Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-16

surplus cockerels and for the shutting
up at short notice and for a short
time only, of any hen which is out
of condition anG which will later be
removed to the hospital.
a large box or frame can be con-
structed in the corner of each Den to
be used as a dust waIlow. The home-
made dust box can best be formed by
nalling together two pieces of 12-inch
hemlock boards in the form of a let
ter Il. These should be four or five
feet long. They can be placed in the
corner, and by using the outer walls
OF the buildings for the other two
sides, they will form a box. The
ends can then be nailed to cieats on on
the wall and the box filed with dust
ing material. The sides of the box
should be high enough to keep out
litter and other foreign material.
In the feeding of poultry two spe-
clal appliances are needed, namely,
troughs and hoppers. There are many
desirable manufactured types, usually
made OF galvanized metal In fact
there are so many varieties that the
poultryman is often at loss to know
which is best. Metal feeding appli-
anceS are sanitary, but relatively ex-
pensive. 1t is possible to construct
a large part of the euuipment at
nome with greater efficiency and at a.
minimum cost. For the feeding of
wet mash, sprouted oats, chopped
vegetables, etc, feed boxes or troughs
are necessary. Common greenhouse
mats, If the bottom is tight, are eff
cient for small fiocks. For a larger
mock long V-shaped or square troughs
can be constructed, which answer the
purpose in every particular. The
average commercial dry mash hop
h,,N
there are but few Of them that do not
waste the mash or else do not feed
down fast enough.
Dry Mash Hopper
BY considering the following fac
tors essential to a successful dry mash
hopper 1t is possible and easy to con-
struct one at home. The hopper
should be of large capacity, thus
economizing labor in filling. A hopper
holding from three to four bushels
will not require filling oftener than
once every two or three weeks The
hopper should be automatic in
operation, so that as fast as the birds
eat the material a fresh supply will
come down and take it's place. Hop
pers with small throats have a ten
dency to clog and not feed properly.
The feeding surface of the hopper
should be provided with a hinged
cover, so that it can be closed when
desired, especially at night, to keep
out rats. 1t is also important that the
hoppers should not waste the food.
Self-feeding hoppers, when in condi-
tion, are a very efficient means of
| feeding, but If the birds waste more
than they eat, it becomes a very in
efficient practice. The hopper should
be easily and quickly filed, and it
should have a large feeding surface,
so that a number of birds can eat
from it at the same time.
Drinking Vessels
Drinking vessels for the poultry
| flock are of many types, some vacuum
and some open. The vacuum foun-
tain is usually of small capacity, hard
to clean and easily injured by freez-
ing. They are also relatively eXpen-
| sive, as most of them are patented.
The best drinking vessel for the poul-
try house is large, heavyweight gal
vanized refrigerator pan, which holds
about a pail of water. Such a pan, to
elevated platform about one and one
half feet from the ground. over the
pan can be constructed q slanting roof
or guard to keep the birds from
perching on the edge and soiling the
water. Such pan is relatively cheap,
| easy to clean, easy to fill, and is not
readily injured even if the water
|
The muslin curtains which are pres
ent in most modern poultry houses
should always be made so that they
can be easily and quickly lowered, and
they should be so placed when they
are raised up against the roof of the
house that the birds cannot fly on
them and hence soil them or conceal
their eggs. An excellent practice is
! to make the curtains in two parts
folding in the middle, and have them
so hinged that they will fit up tight
against the front wall above the open
| ing. The doors communicating from
pen to pen should be provided with
strong spring hinges so that they will
swing either way, and they should be
provided with friction catch to en-
able the poultryman to go through the
house pushing the doors ahead of him
and not having to stop and see thai
they are properly closed. A few min
utes saved each day in this manner
will make many hours in the course
of year.
All windows should be made of soliC
sash, should be hinged at the side
and open around against the wall oi