Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-28
FREE RANGE FOR HENS.
Under Such Conditions They Do Bet
 ter Than When Shut Up.

In order that one may obtain a max imum egg yield, keep his hens healthy and produce strong, healthy germs in eggs itS is quite necessary that hens be given as much liberty or access to free range as possible. Hens that have free range do better than those confined. Not only do they lay more eggs at a lower cost per dozen, but the fertility and hatchability of the egs is greater. Durin the winter months, hens that are confined lay practically as many egs as the hens that have their liberty.
 In an experiment conducted at one of our experiment stations it was found that as a rule hens that had free range laid many more eggs in a year than hensethat were confined to the coop. lrls the same experiment it free range laid 8S6 eggs more during the year than the 40 hens that were confined to their coop During the spring and summer months the hens that had free range laid 535 more eggs than the corresponding hens which were confined.
 A few poultrymen have advocated the use of certain mixtures claiming that the green food is unnecessary. This statement had not been readily accepted by the majority of poultry raiseES. .- Y&
 IAC hdluS LII SIS0I IOOQ IS que LO the mineral elements and the nitrogenous compounds that it contains. Clover and alfalfa are exceptionally valuable as a green food Of the many diff ferent kinds of clover the white seems to be the best. However, the hens will eat any kind readily whether it is red, crimson, or alsike.
 The chicks that are matched from the eggs of hens that have always had free range are healthy and strong. Confinement tends to retard production, the hens easily become fat and chicks matched from the eggs of hens that have been confined do not hatch well, and as a rule, those that do hatch are often physically weak and high death rate is to be expect ed.
 Green food combined with plenty of exercise is considered -an important factor to successful poultry raising. The small village poultry keeper or others who of necessity have to keep their hens confined in small yards will find that they can get an increased eg production by giving their hens such green food as lawn cuttings, waste lettuce, cabbage, etc. It may be well to plant a few beets to give the hens during the winter months.
 Small yards on poultry plants that have plenty of room for larger ones have, in the end, cost the poultryman more money than larger ones. These small yards soon become bare and un- sanitary and have to be cultivated and sown to oats or other grains, thus making it necessary for the hens to be shut in the coops until the cereals have grown large enough for them to be eaten. A yard having 100 to 125 square feet per bird will be found large enough to have permanent green food for the hens during the spring, sumner and fall months.
 In deciding the value of free range one should constantly keep in mind these points. Green food can be suh- piled in winter by feeding nangels, wurzel, sprouted oats, etc. Summer green food can be supplied by having plenty of yard room on good pasture land. Dried beet pulp when coalsed over night IS relished by hens. Short