The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-02

Feed the grain in deep litter on
the floor and make the hens exercise
for all of their grain. The mash may
be fed either wet or dry, and should
be so regulated that the fowls will
get about equal parts of mash and OF
the scratch grains. 1t Is necessary
to give the fowls plenty to eat to get
good results, but the birds should al
ways be eager for each feed. In colo
weather feed about one-third of the
scratch grains in the morning and
tw O. thirds at night, in which way the
hens are forced to = exercise more
than if given all the grain they de-
sired at the morning feed. Scratch
grains, mash or ground grains, ami
NAL protein, green feed, grit, and
shell, should be supplied in the win
ter Good scratch mixtures may pc
made Of equal parts, by weight! or
cracked corn, wheat, and oats, or or
two parts Of cracked corn and one
part each of wheat and oats IL
wheat is relatively very high In price
it may be left out Of this latter mix
ture. In addition a mash made OF
three parts corn meal and one part
each of wheat bran, wheat middl1ngs,
and beef scrap should be fed. Green
eel beets cut alfalfa, or sprouted oats
should be fed during the winter re-
place the green feed which the fowls
have been securing in they fields; and
beef scrap, skim milk, cut green bone,
or some similar feed is needed to re-
place the bugs which the fowls have
been securing on the range.
Beef scrap or feed of this nature
is very essential in securing a good
supply of eggs during the winter
months and is the one essential feed
often omitted by farmers. In the ex-
periments conducted by the depart
ment an average production Of AIS
eggs for the first four months from
pullets fed ration containing beef
scrap was secured, compared with
1871 eggs from pullets fed the same
ration without the beef scrap. The
pullets not fed beef scrap practically
stopped laying whenever the ground
was covered with snow. The feed
cost Of their eggs was 2.2 cents high
er per dozen for the year than for
the pullets fed beef scrap. Skim
milk or buttermilk will largely take
the place of beef scrap, if a constant
supply can be kept before the fowls,
but if the supply Of milk isl limited
some beef scrap should also be fed.
People raising poultry as a side is
sue in towns and villages can utilize
waste products from their table and
kitchen to very good advantage, pro-
ducing fresh eggs and poultry for
their own use as well as some sur
plus for market. AS these scraps
contain some waste meat, the pro-
portion Of beef scrap in the mash can
be reduced accordingly. Those table
scraps can be mixed with the ground
grains and fed as a moist mash.
Clean the dropping boards at least
once a week. and spray the roosts
once a month during the winter with
kerosene or some commercial prepar-
alton for killing mites. Have a good
supply of sand or dry dirt on hand
to use ons the droppnig-boards during
the winter.
If any of the birds develop colds,
put as much potassium permanganate
as will remain on the surface Of a
dime into a gallon of water and keep
this material in their drinking-water
for several days, or until the >symp-
toms Of the colds have disappeared
Remove any sick birds from the flock
as soon as noted and treat them in
them if they are not worth treating
Examine the pullets and hens for
lice and dust thoroughly with a good
insect powder or apply a mixture Of
equal parts of vaseline and mercurial
or blue ointment, apply a piece about
the size of pea one inch below the