The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-12
MONEY IN HENS
Boys Can Keep Family Flock
for Winter Eggs.
Col. Mitchell Tells How to Get
Pullets to Lay.
BY COL. r. w. MITCHELL.

I promised to give you my exper-
fence with a part of Bfddy's flock of
chickens. in conjunction with nine
other White Rock pullets. that were
Matched in the early part of April what
they did in egg production; what it
cost, and the profit made, on twenty
pulletS that were worth $1,000 at the
time they began to give me returns.
This flock had the run of the farm
with plenty of clean water to drink,
and growing feeds such as whole wheat
and crushed oats, besides the bugs,
worms and green grass they picked up
on their foraging trips, which kept
them in a thriving condition.
wanted to have fresh eggs for win
ter use and surplus for marketing;
so 1 began to study proper food and
food rations, for the best results.
The analysis of the egg given in a
former letter showed that the hens
must have an abundance of clean
water, because the egg is half water.
Also that the egg contained thirty
four parts of material like lean meat
(proteid. So L provided foods that
had plenty of this kind of material in
it, such as wheat and crushed oats.
AS wheat will be a very high priced
would suggest that you feed milo maize
and kafir instead. Further, 1 found
out that 1 must also feed them a food
that contained fat, as sixteen parts of
the egg consisted 30 L pro-
vided whole and cracked corn, because
it was rich in fats At all times they
had access to plenty of coarse gravel.
Feed Meat Scraps.
1 also found they must have meat
scraps, and fresh meat occasionally,
because in the fall and winter season
they are deprived of the bug and worm
part of their menu, and these contain
fats.
Arranged two plans for getting meat
scraps and fresh meat for the chick
ems. Living in the country, 1 shot a
rabbit occasionally, cleaned it up and
fed the meat to the hens once q week.
From the intestines of a hog, L
butchered in November, made a meat
ration for them. This is only a form
of meat meal, unground, that is sold
by the packing houses.
The hen house was warm, and al
ways kept clean. L knew by eXper-
fence that if the weather got so cold,
it would freeze the hens combs. they
would not lay Hence the hen house
must be warm.
let them OUT early in the morning,
and put them to work scratching for
their grain ration, that 1 had scattered
in straw litter. At noon I fed them
a bran mash with a little corn meal
in it. At Light fed them whole corn
| (shelled).
Keep in Quarters.
They were not let out of their quar-
tiers if it was stormy or snow on the
ground, but were fed inside as usual;
1 put about six inches of wheat straw
in their scratching quarters, so they
would have to labor and scratch to
find it, and hung up some old cabbage
heads by wires, so they would have to
jump up a little to get it
This exercise, obtained by scratching
for the grains and jumping up to get
the green feed. keeps the hen busy,
contented and warm. Keep the hens
hustling turnout the day, and nice re-
suits you'll receive
The flock of twenty pullets made
this record. 1t was not large: In No
vember, ,4S2 eggs; December. 474 eggs:
January, 456 eggs; February, 462 eggs.
l received in four months 1874 eggs
over 156 dozen. Average price per
dozen % cents. Worth on the market
at that time S43.6S.
The family used thirty dozen, then
marketed $35.2S worth
The value of the foods consumed by
this flock of twenty hens was S13,
| leaving a net profit of s22.2S on my
original investment of $40. The thirty
dozen consumed by the family paid me
very we'll for my labors. but it was a
real pleasure
Any of the school boys in the small
/ er cities. who live in the suburban
parts. or who live in the country can
] do as well and perhaps letter.