The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-02
HOW THE BA CKYARD POULTRY
KEEPER SHOULD DO "TkLS BIT
Care and Preparation of Pull
lets to Guarantee Early
Fall Production.
~ PROF. JAMES 3. NORMAN
Former Expert for the United States
Department Of Agriculture.

home consump,o on Of eggs and meat.
the ual-rurpose breeds are best.
Plymouth Rocks Wyandottes. Orping-
xtons and Rhode Island Reds are splcn-
did birds for these purposes. They are
good layers and make prime table
poultry. They fattcn easily ana cheap
~. Fore ooking purposes no fat is
superior 10 hen lat, and the dual-pur
pose breeds are exceptionally fine for
this.
When the chickens are Matched early
enough, pullets from these breeds can
he fitted for fan egg production.
II the poultry house is small, the
growing stock should not be crowded.
Limit the number of fowls to the size
of the house and yard. For the heavier
breeds each layer should be allowed
about tolr feet of floor space with as
much outside run as possible.
If the house is well ventilated, lis
i thoroughly dry, has plenty OF sunlight.
and space enough for the birds com
fort tic simplest structure will serve
the purpose OF housing fowls. Clean
illness and dryncss are the essentials
to success in housing poultry.
Two Piano boxes can be made into Il
cheap hut very serviccablc backyard
poultry house. if made watertight.
Lime and sunlight are among the
hest natural disnfcctants. If the house
is well lighted, as 1t should be. and
faces the south. sickness should be al
most an unknown quantity, even if the
fowls have no yard.
| Whore fowls have yards and this
area is small. the ground soon becomes
, foul and threatens the comfort and
health Of the flock. The yard should
be dug up and scrapcd at least once q
month and then sprnklcd with lime or
some other disinfcctant,
If the yard space is sufficiently large,
it is advisable to divide 1t into two
parts. While the fowls arc in one part,
the other may be planted to Il grain
/ crop. During these war times, oats or
= rye will be the cheapest grain to SOW.
/ When the crop Is from three to six
c inches high, the flock should be turned
Y into 1t, and the other part of the yard
: sewed in the same manner This plan
o not only keeps the soil sweet, but ii
, | provides succulcnt green feed for tn,
n flock.
II War Time Rations.
! Many persons who formerly kept
fowls have sold their iiocks bcCauS,
of the high price of grain feeds. This
: vas a mistake. The inc ease in price,
: has not been one sided There Ia
eel a large increase in th" pllcu u
Ggss and table poultry. '.ho iAr: IS
d 4 s,n:,ll flock may he as prorltlbil
!, handled as before war; tine prices. I
=. the reader has the facilities tor kropina
5. inN's. let him start right in again t,
n hep them. II there is a small baci
Il nd fit IN a place for a f"v fowls a
n cnce.
3, Balanced rations may be combinct
!, from the cheapest feeds, which xvii
Il provide for normal growth in tn" yount
. stock and do for fattonng or egg pro
;, duction in the older fowls. In fact, tn
:, backyard poultrykecpcr is especial,
fortunate, Sinee wastes from tho tabl
may be used to good advantage. EveI
y weeds from the garden aud grass rlp
pings can be used,
Il A cheap war time ration Is "A dry
} mash mixture OF two parts Of bran
4 and one each of middlings. alfalfa an,
p beef scrap. This may be fed dry /
+, hoppers. A mixture of equal parts o
y scratch feed, corn and oats makes
good grain ration. These feeds provd
the needed amounts of protein, carlo
hydrates and fat for II balanced ration
| il is advisable that the fowls be fc
about equal parts of the mash an
grain. \ pen of ten or n dozen Qua
) purpose fowls should bc allowed on
II quart each Of mash and grain dali!
= The lighter breeds. like Leghorn'
II should hc allowed these amounts 70
n Il birds.
d Growing lullcts should be given a.
~ they Wilt eat of these rattona. The
i need abundant food to be fitted fC
d normal dcvclormcnt and for egg pru
y duction in fall and winter. IT Is la
d economy to stint young stock. Civ
1t them all they will cat, and later the
# will repay the debt, with interest.
Wastes from the table may be use
e with the mash ration and the Who'll
"a used as a wet mash. Potato skins an
Is small potatoes should be boiled an
;, mixed with the mash. which makes a
:, excellent poultry feed. If the tabl
IN wastes contain sufficient meat, IL
beef scrap may be omitted from III
mash.
If the poultrykccprr has a garden
the weeds should he pulled and cut u
u for the flock. Many weeds are thor
Isl oughlN appetizng, are nutritious. an
Cd correct the bad effects of overfeedir
he with corn. n preparing young pullc
n fer laying, an abundance OF green stul
,v is better than too much corn. Mold
,,a corn should never be fed
- At the prevailing prices for mea
and poultry. cockerels should be so
rst for hroi,ers 40 soon ~ nossih,e On
IT, plllietS should he kent The Qua TT q
IRIS intended for them should be cleanc
IT WhlteWashed. and made ready at ;
as carry oa'e- MOVING ayers IL
70 pX,ctice. 1t is equally bad for pulle
nv It tends to check their dcvelOpmei
Ike AS soon as possible in September
October, the pulicts should lac placed