Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-28

Next month you will want to hear
the peep of the young chick. If you
hear it you must begin now to lay your
plans. If you purpose to sell day-old
chicks six weeks from now you must
get your schedule well in hand this
month. If you want pullets that will
lay next October they must roll out of
, the shell the latter part of next month.
That means the eggs must be in the in
cubator in about two weeks. If you
want success in poultry culture "cut
OUT the sitting hen. She is an uncon-
scionable nuisance. The down-to-date
haven't any. let your first business be
to get one.
The breeders must be skillfuliy ham
died now. tn environment must be as
in the pink of condition. Everything
| that they would get in May or June on
an unlimited range should be furnished
them now SO far as it is possible. Grit,
lime, green food. grain in large variety.
plenty of room-iu fact, everything that
will put all the functions Of the body
| in prime condition and keep them So.
Eggs will not be due, according to ma
lures scheme for at least two months
yet. You must therefore make condi-
tons what they will be the first Of
April.
A freezing fowl will lay no eggs.
Some people scott at cold in the hem
| house. They pay a high price for their
queer notions. It's the cold weather
! that cuts the egg yield down or alto
gether off. The thermometer makes all
the difference between June and Jan
uary. Watch this at every heavy drop
of the mercury. The daily product fuc-
| tuates with every upward and down
ward movement of the temperature. In
fact, the hens usually anticipate the
| change of weather q. day in advance.
1 LA ;rvt,k t,n
weather from your sensitive layers Re
member it is the sum of all the forces
| that are against you now. Hold the mer'
curry UP to sixty or seventy, and you
would have no winter problem. your
hens would rise quickly to 40 per cent
yield. Keep them comfortable then
Fight the intense cold both day ano
night. Don't be afraid of suffocatine
your hens by closing them UP pretty
tightly for a day or two when the
| thermometer drops suddenly to the
zero point.
A well rounded ration is necessary
The mixed grain scratch foods on sale
| the world over are as good as you car
able, the hen that will not lay eggs
with such food is hopeless case
Sprouted oats in addition will make tht
ration practically perfect.
The biggest problem in the winter
poultry house is that of securing plenty
of fresh air along with comfort. There
are many methods of ventilation. sum
mer comfort cannot be secured. with
fresh air in abundance, without arti
fetal heat. But we must not expect
and we do not need. summer heat ior
the best results. By the use OF musi' n
curtains and windows that may Il
readily adjusted the poultry house car
be flooded with fresh air sufficiently to
keep the fowls in prime condition.
curtain dropped down in front OF the
roosting platform at night Is an ex.
cellent protection. The animal heat OF
the birds Is conserved. 1t must not be
too tight But it must protect from
the killing frosts.
| It is a mistake to feed the hens a
heavy wet mash in the morning. a
small ration of this character starts
them well into the day: but scratch
feed should be scattered in the litter in
sufficient quantity to keep them inter,
ested and quietly exercising. This viii
keep them warm and out of mischief
Where the winters are severe and lone
icontinued, even more Importance should
be placed on the physical exercise OF
the fowl An inactive fowl is almost
certain to be unproductiye. Activit!
is the law Of life. The litter should
be clean and not too deep. Every ker:
mel of the grain should be discovered
by the birds.
Do not look for fertile eggs from