Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-09-19
HOUSING PuLLETS
EARLY FOR WINTER
Article by VIM. C.. Monahan, Ex.
tension Instructor in Poultry,
of the U. of NJ, College of Ag-
riculture Extension Service.


Orono. Me-, Sept. 1s.-(Special).-
It is a profitable practice to put pull
ets into the laying house early in the
TALL. Pullets Matched in April and
eariy May. II we'll fed. should be ma
tured to lay in October and in order
that they may have ample time to get
adjusted to their new house, and
ready to lay while the price Of eggs is
still advancing. they ought to be
housed not later than mid September.
Ordinarily a pullet. when given such
an abrupt transition as movement
nom summer range or rearing
to laying house. requires
approximately q month to become
and to begin laying. For
this reason 1t Is profitable to move
them early enough so that their loaf
Will be on their own time and not at
the expense of a retarded start In egg
production. In the rush OF fall work
there Is temptation to neglect both
~AAS "a SPe@A oSiOA VA tAC uOuSCS anu Lu0
transfer Of birds into them; however,
there are few things more profitable
that the poultryman can do even if
crops must be neglected.
When first put into the laying house
1t ts not necessary, in fact not advis-
able. that they be confined completely
to the house. This makes a rather
too abrupt transition which may be
made more gradual by allowing the
liberty Of yard, especially if it IS
one well cropped with young growing
rye, oats and peas, rape, corn or other
green forage. 1t is also of decided ad-
in both feeding and subse-
Quent management, to rather carefully
grade the pullets as they go into the
several pens or houses so that all the
birds in each unit will be Of uniform
size and degree of maturity.
Once a year at least every poultry
house should be thoroughly cleaned.
This is best done just before new
stock is put into it. Not every poul-
try man knows how to really clean a
house. First all the litter and loose
dirt should be shovelled out and the
ceiling, walls and floor swept off with
a broom. Then the interior Of the
house should be washed by water un-
der pressure from hose or scrubbed
with stiff broom. Then after dry
ing for a day or two If the house ap-
pears clean it is time to make it really
clean by disinfection. Two applica-
tions of a spray of so-called liquid lice
killers or of the disinfectants de-
scribed in the June letter of this series
are competent to do a thorough Job.
An excellent practice is to make the
second application a coat Of thin
whitewash to each gallon Of which is
added pint of crude carbolic acid.
Feeding Laying PuIlets.
The following grain rations and
Of feeding poultry established
and now used by the Maine Agricul-
tural Experiment Station are advo-
Gated by the Extension Service. These
grain rations and methods of feeding
poultry have gotten results, have
actually paid as shown by cost rec
ords, wherever intelligently applied on
Maine farms.
The scratch grain feed as outlined
below is given on the basis of 100
birds. From 1t the proper amounts
for various sized fiocks may be cal
culated.
Scratch Grains: a quarts cracked
or whole corn-fed early in the morn
ing. 2 quarts wheat, 2 quarts oats fed
not later than noon.
These hard grains are scattered in
a deep dry litter Of straw or planer
shavings so that the birds Yill have
to work and exercise themselves in
getting them out.
Dry Mash:-A mixture Of dry
ground grains in hopper large
enough SO that it will not require too
frequent filing should always be
to the birds. The compost
ton Of this dry mash varies to meet
the requirements Of the pullets as they
and progress in egg produc-
ton.
First Month in Laying House (sep.
tember.)
800 Bran.
100 Cornmeal or Hominy.
100 Feed Flour.
100 Meat Scraps
Second Month in Laying House zoe.
tober.)
200 Bran.
100 Cornmeal or Hominy.
100 Feed Flour.
100 Meat Scraps.
100 Gluten.
Third Month In Laying House mo.
vember.)
200 Brann.
100 Cornmeal.
100 Feed Flour.
100 Meat Scraps.
400 Gluten.
50 Linseed Meal.
Fourth Month in Laying House de-
% esmber,)
Same as second month. From then
On the linseed is put in and left out
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