amount Of land The waste
products from the kitchen and the IA
bls may be used TO advantage as feed
The care Of the chickens is pleasant
work. Is comparatively simple. and
may be done By any member Of the
family. Eggs and dressed poultry az
always IN demand and may be sold
70 advantage IN any quantity, or used
at home. thus furnishing = strictly
fresh product which is hard 10 secure
under general market conditions; and
In addition. the care Of poultry nay
provide recreation for adults. employ
ment and good discipline for the chill
dren, and be q source Of income to
the housewife. or saving in the food
account for the family. say poultry
specialists Of the department Of sgri-
culture
The following breeds are anorg the
most popular in this country: Ply
mouth Rocks. Wyandottes. Rhode
Island Reds. Orpingtons and Single
Comb White Leghorns. The Leghorns
belong TO the egg-laying class OF
fowls. lay a white egg and are espe-
cially adapted 10 large. commercial
egg farms or TO sections where a white
egg brings a premium over brown
eggs. The other breeds belong TO
the general purpose class. and lay
brown eggs. They are better adapted
TO the average person. or the farmer
who keeps only small number OF
fowls. as they are good layers and
also make good table poultry. An
other advantage Of the general pur-
pose breeds is that they will hatch
eggs and brood their chickens, while
the Leghorns and other breeds Of the
egg-laying class are non-sitters.
A great variety OF methods Of feed
ing and caring for poultry are used
successfully. Matching and brood
ing. or rearing chickens under hens is
the best method TO use where a small
number Of chickens are raised, and
especially II the care is apt TO be ir-
regular Incubators and brooders may
be used also. but they increase the
cost Of equipment considerably.
Chickens can be reared under hens
successfully by keeping the hens con-
fined in the brood coop. while allow
ing the chickens 70 roam at will.
When many fowls are kept in a
small space, the ground becomes so
foul that in time il becomes difficult
TO rear chickens with good success.
In order to avoid this condition, ii is
advisable to divide the lot and SOW
part OF It with some OF the quick-grov-
ing grains, such as oats, wheat or rye.
By this method the yards may be ro-
tated every three or four weeks dur
ing the growing season. turning the
hens onto the growing grain when it
is few inches high. A good conbi-
nation OF grains is oats and wheat in
equal parts. sowing six or seven bush
els TO the acre (43,5s0 square feeD.
and using wheat alone for the last
seeding In the fall
The prime essentials in poultry
houses are fresh air. dryness, sunlight
and space enough to keep the birds
comfortable. Allow about four square
feet OF floor space per bird for the
smaller breeds. A good egg-laytng
ration may be made OF a dry mash
OF equal parts of corn meal. bran, mid.
dlings and beef scrap, which is kept
before the birds in a hopper all the
time; and a scratch ration Of equal
parts Of corn, wheat and oats, fed in
a litter four to Eve inches deep twice
daily. Regulate this feed so that the
birds eat about one-half mash and one
half scratch grain. which will mean
feeding about one quart OF mixed
grains daily to y Plymouth Rock
hens or TO IL Leghorns. In order to
utilize the waste table products to the
best advantage. a moist mash may be
used IL place OF the dry mash, feed
ing cnee daily. II 1t contains much
meat, table scrap may be substituted
for the beet scrap; II not merely add
II to the maEh given above.
The selection Of stock is q matter
Of considerable Importance, as q great
deal OF ones success OF failure with
poultry depends upon the individual
specimens used 10 breed from. Care
should be taken to select the early
maturing. tast-growing pullets. Hens
will not. as a rule. lay until they are
well matured: consequently II can be
readily seen that the slow-growing
breeds will not begin to lay as soon
as the former. A good index to a
hens ability 20 pay q profit over the
cost Of feed and labor Is her ability to
be continually on the move It is ad-
visable to keep but one breed OF pure
bred fowls. as the product from a
dock Of the same variety Is more uni