Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-06-04
LET THE HEN HELP YOU.
Qnland Poultry Journal.l

Ge where you will, in factory, mill,
workshop. store, or In the home. and
the al-preVa11ng subject discussed IS
90 where you will, in factory, mill,
Inc High Cost of Living and How to
solve 1t. Some advocate a high pro
tecuVe tariff, others tariff for reye-
nue. only. We had the former for sew
eral years and now we are living un-
oer the latter. Food stuffs, especially
meats, were high under the former.
and under the latter remain practical
~ the same, or higher. Why? Be-
cause supply and demand virtually
control prices and the demand ex-
ceeds the supply on hand. Uncle
Sans farming domain has ceased to
Increase in acres while his nieces and
nephews have increased in numbers
and in appetite also. Then, his for
elgn cousins are coming over in large
numbers, and to fill all the wants of
the inner man it behooves Uncle Sam
to get move on.
The increase in the production of
food does not keep pace with the in
creased consumption of some. How
can Uncle Sam solve the problem?
BY utilizing every foot of land availa-
many more. How can q city resident
help? BY using his back yard is a
poultry plant. There is room enough
on each back lot in city for at least
twelve hens, and twelve healthy Wig
orous hens will furnish the average
family with sufficient meat the year
around; and ten minutes attention per
day is all the time required to look
starting this plant should be a good
comfortable building, allowing at least
square feet of floor space for each
hen. If you haven't a suitable build
ills one can be made of piano boxes,
which can be purchased cheaply ar
the piano store. Take four, setting
two facing each other, two long parts
extending north and south Remove
petitions in center, and south end
make other sides and roof rain and
wind proof and free from draughts
The dimensions should be about 6x12
feet. Put in a good solid board floor
and see that it is high enough to al
low air to circulate under and be free
from dampness. Arrange a platform
2x6 feet in north end three feet from i
floor and two roOSts about eight inches
above platform. Secure three boxes
at the grocery store suitable for
nests and put under platform. Mako
or purchase a hopper for feeding
mash, oyster shell and grit. Put at
least six inches of good wheat or rye
straw on the floor in which to scatter
their scratch feed and give them eX-
ercise. Make gate out of poultry
netting to fit the south end for protec-
ton from sparrows, dogs and other
animals and to admit fresh air and
sunshine.
Have curtain Of cheap unbleached
muslin to drop down in front Of roost
platform during zero weather. Then
purchase dozen young hens, or
strong vigorous pullets would be bet
ter, which will cost 81 or 81 .25 each.
Get April or early May Matched birds,
end with good care and attention they
should be laying by Thanksgiving day
Their scratch feed~should consist Of
equal parts, by measure, of cracked
corn, whole wheat and oats scattered
in the straw to induce exercise and
promote health. Dry mash mixture Of
two parts bran, one part corn meal, |
one part middings, one part ground
oats, one part alfalfa meal and two
thirds part beef scrap, mixed well to-
gether and kept in hopper where they !
can have access to it all the time
Allow them one pint of scratch feed |
for each five hens or fraction thereof.
Scme feed this scratch at different in
tervals during the day. have tried |
feeding them three times, twice, and |
once per day, and find they do as well !
by feeding once a day, preferably at
noon, as that is the only time get
to see them, especially during the
short winter days.
Be sure to get full-blooded stock OF
some all-purpose breed. Put strong,
blooded male with them in February I
and you will be ready by March to
raise your stock for the coming au-
tumn. You should be able to raise
scventy-fve or eighty birds, and II
pure bred, who knows but there may
be some good exhibition stock among
them? And let me say that good lay.
e1s and good show birds can be raised
from the same flock, all reports to the
contrary Notwithstanding. The Gull
cockereIs can be eaten or exchanged