Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-13

to be used in feeding moist mash, may
be hinged to the wall with an ordinary
strap hinge: then. when the fowls have
finished their meal, the trough may he
raised and fastened against the wall
out of the way by means of II hook and
screw-cye.
This arrangement of the laying house
makes the poultrymans work much
easier. The roostS, raised and hooked
out of the way, make il easier to AT =
tend to the necessary cleaning of the
dropping boards. The nests with doors
that may he fastened keep the hens
from roasting therein. aud thus pre-
vent fouling of the nests and the con-
sequent frequent changing of the straw
Feed troughs that may be raised and
fastened out of the way are easily kept
clean. and do not interfere with the
hens when they are busy at work in
the litter. scratching for grain--and
for exercise as well. And it doesn't
cost any more TO build properly ar
ranged laying house such as this than
il does to put up house that has none
of these labor savers, while the ease
and satisfaction of working around
such a house would make it worth
while even if the initial cost was con-
siderably greater than for a poorly ar
ranged building.
Keep the hens busy during the cold
weather-it will pay. A few handfuls
of grain scattered in the litter at night
will have them down Oft the roosts
early in the morning, scratching away
for dear life and working up circula-
tion that will keep them happy and
cheerful all day
Don't let the chickens out in wet
weather. LAS mad as a wet hem is
an old saying, and a true one. hen
whose feathers are soaked from the
rSn1A iCnSt 10 4, tn \,
way Of laying. Furthermore. such a
hen is in fine shape to contract cold.
and such colds easily run into roup.
which may take Off the whole flock. \
few inches of clean, dry litter-either
straw or leaves-in a dry. light, well
ventilated house, is much better for
the hens than to permit them to wan
der around in the rain and the mud.
Are YOU giving the layers as much
green stuff as they want" If not, bet
ter see to it.. Hens consume large
they can get it. and when shut up they
miss this food. Turnips. beets. man
gels. ruta bagas. carrots and the like.
run through an ordinary food chopper.
are relished by the fowls. Cabbage is,
too. Sprouted oats is perhaps the best
green feed. as in it the hens get both
the green sprouts and the grain. Some
kind of green ration is necessary.
however. if the hens are expected TO
lay properly during the winter months
Clean the dropping boards at least
twice a week during cold weather. This
helps greatly in keeping the fowls in
healthy condition. If you take the
precaution to provide a few barrels or
boxes of fine. dry earth during the rall,
sprinkle it profusely on the boards be-
meath the roosts. You may either scat
ter the droppings on the garden or
the field as they are taken from the
houses, or store them in barrels. boxes
or bins, under shelter, until spring.
Properly handled, the droppings are
one of the most valuable fertilizers
produced on the farm.
How about the hens drinking water:
If YOU haven't been warming it, do so.
and see how the biddies appreciate IT,
And don't forget the permanganate OF
potash-as much as will lie on sli-
yer dime, to each gallon Of water. Use
of the chemical will prevent many an
endemic of contagious colds. roup and
similar ailments that, unchecked,
would work havoc in the flock.
Isn't there something in your ex-
perience with poultry that would make
interesting reading? Why not write 1t
and send it to the poultry editor OF The
Sunday Star? You may capture that
three dollar prize.