Evening star., 1915-03-28

Now that spring-that is official
spring-has arrived, provide the fowls
with growing green stuff by spading
up space in the poultry yard and
raking in oats. Cover the seeded space
with brush until the oats are we'll
up and then turn the fowls on it.
Rye or clover may be sown instead
Of oats to furnish growing green feed
If these are used keep the brush Gov
erlng on the seeded space until the
crop has made a little more growth
before turning it over to the chickens.
While the ground is being turned
over let the hens out and watch them
work on the upturned earth, digging
and scratching for the early worms
and bugs. as we'll as for bits of grit,
cinders, tiny pebbles. plant rootlets
and the like. After the winters con-
finement the biddies seem to go almost
crazy when turned out for the first
time on freshly turned soil.
Green feed of some kind is as neces-
sary for the baby chicks as it is for
the fowls. 1t keeps their digestive sys-
tens in good tone, and, by aiding in
digestion. assists proper assimilation
of food and makes for rapid and vigor-
Gus growth
For the chicks in the brooders try
this: Take a block of wood half an
inch or so thick and five or six inches
through the piece. SO that the pointed
ends protrude an inch or SO. while the
heads are driven in flush. Cut firm,
juicy turnip. rutabaga or an apple into
quarters and stick one Of the quarters
on each nail. and then set the block in
the feed compartment of the brooder
The chicks will have great fun picking
off tiny morsels of the green food. thus
getting exercise and welcome and
valuable addition to the ration at the
same time.
The object of placing the pieces of
turnip, etc, on nails driven into n
fat wooden block is to keep the pieces
from becoming soiled by being dragged
about over the floor of the brooder. 1t
also gives the chicks q better chance
to pick off bits of the green stuff. 1t
is surprising how quickly fifty healthy
baby chicks will get away with whole
big turnip when 1t is fed to them IN
this way. Never chop or mince the
turnips. carrots or whatever it is you
feed. as the chicks get almost as much
benefit from the work of picking the
stuff off for themselves as they do from
the amount they consume, besides
which they are not at all likely to
choke. as they might if the stuff were
fed In chunks.
AS Cll6 season advances, 10 not neg
lect the frequent and liberal use of dis
infectants and insecticides in and about
the poultry houses. Keep the nests
well busted with a reliable insect pow
der and give the hens themselves q
dusting with the powder from time to
time. Whitewash the interior of the
houses, using a wash into which has
been mixed crude carbolic acid in
about the proportion Of half n teacup-
full to gallon of Whitewash. Paint
he Nd
mixture of kerosene and carbolic acid.
in about the same proportion--half a
teacupful of the crude acid to a gallon
OF the coal oil. Renew the nesting ma
terial as often it seems to require
renewal and give the insides of the nest
boxes treatment with the carbolized
Wh1teWash. COntented hens are the
only ones that lay and pay their way.
and hens are never contented if they
are tormented with mites and lice.
Incubators should be thoroughly over
hauled and cleaned after each hatch
before fresh eggs are placed in them.
The diaphragms should be removed
from the machines. and the under one,
| usually of felt, should be given a thor
ough brushing to remove the dust and
down. The burlap diaphragm should
| be taken off and washed and scalded,
then hung out to sun. and finally
! ironed with a hot iron before it is again
tackled on the frame. Every corner of
the machine should be thoroughly
brushed and busted. and the interior of
the machine should be disinfected.
This may be done by heating brick,
or one of the soapstone radiators of a
| freless cooker. until il is too hot to
handle, placing 1t in the machine, set
| ing tin pan-the cover of a large
baking powder can will do nicelY-flled
with formalin on the hot brick, and
| closing the machine up tightly The
| fumes of the formalin. or formaldehyd,
Va na n fa.o nyrir
| chine and rid it entirely of any lurk-
! ing germ life. Use a new burner for
| the lamp for each hatch. and use only
new wicks. Also buy the special grade
of coal oil made for use in incubators.
| never using the ordinary, cheap grade,
] which will smoke and make bad odor,
Watch the chicks in the brooders to
| see that they are not overcroWded. Keep
| them warm. which means that the tenn
| perature ought to be above 80 degrees
and slightly less than 100 degrees under
| the cover OvercroWding means disas-
| ter. and SO does chilling