Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-11-05

produce big proht during the winter
months must be started laying by the
middle of November. Any pullets which
begin to lay at about this date may
reasonably be expected to be productive
and profitable until melting time arrives
late next summer.
| Put your birds into the producing class
just as soon as you can. The following
hints will help you:
| Occasionally one meets poultryman
who frankly admits that he does not
expect his birds to lay during the cold
season and is satisfied if they do good
work from the middle of February until
they go into molt the succeeding fall. Bot
most of us like to have plenty of eggs
to sell when prices are at the highest
level. and there can be no question that
the winter laying flocks are much more
profitable than those which never visit
| their nests until the warm weather ap-
| proaches.
This applies to foeks maintained for
the purpose OF producing market eggs.
1t is quite as well to keep the breeders
from laying until the breeding season
comes on, as their eggs will usually be
| higher in fertility and ''hatchab bility" than
eggs from hens that have been expert
encng the strain OF continuous egg pro-
duction for several months.
| Early Matched pullets must be relied
upon for any considerable volume of win
ter eggs. We sometimes have yearling
hens which are consistent producers,
but the greater proportion of the ola
stock is too busy building winter coats to
do much in the way of laying.
The March and April matches should
have beer placed in winter quarters
soms weeks ago and laying well at this
time. The May hatched birds should
get down 10 business very shortly. Ii
these early pulsls are not producing, OF
at least Fiving every inorcation that they
will begin 10 the Immediate future, one is
justified IN eoGcluslne that Lhere is some
thing wrong. either ia their breeding o.
the methods Of management employed.
Properly designed ard constructed
poultry buildings are absolutely necessary
to preserve health and supply that degree
Of comfort which are such esseatiai
factors. Cur ideas regarding poultry
house architecture have b,en much
al,ared during recent years. The old
air tight, glass front buildings in vogue
but snort time ago. hava largely dis
appeared ana tresh-air or opan-front
structures have replaced them.
There are several dIstinct types Of the
latter, but they are alike in one respect.
All have unobstructed openings in the
frcnt, in size ranging from one. quarter
to two thirds of the total area Of the
south wall o: the building These great
openings admit the air and sunsnire thus
keeping the interior light, dry and COM
Portable. They are also so constructed
that no dampness can come in thru walls
roof or floor. and end and rear walls are
made absolutely tight to prevent cross
draughts. The exect shape and size @!
the structure and the meterials lssd in
its construction are all secondary mat
ters. The essential things are dryness
perfect ventilation without draughts, an
abundance of light and sunshine.
Regarding the relative efficiency OF
moist and dry mash for producing winter
eggs. |. feel quite certain that. when
properly made and fed, the moist mash
will produce a slightly larger number CT
eggs than will the same mixture fed dry.
But these extra eggs are usually secured
at the cost OF SO much additional labor
that the profit on them disappears, is
eaten up by The labor charge.
There are conditions under which
moist mash feeding is best, as when one
has available an abundance OF table
scraps, skim milk or buttermik, which
can best be fed the birds when incor
porated in the ground grain mixture
When feeding moist mash | prefer 10
supply one meal daily, feed it late in the
afternoon and give as much as the birds
will eat.
In order to prepare and feed MOST
mash properly, one must have consider
able experience and exercise good judg
ment. There are many ways in which
mistakes may be made. The dry mash
system of feeding is easier. simple and
more couveoient and is much safer for
the beginner.
In the supplying of the scratch grain
the mixture of whole and cracked grain
one may choose between daily feeding
by hand and the use of automatic feeders.
The latter plan is growing in popularity
day by day, as evidence accumulstes
that it is time and labor saved and gives
most satisfactory results as measured by
health and egg production.