Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-25
THE POULTRY YARD
CONFINEMENT on FREE RANGE
BY ed WEBER

BY ed WEBER
To confne or not confine the fowls
lis becoming quite an issue, The advo-
Gates OF both systems present quite
plausible theories to prove their con-
tentions. Perhaps they are both right.
While the farm Is one OF the most de-
sirable places to keep poultry, it is q
face that the average American far
mer does not make the most OF this
grand opportunity and the business Is
drifting into the hands Of the owner
OF the village acre or the back lot.
It has been found that hens can be
kept on Q much more limited area than
B has been generally supposed, and that
small plot OF ground Is sufficient for
a considerable poultry plant. The VIII
lage flock which was allowed to run
during portion Of the year. and in
some cases all the time, trespassing on
neighbors' yards, is becoming extinct,
and In their place is found well
, equipped modern back yard poultry
plants that are source Of profit to
! their owners and arcredit to their sur
standings.
All IN Proper Attention.
Hens which are confined produce as
many or more eggs than those on free
/ range, when they are properly tended
and by improved methods it is no more
Z work to care for fowls properly thar
to neglect them. On the well-appointed
village poultry plant the hens are all
securely confined to neat yards and
houses or to houses without yards,
which is now becoming popular plan.
Where hens are given sufficient house
room and the house is properly con-
structed. yard is of very little use.
A small wire-covered yard. just large
enough for a good dust bath, at the
north OF shady side of the house in
summer. and on the sunny side for
spring and fall, may be desirable. This
yard may be made in panels anc
movable from one side of the house to
the other. or be taken down to allow
the ground being spaded or plowed.
Larger yards may allow more freedom,
but they are Of no special value I'M
less they are large enough to keep in
grass Exercise can be secured as well
IN the house as on the range.
Scratching Best Exercise.
Scratching is better exercise than
roaming around. II the hens are made
to scratch for all hard grain in litter,
and fed dry mash from feed box.
they will secure sufficient exercise. In
tending hens confined, either on the
no-yard plan or to small yards. ev-
esy want must be supplied. We car
not depend on their picking up the
missing elements from the YARD, as we
! can when they are on free range.
There should be boxes containing grit,
shells, beef scrap. charcoal, and dry
mash. Water must be in full supply
and renewed often as the dishes soon
become foul and the water unpalatable.
Where practical the water should be
renewed twice Gay.
To some the hen business seems to
be small business, and so 1t Is If we
count each individual hen as q unit
but by placing the hens In flocks of
twenty-five or fifty, and counting each
flock as uUit, the business becomes
to assume some Importance.
II there Is any business that requires
close personal attention 1t is the poul-
try business. This being 30, the more
outside help required reduces the pro-
portionate amount OF profit. This IS
not to saying that q large business
does not psS. for there are hundreds Of
immense poultry plants all over the
country that are yielding good profits,
but do claim that IL those plants were
smaller. so that they could be handled
without any outside help. the proper
tionate profits would be much greater
than they are today. Egg farming Is
the branch OF poultry keeping for the
'.back-1otter'' or village acre man. UNI
less he has the fancy in view and even
then he will do better to depend on
eggs as his main source Of revenue I'M
- .A-l. ~.
Smaller Breeds For Eggs.
For the production Of eggs the small
breeds will be found the most profit
able in the majority OF localities. It
is the small, active fowl that bears
confinement the best. The larger breeds
can be kept in confinement, but they
require more looking after to induce
them to exercise sufficiently. Pullets
of any breed may be fed a dry mash
such as brans or middlings from box
IL hard grain is scattered in litter, but
1t will not do to fed 2-year-old hens Of
the larger breeds from a hopper or box
when confined to house or yard as
they will lay on fat and become I'M
productive. In fact 1t does not pay to
keep these larger fowls for egg pro-
duction after the completion of the
first laying year, as they Will sell for
all 1t cost to raise them, and pullets,
taking up no more room. will lay more
eggs.
1t has also been demonstrated to my
satisfaction that hens on free range
will lay eggs that hatch better thau
those In continent account for thi.
from tho fact that hens on range will
generally mott late in the fall. They
will then be In the pink Of physical
condition while their sisters in conffne-
ment, who have been Smelling out eggs
all winter. are somewhat run down.
Then too, the contact with mother earth
seems to add to fertility. Why this is
don ot know, unless It is just be-
cause II is Chicken nature"
The poultry business is a mans work
and well worthy the best efforts OF any
man. The problems are not all solved
yet by any means. Let us experiment
and give our fellow breeders the BEN
efit of our. experience. They will not
all agree with us. to be sure. That is
not to be expected, but II we start
some one thinking. much good may be
accomplished.
News Of vanclevs.
80 - 80 . y : - T.