Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-16
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

The little egg machines-the leg
horns-are always in demand, not only
with those who measure the worth oil
a flock of fowls by the number of eggs
produced, but also with the fanciers
They are bred in several colors, but
the white is the most popular. This Is
due, perhaps, because it is easier to
breed white fowls than colored ones
To the fancier, however. the single
comb buff leghorn makes a strong ap-
peal. 1t is possessed of all the heavy
laying proclivities of it's white cousin
The eggs are fertile, hatch we'll End
the chicks are comparatively easy 10
rear. Like the whites. the bluffs make
good squad broilers at eight weeks OF
age. Breeding to good shape and the
correct shade of buff at the same time
is the most difficult feature of the
breed. 1t has been said that the popu-
larity of the buff variety is the most
lasting except the white, which recon-
mends itself to the purely commercial
farmers.
Bun leghornS were originated in
England. Mrs. Lister Kay was most
active in their production and. gener-
of cross between white leghorns and
buff cochins. Mrs. Kay claims that
certain yellow fowls from Denmark
also entered into their origin. Early
In the 9es buff leghorns were intro
duced into the United States, and for
several years they enjoyed an extern
sive BOOM" Without doubt the bluffs
have all the merits attributed to the
white leghorns and lay as large an egg
and as many of them. In addition to
Its utility it has the added interest of
handsome coloring. This coloring, too,
makes IT better adapted to the back
yard flock, since buff do not show dirt
SO easily as do white fowls
Wyandottes. Plymouth Rocks and
Rhode Island Reds are favored by
oroiler raisers in about that order of
popularity. The following ration. with
or without skim milk, is popular for
nnlshing broilerS: Fine corn meal three
pounds; wheat bran, three pounds; mid
onhes. three pounds; meat scraps, three
pounds; bone meal, one pound; but the
tduon should be varied somewhat to
keep up their appetites.
-FOUR weeks or more are required for
natchlng guineas. and, unlike other
chicks, the guineas break the shell
nearly every one at the same time.
They are all hungry. too, and before the
down Is dry begin pecking at one an
1 1 eyes and feet or trying to swal-
DitS VI cSSSnelL 1ney are
sprightly little things and about the
prettlest of all young fowls but until
wen ieathered are very tender and deli
cate For this reason it is best not to
allow the hens to sit until June or July.
SO that the chicks may be reared in
warm, dry weather.
On the general run of farms it would
not be advisable nor would it be as
profitable to keep the poultry in pens
as TO let them have free range. There
Is such large quantity of good feed
lying around every farm that it would
pay to keep chickens just to pick up
this waste feed. So flock on free
range is almost imperative on most
farms. But the custom of using the
eggs for Matching from the promiscu-
Gus mock is not a good one. At least
one pen of chickens should be kept
apart for breeding purposes. dozen
or fifteen of the best hens should be
selected. with the best male obtainable,
and kept in yard apart from the
general fock.
There is no economy in feeding
fowls one kind of grain. for that COM
pels them to eat more than they ought
in order to get sufficient quantity of
food elements. A large part of the
egg is water. which shows the necessi-
ty of providing layers with an ample