Milford chronicle., 1914-07-31

OF your fowls. If the birds are out-of-
condition or have some peculiar NAL
ady that you do not understand or
if you want any other information
along the poultry line, Just write us
what you want to know. Your ques-
tions will receive prompt attention
by an authority and will be answered
in our columns at the earliest posi-
BILE date,
The most important problem to be
solved in the back yard where fowls are
kept, or on any small plots ofground de-
voted to the use of poultry, is how to
keep the ground pure and sweet. In
pure ground always means a lot of sick
chickens and, of course, many deaths
Many persons will say that one cannot
keep chickens year after year on the same
ground with any degree of success. To
begin with, l wish to dispute this asser-
ton. 1 have successfully kept fowls on
the same ground for the past six years,
and if it can be done for that length of
time, it can be done indefinitely. Of
course, it keeps me busy cleaning and
turning it TO keep it in condition.
Early in the spring, as soon as the
frost is out of the ground, lime the yard
or run heavily with air-slacked lime after
having first given it a good sweeping and
carrying off the top dirt. On top of the
coating of air-slacked lime sprinkle thick
with oats and then spade. Don't be
afraid to spade deep, as the deeper you
go the better will be the results.
When all spaded and turned under
nicely, scatter more oats and rake them
in good, and in a week or so you will
have a yard that will delight the eye to
see. Keep the chickens penned out Of
the yard until the oats get about three
or four inches high, then turn them in
and see what delightful flock of chick
ems you will have.
1t is small task to keep the birds
housed while the oats are growing, par
ticularly if you are using the open front
style of house. With this particularly,
if you are using this style house, they
can get all the air and sunshine neces-
say for them while the ground IS get
ting into shape.
If YOU are not blessed with this style
Of house and the chickens cannot be kept
ont of the yard, of course, the oats do
not stand a chance of showing even one
green blade. But even if this be the case,
the spading will do the yard or run a
heap of good and also keeps the hens
busy scratching for the oats which have
been spaded under, as also those raked
into the ground
Turning the ground in this way two
or three times year does all the good
in the world and keeps it in splendid
healthy condition. Healthy ground
means healthy chickens, and healthy
chickens means a full egg basket; and, |
after all, that is what most of us desire. |
Hot weather is now with us, and two
very important items must be looked |
after; sufficient shade, and plenty OF cool,
| fresh water. i
Trees, of course, make the very best OF
shade. So plant trees in your back yard
or poultry runs, if you have not already |
done so. While planting trees remeni-
Der TO plant only those that are worth .
while. Fruit trees thrive wonderfully /
we'll when planted in the poultry yard,
being fertilized by the hens. When they
mature they will furnish the necessary
shade needed for the poultry, and at the
same time yield YOU fruit in return
While the trees are developing, CON |
struct temporary shade for the chickens
as it is very essential to their health and |
necessary to the growing stock Peach
trees furnish splendid shade and growvery
fast. Welding fruit when three years OLD.
Water the chickens at least twice day,
particularly during the hot weather, II
the vessels are empty or not, and keep
the water pans or fountains out OF the sun
The water gets hot soon enough these
davs without the sun blazing down uponl 1t.
a good and convenient water pan can
be had for ten cents. Get a stone Dut-
fer crock and utilize this for water Tor
your birds. The crock keeps the water
cooler than does tin pan, and Deihg
heavy. the chickens cannot easily upset
it. Should you prefer to have one that
will hang upon the wall, get a crocEery-
ware salt box and hang it high enough
OH the wall so the hens can reach II cas-
ilv to drink. and yet not scratch the III
ter into it. III
MANY needed appliances for the poul,
+,-,, ard can he purchased for nominal
sums at any frst-class store. FOR IN
stance. crooks for water, small hoes lor
scraping off the dropping boards, buckets
in which to carry the birds drinking wa
Ter. feed, and to carry off the dropplngs,
hooks for the gate, drinking fountains
for little chicks and many other artiCles
which come high when bought OF the
poultry supply houses. 49,. .on of
II is verv necessary at this season Oh
the wear that the hens as well as the 1T
tie chicks be kept well busted, IN ORDER
that they may be kept free OF lice; Many my
Of the powders sold on the market ior
tbis nnrpose are indeed dangerous, es-
neciailv to the little chicks.
Dust is natures own yerinin1 exterhiim, S MN.
ator. therefore see that the chickens nave
plenty of it. Finely sifted coal asnes
make an excellent dust bath for the
fowls and is a good extermin1ator oi
vermin. Sif the ashes through an oI
dinarv sieve, then resift the hne ashes
through a fine wire sieve This makes
a fne material for the dust bath It viii
also work wonders in chasiFooIs Il
If sprinkled on the 70 il
boards, in the nests and
the poultry houses. is
BARNARD Sa 81
Start right and 60 -
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