Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-04
POULTRY IN BACK YARD
!. NEEDS CARE IN SUMMER
Sanitation, Exercise and Correct
Feeding Essential to Success
With Fowls Confined.
Disinfectants Should Be Used and
Plenty of Green Food Should
Be Given to the Flock.
BY PROF. A. c. SMITH,
Copyright. 1851

Copyright. 1851
Although on the farm the attention
given to poultry is even less in the
summer than during the winter, the
back yard flock requires greater care
in summer than at any other season
Of the year.
The care of the fowls compared with
that of the young chicks is a simple
matter, but even adult birds show
the effect Of confined quarters, lack OF
range supplies in abundance. In fact,
it is necessary to secure enforced ex-
ercise, to maintain strict sanitation and
to provide a supply of suitable suostf-
tutes for the natural food found on a
wide range.
The back-lot poultryman has these
three problems: First, sanitation; Sec
ond, enforcing exercise sufficient TO
maintain vigorous health; third, sup
plying a natural variety of foods.
Sanitation Is Necessary.
When fowls are kept in confined yard
space, both the houses and the outdoor
runs must be kept in sanitary con-
dition. How often to clean Is a de-
batable question, and the answer
largely depends upon the climate and
partly upon the environment. The ideal
housekeeper cleans every day; SO does
the ideal poultryman.
Daily removal of all refuse is ad-
visable, since it greatly reduces the
danger of disease and of the multiple
cation of lice and mites. Clean floors.
clean nests and even clean walls are
conducive to health. The litter on the
floor and in the nests should be re-
moved and burned every two or three
of the flock, etc. At this time the
house should be sprayed with a good
mite-killing disinfectant. Many good
disinfectants may be purchased.
Spraying is by far the quickest method
of application. but less material is re-
CURED if it is applied with brush.
Kerosene emulsion Is an excellent mite
killer, and with the addition of car
bolic acid becomes a disinfectant.
Exercise Essential to Health.
The method of feeding should be
such that the fowls are compelled to
take a normal amount of exercise.
Exercise is essential to the health Of
the hen, but if the hen has plenty to
eat she has little inducement to exer-
else. To feed sparingly at morning
and noon and give full meal at night
is a good rule. Exercise Of the most
vigorous kind may be induced by
burying the grains in the earth. This
Is generally done after the fowls are
on the roosts. If given grains in no
other way, the fowls will be eager to
dig them up.
Every poultry keeper has his method
80 ~
ence as to grains. Corn, wheat, oats
are most commonly fed. but to these
barley may be added. Whole corn is
almost too heavy and too hearty for
the fowl on range and certainly should
not be fed to those closely confined.
hibitive and barley may be used in
stead.
Dry mash can be fed economically
only in hoppers. Table scraps should.
and in many cases will. comprise a
considerable portion of the diet. If
these are very rich-that is. contain
much starchy matter, the dry mash
should be light or bulky. Table scraps
usually consist of pastry. vegetables
and meats. and the amount Of each
should be roughly considered, at least
in making up the dry mash.
1t usually pays to chop the table
waste to a semi-fine state; add to this
a little bran, cornmeal, ground oats
or little Of the already mixed dry
mash. II they are fed literally with
such a mash the fowls will not exer-
else. Therefore, when table waste
forms large part of the daily ration
1t should be fed at night rather than
in the morning.
Green and Animal Foods.
Where any intensive system of poul-
try culture is practiced two ingredients
are lacking in the ration of the laying
hen. These are green and animal foods
The table waste may supply substitutes
for the green food and insects that
fowls gather on range. but probably
they will not in a full measure. Be-
sides the green foods already mention
ed. ground alfalfa or clover may be
added to the mash or fresh vegetables
may be used. However, the greatest
deficiency is most likely to occur in
the supply of animal food. substitute
for this deficiency is found in beef
scraps when well rendered and whole
some; cut green bone, fed sparingly
when sweet; milk, good in any form,
II cheap; and other preparations east
ly obtained.
Care Of Young Chicks.
On a back lot or in confined area,
the care of young chicks is a problem
that is not nearly as easily solved as
the care of grown birds. Pasture, not
runs. is what a chicken needs to be
grown economically as well as health
lily. Therefore, duplicate natural con-
dltions as nearly as possible, by COM
pelling exercise as with grown fowls
and furnish substitutes for the green
foods and insects.
Put the chick houses away from 9TH
the ground sufficiently high to let the
light underneath. Cement walls which
extend two feed or more below the
ground level and foot or more above
the surface do much to keep out rats
Fine wire nailed to the sill and eX-
tended two or more feet below the
ground level will also keep the rats
out. Covered windows are about the
only protection against bad cats.
Sulphur Will Kill Pests.
Methods of preventing and destroying
mites have been already given. Body
lice may be destroyed by using any of
the many good kinds of lice powder on
the market or by applying a little
finely powdered sulphur through the
fluffy feathers at the rear of the body.
A little lice powder or sulphur in the
nests is a preventive. A dust bath
of coal ashes will assist in eliminating
body lice.