The sun., 1916-01-09
ONLY WELL HENS
LAY WINTER EGGS
Flock Must BE Kept in Good
Health in Order to Profit
in the OFF Season.
PROPER FEEDING NEEDED
~ REESE v. HICKS.

Winter eggs are the goal of the poul.
try raiser. no matter whether he Is an
amateur or u professional. for It IL the
winter esgs that bring the high prices
and mean profit to the man who makes
his living raising poultry and econsmy
for his own Use. Il Is a common say
ing that everybody's hens lay eggs I'M
the spring. when eggs are plentiful and
low In price. but winter eggs are only
for the few wise ones who give their
hens proper care.
Tho first step toward procuring them
is to consider the history OF the hen
herself. Her own record for health mus;
be good. preferably with never a sick
day against her from the time she was
Matched. She should have been Matched
In the early spring, so that she has fn-
ished her growth and is fully matured
before rhe cold weather of fall sets
In. Pullets that were Matched in the sum
m-r and fall never grow to full size and
seldom do much. il any. winter laying
the first year of their lives. Even if
they lay the first winter the eggs VILE
be small. The hen must be we'll cared
for all her life. II is useless to expect
that even the best OF last minute care
TO a lot OF fowls that have had little or
no attention all spring. summer and fall
will produce a good winter egg yield
Better dispose OF all sickly and dwarfed
stock and keep only those that show
v!gor and are fully matured.
Hepa fhat tlluSt live In damn Shels n
roost in the trees cannot lie made even
TO pay for their feed IN winter. simply
because their entire energy Will be re-
pured to keep warm IN such quarters
They will walt TO do their laying until
spring comes. I,ut do not infer that
warmth alone will make them lay or
that there is any virtue in keeping hens
In an artificially heated house. The
ideal hcnhouse should be we'll ventilated
and well protected from draughts and
above ali things. dry. especially over
the roostinc quarters.
The best way to ventila,e house Is
to alternate cloth or burlap curtains and
glass windows the latter will provide
light on stormy days when the cloth
ones must be closed. The cloth windows
should be left open on sunny days. and
II the house seems stuity some OF them
should also be opened at night. prefer
ably those In the centre Of the house.
rather than at the ends. to avoid
draughts The cloth windows must be
closed. however. II the wind is blowing
In such a direction as to make the house
draugh,y. or II snow or rain IL driving
in.
II the floors are damp and the litter
/ become foul. damp or mus'y IL should
be changed at once. This litter should
he from eight to twelve inches deep
and of some LINN. material such AS ry.
straw so the hens will like to dig in IL
for grain fed them. After this scratch
, grain 4. thrown in the litter NAV be
b tossed about with n fork so that the
hens will have to dig II up-the harder
,hey work the better, il they have to
I be confined In the house II the eggs
are to be used for Matching and breed
| ing purposes the hens should I've gwen
ALI the range possihle and should be al
! lowed ont Of doors in all reasonable
weather. But II winter market eggs are
I the only object then keep the hens i'm
doors but keep them busy all the time
digging for their food.
! When the hens are confined the floor
area should be not less than four feet
I per hen where the house Is nifty or more
feet long and twelve or nNorNsfeet wide.
, Ii the hor-se is not so large as this the
average noor space per hen must be IN
Z - - -
winter mems III houses less 'hah t"eiNe
feet deep better results oeihg op'aine"
II 'he mouse u ni,een l" e'eh'ee', ieel
ueep anu II y oi"VuN 70 s"' d hea'E
winter aSs Sieiu IRON, house Tess 'hai'
we"'S Zee. ~ rhs", ne le"son ioi
.i's wa. '". ne" wiz '.oav , ".ou' n'.,
shu s eNers,s es s',",' m,, mus. sse.
nouses ~ wa. ",' Ia. .',,,,,
~ "'' "p. W "'"
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"nen wy ,ens ,,a.,,. a .',',, . 80, Wv,
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he ,,.. a,,,,rinns ar. ,,o,a, !, ,,a,.
uo, he r,.csssarv tn ci..r m. hoards 80