Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-23
'R@UITRy
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

of Leghorn layers. as their continual
singing" makes evident.
| trust 1 have said nothing to hurt
the feelings of those who favor other
breeds says a writer in an exchange
All. the standard fowls have their
| merits, and for a door-yard mock L
would choose one of the heavy breeds.
A Leghorn chick can be brought to
broiler size in a hurry. but the gam
in weight is not so rapid beyond ,ha'
stage.
| have known pure-bred Leghorns
not to average four dozen eggs a,year
so there is no safety in mere name.
It's the breeding that counts. anu Les
horns can be brought to very high ess
production and held to it. DO not care
iessly interbreed strains. Find a good
one and hold to it.
From the commercial point OF we"
the good egg-laying hen Is very Na.u
able business investment. The poultry
experts in charge of the Missouri ess
laying contest have made some in.ea
esting deductions concerning Ine ia
commercial worth of a hen. Flgurlns
under Missouri conditions that men
costs 81 to feed for a year ana Ia I1a,'
eggs average 90 cents dozen: the men
that laws so eggs in a year Just pays
for her feed Estimating that 1t costs
half as much again for housing ana
labor. the 90-egg hen just pays her
total keeping: -oe.
of ter eggs the 120-egg hen thirty
eggs and the 20O-egg hen 1lo eggs
profit In the latter instance the pIoHl
is s1.S5 1-3. If this were considered as
& per cent interest on an investment the
hen would be worth $22.91. OF course
this is for the 200-egg hen, but the
2O0-egg hen is the hen OF TO-DAY Win
all due apologies to those who nave re- re-
Gently placed the 300-egg men III Tie
immediate limelight.
The figures above place the men III
line with other business projects, Where
it really belongs. Considering the year
poultry industry properly conducted;
the Unsuitable demand for chickens ana
eggs. the proverbial shortage in the pig
consuming states and the staplilty OF
the industry as whole, the hen is log
ically true business proposition
Bundle foot is caused by bruise.
This may come from frozen ground. or
from flying down from a height to
hard-surfaced floor" Often roosts are
entirely too high, and the force with
which the bird strikes the ground IN
jures the foot. Whenever ora is seen
the foot If there is pus, make a cross
on the sole of the foot. disinfect with
any household disinfectant and apply
soothing ointment. Bandage Well
and put the bird IN coop OH SUI
litter.
Tom Barron of England. the famous
expert believes that an egg-laying
strain cannot be produced by inbreed-
ing In order for hen to be a good
producer she must be in good health
and full of vigor. In his own case he
has not bred from male Tor years
which was not bred from hens which
laid 200 eggs or more. and he recon-
mends that method. He does not try
to overdo the thing and has not bred
for the 300-egg hen He breeds Tor
high averages. instead or exceptional
" high individuals.
The production of squads from each
pair of breeders varies from one to
two to as high ten or eleven pairs
year, but an average of from six to
seven pairs is a fair estimate. although
some squad breeders do better than
this. Squads usually sell at the high
cons do not breed as freely during the
winter as during the spring.
Eggs with a richly colored golden
yolk. from market standpoint. are
more desirable than the pale-yolked
variety. Due to lack Of green range
feed in the winter. such eggs are not
normally laid during cold weather. To
pie matter if you know how. The poul-
try department of the Iowa State Col
lege tells the secret.
Yellow corn with clipped alfalfa or
put the color in the yolk. Stemmy al
falfa will not do. as it is too coarse
and contains too much fiber. The al
falfa must be 1eafy. Alfalfa or clover
sweepings from the hay NOW make an
excellent winter poultry feed. To keep
the hens from scratching it about. a
rack or box may be provided, covered
with coarse mesh poultry wire through
which the birds may pick the leaves.
The fact that green feeds produce
fto airah m
advantage of only secondary impor
lance. The fact that they furnish food
elements not to be had otherwise, and
are very much needed at this season
lance. The green feed is a necessary
item to stimulate the general health of
the fowls. we'll as their laying abil-
ity, during the winter.
In marketing eggs aim to have them
clean and uniform in color and size.
Simple remedies for mild ailments are
well enough. but when fowl gets very
sick it is best to kill and cremate it at
once.
A solution of concentrated I've does
the work of destroying disease germs
in an old brooder, and 1t is also in
valuable for cleaning poultry drinking
fountains.
If YOU don't want your hens to get
the habit of eating eggs give them plenty
of work, fresh vegetables and a variety
of grains.
No incubator will do its best where
there is too much variation in the tenn
perature.
Do not be afraid to give your birds
plenty of air during the cold months.
, Open the doors and windows wide on
sunny days, but be sure to shut them
up again before the sun goes down.
| Does your henhouse leak when 1t
rains or the snow melts? Many win
| ter poultry troubles are caused by
| leaky roofs.
| 1t pays to fight lice winter and sum-
mer. If you don't see them just i'm
agine they're around and keep after
! them.
| Place the dust bath where the sun
can shine on 1t; then the hens will use
, it more freely.
| Better have fewer fowls and take
| care of them properly than many and
| neglect them.
| Don't omit vegetables and green
stun from the diet Of the poultry.
! There is more in the breed than
! there is in the feed.
| Save the poultry-h house manure for
| the garden patch.
| Keep the hens busy il eggs are the
| object