The Republican journal., 1916-02-10
Wintering Poultry.

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Special Care Should be Given Fowls
During Cold Weather to Obtain Best
Results.
To obtain good results from flock OF
poultry during the winter all houses ana
coops should be put in good conol
only healthy fowls placed in the build
ings, and good care given to the poultry.
The houses should be thoroughly cleaned,
disinfected, and made tight for winter.
If the house has dirt floor, it is we'll to
remove three or four inches from the
top and substitute fresh gravel or sand.
If the floor is cement or wood, remove
all litter and dirt and put in Jour or five
inches of fresh straw or litter. Be sure
that the house is tight on three sides and
that there is no chance for a draft to
strike the hens. If hens roost or are
placed in a draft during the fall and
winter, colds are sure to develop, which
may result in roup and other troubles.
The south side, or front. of the poultry
house may be left comparatively open,
but should be under control. SO that the
weather becomes cold. Have muslin
leave a window partly open even on the
in the house. Fowls will stand consid-
cradle cold air provided it is dry, and
ventilation will keep the air thoroughly
dry in the house.
The pullets should be brought in off
the range and put in winter quarters,
but before they are mixed with the older
fowls be sure that the hens are banded
or that the web of the foot is punched in
some way so as to distinguish between
the pullets and the hens. In this way
the older stock may be culled out when
ever it appears desirable, and the young
hens kept for further laying. Gull the
chickens which are brought into the lay
ing house carefully, and fatten and
market all chickens which are small,
poorly developed, or in poor condition.
These small, poorly developed chickens
are apt to catch cold if put in with tn
other poultry, and develop diseases
which quickly spread through the flock.
Market. all surplus cockerels or older
male birds which are not desired for
breeding or not wanted for later
market.
Feed the grain in deep litter on the
floor and make the hens exercise for all
of their grain. The mash may be fed
either wet or dry, and should be SO re-
ulated that the fowls will get about
equal parts of mash and of the scratch
grains. 1t is necessary to give the fowls
plenty to eat to get good results, but the
birds should always be eager for each
feed. In cold weather feed about one
thirI of the scratch grains in the morn
ing and two-thirds at night. In this
way the hens are forced to exercise
more than if they receive all the grain
they desire at the morning feed. Scratch
grains, mash or ground grains, animal
protein, green feed, grit and shell should
be supplied in the winter. A good
scratch mixture may be made of equal
parts, by weight, of cracked corn, wheat
and oats; and mash may be made of
two parts corn meal and one part each
of wheat bran, wheat middlings and
beef scrap. Green feed, such as cab
bages, mangel wurzel beets, cut alfalfa,
or sprouted oats, should be supplied to
replace the green feed which the fowls
have been securing in the fields; and
beef scrap, skim milk, cut green bone.
or some similar feed is needed to re-
place the bugs which the fowls have
been getting on the range. Beef scrap
or feed of this nature is very essential in
securing a good supply of eggs during
the winter months.
Clean the dropping boards at least
once week, and spray the roosts with
kerosene or some commercial prepara-
ton for killing mites once a month dur
ing the winter. Have a good supply of
sand or dry dirt on hand to use on the
dropping boards during the winter.
If any of the birds develop colds, put
as much potassium permanganate as will
remain on the surface of dime into a
gallon of water and keep this mixture in
their drinking water for several days, or
until the symptoms of the colds have
disappeared. Remove any sick birds
from the flock as soon as they are noted
and treat them in coopslby themselves, or
kill and bury them if they are not worth
treating.
Examine the pullets and hens for lice,
and dust thoroughly with a good insect
powder or apply mixture OF 2 parts of
vaseline and part of mercurial or blue
ointment, about the size of pea, l inch
below the vent of the bird, rubbing the
mixture lightly on the skin. An appli-
cation of this ointment two or three
times a year will keep the fowls free
from lice. Where insect powder is used,
it should be applied three or four times
year. or oftener if the fowls become in
tested. Provide small box in the house
partly filled with dry road dust or fine
dirt in which the hens may dust, thus
helping to keep themselves free from
lice.-U. s. Dent. of Agriculture.