Evening star., 1915-02-21
Poultry Yard Notes.

idea that might be adopted to excel
lent advantage everywhere else IN 'he
United States. On that day, IN iowa.
farmers, poultrymen and all who raise
chickens are urged to send all surplus
roosters to market. reservlng only
those male birds required for breeding
purposes. The plan has number OF
advantages. 1t disposes of the extra
males. turning them into cash, which
may be used in buying feed for the
remainder of the flock; it eliminates
undesirable males from the fiocks and
prevents fertilization of any eggs put
those in the breeding yards-thus
making the market eggs more yalu-
able; 1t obviates the Matching or a
miscellaneous lot of chicks sired by
males not at all likely to produce nigh
type onspring, and it cuts down the
number of fowls~to be fed In these
days of altitudinous prices for feed of
all kinds the latter is a big consider
alton, while all the other points make
the plan worthy of adoption in every
section of the country where poultry
Is raised.
Chicks Matched in November and De-
cember should weigh at this time from
a pound to a pound and a half Such
chicks are known in this locality as
squad broilers, though in New YORK a
squad broiler is one that weighs only
about three-quarters of a pound. Ine
pound to pound and half broilers,
however, are much superior in table
quality, and the broilers of this size
are now bringing 35 to 40 cents a
pound for the fancy trade There is
money in broilers at this price. and the
Matching number of chicks through
November and December are now get
ting the money.
HI
breeders. Strongly fertile eggs that
will hatch chicks full of vitality can
not be had unless the breeding fowls
have plenty of green feed.
Poultrymen are turning to grains
other than wheat for use as poultry
feed. Wheat at $1.50 or more bushel
is entirely too high priced to put into
eggs that bring 40 cents a dozen. Per-
haps, If people generally understood
prices for grain and feed of all kinds.
to keep flock of hens in good laying
condition, they would not object so
strenuously when asked to pay 40 or
As cents a dozen for twenty hour
old eggs.
The poultryman who this spring sets
aside good sized plot of ground to be
sown to clover will find it a paying
proposition during the coming year.
fowls plenty of the best green stuff
possible. while the remainder of the
crop. cut and cured. to be used as part
OF the litter. or to be scalded and fed
during the winter as a substitute for
green stuff, will save many 4 dollar
OF course. the clover is not as valuable
a component of the ration as alfalfa,
but even then it is decidedly worth
growing.
To- Nf ho
poultry yard, along the fences and in
other places where there is room, will
help out a lot next winter. Protected
from the fowls until they have attained
sufficient height to be immune from
their attacks, the sunfiower plants will
furnish a lot of shade. while every stalk
will produce head of sunflower seeds
to help out the grain ration. Dry the
heads whole and once in while throw
one into the poultry house for the hens to
The seeds are rich in fatty materials
and should not be fed to excess; but
how the hens do go after them.
ting warfare on the insect pests that
will be emerging from the winters
to plague the fowls. Paint
the roosts and supports with coal oil.
to which has been added about per
cent of crude carbolic acid. Spray or
and roof of the houses with carbolized
Sift reliable insect pow
der into the nest material and paint
the inside of the nest boxes with a
reliable insecticide. Ordinary flowers
of sulphur busted into the nest ma
terial is also good to kill the mites,
etc. An hour or SO of work of this
kind now will save many hours later
On. and will also save the hens from
a lot Of annoyance and suffering.
Dealers in poultry appliances, such
as incubators. etc, say the volume of
sales this spring, as well as of orders
booked for delivery within a month
or SO. indicate tremendous boom in
the poultry business. In view of the
fact that from all over the United
States come reports of breeding stock
cut down to the irreducible minimum,
one wonders where the eggs are COM
ing from to fill all these incubators
Watch the breeding stock carefully
and see that all are in the best possible
condition. II a hen shows the slight
est sign of moping or disease, remove
her at once from among the others, and
do the same in the case of the males
Ailing fowls cannot fail to produce
weak. worthless chicks, if, indeed, they
produce any at all, and one weak,
droopy, feeble, ailing chick may be the
cause of frightful mortality among
whole brooder full of baby chicks
Isolate ailing breeders for few DAYS
In order to see what the trouble is. If