Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-12-15
HENS STRIKE = WHY?
THEY WANT BETTER FEED
AND CARE.

The production of winter eggs is a
farm problem of no little Importance
if we realize the profits as we'll as the
ever increasing demand for fresh eggs.
This demand forces the price up to ex-
traordinary proportions. Now before
winter has set in and for the past two
months the price has ranged from 80
to 70 cents per dozen. There is fine
profit in hens with eggs at these prices
o. even less. The trouble is we have
too many boarder hens and the farmer
saws hens eat more than they are
worth. So his COWS do many times
but in each case it is his own fault.
One man said not long ago that the air
was not good for hens this fall. Va
rious reasons are advanced for the fail
ure of the hens to lay. Tie peculiar
fact is that some farmers do make the
hens lay and with very little more
trouble than the fellow who keeps 25
or more hens around all win6er for
nothing.
Last winter we collected data thr-
ough the cooperation of Supt. Weldon
and the schools regarding the egg pro-
duction in this county. Of course this
is not absolutely accurate but 1t is
accurate enough to use as lesson and
the writer has had enough experience
with this kind of work to known that
the boys and girls know pretty we'll
how many eggs are produced. This
poultry census covered about 200 farms.
The average number of hens per farm
was Il. The average production per
farm was II eggs for the months of
January and February. This was
approximately 1.8 eggs per month per
hen. This Is very poor condition and
going to do to better your conditions.
Are you one of the farmers with
less than ten eggs per hen per month?
One haitian egg per day would not be
too much to expect About one third
of the farms in the above census pro
duced no eggs at all during the two
months. Over 60 per cent produced
less than an egg per farm per day.
To get winter production of EGGS
you must feed the hens a good slim
ulating egg making ration The fol-
lowing from the ratiOns of producing
f!ocks will perhaps suggest something
for the Foreat County poultryman. OF
course there are other combinations
which will give the same results and If
they are cheaper or more easily pro-
cured they may be used. We feed in
general food of about three general
kinds. First we feed starchy and fat
foods to furnish heat and energy to the
fowl. Then we feed albumenous FOCUS
to produce the meat and white of egg.
We feed milk, green food, grit, char
coal and oyster shell for their general
stimulating effect and of course for
their food value. These latter feeds
are no less important than the others
but are often lacking in the ration.
The starchy foods are given in form of
grains, corn, wheat, barley, oats.
They can be fed in bundle if threshing
is aot handy. At present prices for
eggs it is economical to buy some of
these grains if necessary. For albu-
menouS foods we can use bran, mid
ding, linseed meal, cut bone and beef
scrap or blood meal. These latter feeds
can be fed in wet mash at noon each
day or they may be mixed and fed in a
hopper before the hens at all times.
straw or hay morning and evening. 1t
is preferable to feed corn in the E.
vening. Milk is very good to be before
the hens all the time. If milk is not
available green food or beef scrap
should be increased. On the coldest
! days it is we'll to feed mash warm.
Sometimes it is always fed this way.
Green food is essential. Poor cabbage
roots, potatoes make good foods but
this year the cost of these is rather
great and it will pay to sell these ana
buy other feeds. Green feed can be
provided in steamed clover or alfalfa
hay. Take the fine clover leaves in
the bottom of NOW or sometimes In the
horses managers and put them in tub
or large vessel. Then pour boiling
water over them until moist cover
with an old blanket, sack or some
thing and allow it to steam. This
will be found very palatable TO the
hens and you will be surprised at the
results if yon have never tried it be-
fore.
We should have oyster shells, char
coal and ashes where the birds can
get at them at all times. The dust
/ hath Of road dnSt ashes and some SIl-