Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-20
Poultry Yard Notes.

Most incubators, no matter how well
they are constructed or what claims are
made for them. require the introduc-
course, if the incubator is located in a
properly constructed incubator house
with earth floor. correct ventilation.
etc, the need of additional moisture for
the eggs during incubation Is not SO
great, but even under such conditions
matches usually will be better and the
chicks will pop out of the shells more
easily if the eggs are moistened two
or three times during incubation.
The eggs will require no moisture
during the first week of incubation.
ever. water may be sprlnkled over the
eggs at intervals of three or four or
! five days. The temperature Of the
water used should not be lower than
100 degrees. A good way to apply it is
by means of common whisk broom
it quickly over the eggs, repeating un-
til all have been wetted.
The final wetting Of the eggs should
be at the time of the final turning
when the machine Is to be closed until
the hatch is completed. Give them a
thorough sprinkling then. and close the
incubator. not opening it again until
the hatch Is finished.
! Hens must have grain to supply the
ca rbohydrates for the eggs and skim
milk or beef scrap for the potein.
Grit and shell aid digestion, and min
eral matter builds UP the eggshell.
The pHllet or hen must also have
green food in abundance at ali times.
Don't feed the hens by measure. but
give them all they will eat up readily.
Feed the meat scrap and ground or
before the hens at all times. or the
hoppers may be open during the after
noon only.
| Eggs from hens that have made a
T, fair showing in laying this winter will
/ be more fertile than those that did
/ heavy laying.
! Plenty of nests In a somewhat dark
| ened corner of the poultry house help
, habit
! In every poultry house there should
be dus. bath, where the hens may
get rid of lice.
| Fewer pullets but better pullets, IL
more conscientiously followed by the
poultryman. would insure more satis-
! factory results.
! Keep shell and charcoal before the
! laying hens
| There is no one. thing that will make
hens commence to lay quicker thai
ground bone and meat and with meal
! once a week they will keep on laying.
! A mess of potatoes, carrots, beets or
iurnips chopped fine should be given
frequently to fowls. for scarcely any
thing conduces so much to their
| healthfulness. All through the year
vegetables are relished. but they are
| absolute necessities in the winter,
when there is no foraging for the hens.
Chop the vegetables fine and mix them
with scalded or moistened cornmeal.
or feed them raw or cooked without
grain. The fowls Will highly relish
| such meal and soon clean up every
scrap.
| A fattening ration that brings good
results consists of cornmeal. ground
| oats and middlings, equal parts, with
about 10 per cent of beef scraps. II q
/ cheap grade of -four can be bought,
about 10 per cent of that can be added
with profit. Whole milk buttermilk or
| skim milk is used in mixing, as 1t has
tens the fattening process and improves
the quality of the flesh. The mixture
| should be moistened to such an extent
that when pressed together 1t will form
into balls. but will readily fall apart.
The fowls should be fed three times
a day all they will clean up. They
| should be stuffed on this fattening re
ton until they show inclination to
| take less food when they should be
marketed. 1t usually takes about two
weeks to put them in prime condition
for the market
| Constitutional vigor in poultry makes
them more resistant to disease than
fowls of weak physical vitality.
| Ventilation il absolutely necessary
No flock viii be healthy II deprived Of
| fresh air.