The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-02-12

cities can get more for their eggs
by selling them to private customers.
A hundred post cards or a little ad-
vertising in the local newspapers,
stating that you will supply eggs the
year round at a stated price, will
bring plenty of customers.
Roup, one of the most troublesome
diseases among chickens, is almos:
always caused by damp quarters.
Keep the quarters dry and warm, and
the yards clean and roup will not
trouble you.
Some people thing it is cute to
let the puppy run through the flock
and set the hens to flying. Maybe
it is, but the egg production will al
ways fall off after such a perform
ance.
Worms and bugs in the field and
garden have now gone into their win
ter quarters, where the hens can't
reach them, and to take their places
meat, meal and cut bone must be
supplied, if you would keep the hens
strong and healthy.
Are the winter quarters for your
laying hens to be the old dirty, lousy,
smelly house that has been used with
out cleaning or disinfecting? You
need not expect many eggs from such
a place, no matter how good your
hens are.
Keep ground charcoal on hand and
throw a handful into the drinking
pans once or twice a week.
A few drops of tincture of iron put
into the drinking water is also Il
good thing for the hens, and some
people believe that it prevents many
minor diseases. Even if it does not
it will do no harm.
Chickens have no sense of affection
for their owners, but they will repay
kindness of warm, dry quarters and
good food and clean water by laying
more eggs. The hen is all business.
A hopper full Of bran, placed whore
the hens can get it at all times, is
an excellent addition to the food in
winter.
While it is desirable, it is not a.
ways necessary to start in the chicken
business with a flock of pure breds
Buy the best hens you can afford, anG
then spend as much more as you can
afford for pure bred cock.
If you have some birds in your focf,
that you think will line up well with
the winners at the poultry show, and
you are in the business Of selling eggs
for setting, do not hesitate to exhibit
them, but it will be well 10 have some
expert poultryman Judge them first.
He may save you some disappOint-
ments, and then he may find birds
that are more likely to be prize win
ners than the ones you have selected
yourself.
There is many Il farm where the
poultry IS considered an unimportant
offshOot Of the business, but which if
cultivated as it should be would pro
If the fowls have to break through
duce more money than all the crops
raised.
q coating of ice TO get water these
frosty mornings they will not take as
much as they need. The water should
be slightly warmed on all cold days.
Do not allow the laying hens to be
come too fat as they not only become
lazy but are apt to become egg-bOund.
Laying hens need a bulky ration
such as suit steamed clover or alfalfa
meal. They should also have plenty
of vegetables.
We would rather allow our hens to
roost in the tree tops as long as they
can keep dry, than in damp stuffy
poultry house, even in the coolest
weather, as they will suffer less.
1t is not i good plan to wait until
spring to buy your breeding stock.
If YOU want a weIl-bred rooster for
instance, look around among the
breeders and pick out one that is fit
to show at the poultry exhibition. If
you wait until he goes to the show
and wins prize, you will pay twice
or three times as much.
Field corn parched crisp, in fact
nearly to charcoal, is always
relished by the hens and is valuable
addition to their winter food.
OF course it is unpleasant to leave
a warm fire and go out and shove!
the snow from the path to the poultry
house, to make things comfortable for
the hens these stormy days.
Some people imagine that if they