The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-28
By PROF. F. H. sToNEBuRN


 It is not possible on a poultry plant, as in bank or manufacturing establish ment, to lay out complete schedule of work, and then to follow this absolutely. Too many variable factors enter into the case. and one must simply change his plans to meet each condition as it arises. But there are certain lines of work which are reasonable, duties which can be performed to the best advantage dur ing certain months. Some of these are discussed below
 On most poultry plants the bulk of the present seasons crop of young stock has been weaned from hens and breeders and placed on the range where the grow ing youngsters can largely care for them selves. This relieves the poultryman of the constant detail work of caring for incubators and breeders and gives him leasure to look ahead. to plan for the work of the fall and winter, which will be upor us before we realize
 Prepare for Winter
 In trifie more than two months the early-hatched bullets will be transferred to their winter quarters, and any repairs or alterations should be made before the new tenants take up their strange homes The less the prospective layers are dis turbed at that time, the better the chance of securing the greatly desired fall and winter eggs. Every change, every disturbance. has Q retard- ing effect upon egg production. and tho longer the time of laying is delayed the less the seasons returns will be- The early eggs are valuable and 1t is seldom that Hack makes up for time lost during the fall months
 During the dry weather of the summer one may profitably devote his leisure to putting everything about the plant in perfect order, so that this work will not have to be hurriedly attended to in the fall, or neglected entirely.
 If it Is planned to install trap nests and begin the keeping Of systematic rec ords the basis of intelligent breeding work, these appliances should De built or purchased and placed in position so the incoming flock may use them from the very start. The necessary record sheets and leg bands should be provided, in or der that there may be no delay when the pellets actually begin laying. Too often failure to attend to this early enough Is the cause of incomplete records being kept and much of the value of the work lost
 Those who expect to crate-fatten their surplus stock this 1all to the improve ment of quality and price, should build crates and feeding troughs and get in touch with a supply of the necessary special feeds, in order that the work may begin promptly at the proper time. As siule last minute preparations make nec- essary the use of makeshift methods.
 incubators and breeders should be thoroughly overhauled and inspected and list made of any parts which must be repaired or renewed. The machines and everything about them should be cleaned and disinfected. This is merely insur- ance for the future, the premium being a little care. The water systems of man. moth incubators and pipe-system brood CTS should be emptied, as, if forgotten, they may freeze and burst when cold weather comes on.
 The houses which are to receive the laying stock demand special attention Make them snug and tight. Nail loose boards tightly in place. Close up all cracks and holes which may cause troublesome drafts thus bringing on colds and roup.
 Leaky roofs are also the source of many poultry ills Replace missing shingles where such roofing material is used. Repair torn roofing fabric by ce- menting on liberal sized patches. Give the whole surface where necessary a thorough coat of special paint containing asphalt or other similar substance, or cover it with coal tar. The latter should be applied hot. and on warm day there Will be no difficulty in spreading it.
 Sanded Roofs Wear We'll
 Many poultrymen make it practice to scatter fine gravel or coarse sand on paint or tar while it is still wet. thus adding to the life of the roof. Poultry house floors should be dry and clean Where earth floors are used the drift should he taken out to the depth necessary to re- move all accumulated droppings and broken litter and replaced with clean 1oam sand. Fill in to depth of several inches, well above the surface of the ground outside. This precaution will in- variably be taken by those who value the health of their flock. Board floors should be cleaned and scraped, doing a thorough job over every square inch of surface. They should next be wet down with some good dsinfectant and be per mitted to dry before new litter Is thrown in.
 The same applies to cement floors. One great advantage possessed by both board and cement floors is the fact that this work of cleaning and disinfecting may be performed easily and thoroughly. The writer prefers, where possible, to have plenty of earth beneath the feet of his fowls. and when using either boards or cement, cover them at intervals with several inches of fresh loam or sand Gravel is not suitable for this purpose.
 Clean Houses Thoroughly
 While the cleaning is in process brush the dirt from the top of all projections and the dust and cobwebs from the walls This does away with comfortable quarters for certain parasites and disease germs (1se fha dfstufacfant op tho epfira