Evening star., 1914-11-15
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

It isn't too late even yet to plow OF
spade up a good sized space in the
poultry yard and SOW It to rye or bar
ley. The green stun will make con-
siderable growth before hard freezing
weather arrives, and such grain as does
not germinate this fall will come up
early in the spring. Growing green
stuff is relished by laying hens even
moro than sprouted oats; the birds
seem to derive a lot of satisfaction
from rustling around in tho yards and
picking II themselves. Hens will never
do SO we'll as when they have an ample
supply Of green stun during the winter
months: 1t stimulates the digestive ap-
do in the case Of humans. and more and
better eggs is the invarfable results OF
q supply readily accessible TO the poul-
try.
Warm water in the hens drinking
vessels these frosty mornings Will be
appreciated by the biddtes. 1t Is
good plan to empty all drinking ves-
sells the last thing at night. ana TO M
them In the morning with water which
has had the chill taken on. This should
be done as early as possible. even be-
fore feeding, as the hens ike TO mop
down or the roosts and take a drink
as soon as 1t Is light enough for them
to see.
Just because the weather is growing
colder is no reason for negiecting sani-
tary precautions about the poultry
houses. Clean OF the dropping boards
at this time OF year just as often as
you do during the summer. Keep thor
good-with little air-slaked lime. on
the boards. And don't neglect the reg
ular spraying of roosts, wallis and the
entire interior of the houses with some
TH
many Of these sprays. and their fire.
Quent use serves several purposes.
They keep the air In the houses pure.
they offer a means Of insurance against
colds and roup among the fowls. and
they kill the eggs and larvae of ver-
min that are hidden In the crevices OF
| roosts, walls. etc.
Breeders Of yellow legged fowls. such
as Leghorns. Plymouth Rocks and 9TH
| ers. will do well to use no sifted ashes
IN tho fowls busting pens. Even coal
| ashes used thus will bleach the yellow
out Of the birds legs. and this. in the
! case of fancy fowls, disqualifes them
| for exhibition. In the case of Orping-
tons and other white-legged breeds. the
use of sifted ashes as dust bath for
the fowls has no i'll effect.
Don't discontinue the use of perman-
ganate Of potash in the fowls drinking
| water as winter approaches AS much
| of the chemical as will lay on silver
dime should be used to a three gallon
| pail of water. though more of il Will
do no harm. II not too much is used. A
good plan Is to pour a dimes worth of
the permanganate into a pint bottle,
4 fill the bottle with water and dissolve
| the chemical. making a very strong
i solution. Use this strong solution in
i the drinking water. pouring about n
half teaspoonful into each gallon OF
i drinking water. This will give the
water about the color of claret wine.
| which Is a proper strength.
The use OF the parcel post in getting
eggs and dressed poultry direct from
producer to consumer is increasing In
a satisfactory manner. and many
poultrymen in the vicinity of Wash
ington are now using this method of
| getting their products direct to their
customers. The Post Office Depart
ment' has prepared specifications OF
packages which will be admitted to
the mails. and many firms are now
manufacturing egg cases and other
carriers according to such specifica-
tions. The cost of such packages,
| which at first was SO high as to make
this item OF expense a heavy one. has
been reduced until at present half a
dozen makes of packages can be
bought at cents each or less when
ordered in comparatively large lots.
| Arrangements for the return of the
packages when empty further reduce
the cost. and such arrangements are
easily made between producers and
consumers.