The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-28
MIDWINTER POULTRY PLANS
IMPORTANT, FOR CRITICAL
POINT IN CAMPAIGN is NOW
The Short Days and Arctic
Weather Must Be Trans
formed Into June Condi-
tons for Chickens.
10y \. 6. SMITH,
Author and Practical Poultryman.)

NHtOOr anu VVdCSsS0s TOUttVyUAUsy
What is the secret Of victory? Ma
poleon's reply was, THE secret of VIC
tory is TO bring on the reserves in the
crisis Of the battle" Midwinter marks
the crisis in the poultryman's fight. He
has need of all his reserve resources.
There is no magic required. Poultry
secrets mean nothing more than sci
ence and common sense The "blacl
art'thas no place here. 1t is purely a
matter Of knowing how and then do
ing IT,
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. II 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 incubator in about two weeks.
Remember you can't depend on the sit
ting hen. She's utterly irresponsible.
She will sit just when you do not de-
sire chicks, and will refuse to sit when
you must have chicks or fail in BUSH
ness. If you want success in poultry
culture cut OUT the sitting ..en. She
is an unconscionable nuisance. The
down to- date incubator is your best
hope. If you haven't any, let your
f,,c,t hn tn OF
have never used one, you have fine fun
in store. Just the experience with
the first hatch is worth the price of
s1he machine.
The breeders must be skillfully han
died now. The environment must be as
ideal as possible. They must be kept
in the pink OF condition. Everything
that they would get in May or June
on an unlimited range should be fur
nished them now SO far as it is pos
sible.. Grit, lime, green food, grain in
large variety, plenty of room--in fact,
everything that will put all the fnnc-
tions of the body in prime condition
and keep them so.t You are attacking
natures schedule. Eggs will not be
due, according to natures scheme, for
at least two months yet. You must
therefore make conditions what they
wills'be the first of April. This is the
secret of your victory. Bring in your
reserves therefore.
Keep the Fowls Comfortable.
A freezing fowl will lay no eggs
Some people scott at cold in the hen
house. They pay high price for their
queer notions. It's the cold weather
.that cutssthe egg yield down or alto
gethcr.6ff. This makes the midWnter
problem. The thermometer makes al
the difference between June and Janu-
airy Watch this at every heavy dror
of the mercury. The daily product
fuctuatcs with every upward and
downward movement or the tempera.
ture. In fact, the hens usually antici-
pate the change of weather a day in
advance. They are pretty successful
forecasters. tg%.4#* -t=E,
Don't be fooled. Fight the freezing
weather from your sensitive layers
Remember it is the sum of all the
forces that are against you now. Hole
the mercury up to 60 or.7O, and yor
would have no winter problems. YOU
hens would rise quickly to a 20 pei
cent yield. Keep them comfortable
then. Fight the intense cold both da.
and night. Don't be afraid of suffo.
eating your hens by closing them uI
pretty tightly for a day or two whef
the thermometer drops suddenly tt
zero point. Handle your hens as 70,