Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-09


the buildings be accomplished with
out DELAY, for as soon as the first
eggs of the young puiIets are found
about the summer quarters. the NOV
ing of the new stock 10 winter quarters
should take place.
Many poultry rasers mako the mistake
OF leaving the young puilets IN the colony
coops until bad winter weather sets m,
whcreupon he birds must be rushed INTO
winter quarters and perhaps kept com
plctclv housed for the rest Of the winter
Nothing will do more damage to the pro
ductivcncss Of one s flock than this last
minute rush plan At tins tune The oider
pulets arc well started IN laying, there
fore moving thcm from range To conhnc-
ment entirely upsets them
The advantage Of moving the flock INTO
winter quarters carly N the Tall is that
Iaving IS started IN tho new quarters,
while tic flock ran have outdoor freedom
Then as winter closes in the flock can be
gradually confined hence the changes arc
fnadc moderate
After the winter quarters are ~ order
the poutryrnan should determine the
number Of fowls his housing accommoda-
tiong will allow hun to keep hc tefnpta-
tion 10 ovcrcrowd is very often hard one
especially If ono has an cxtra large tiock
of fine pullets However, results viii bo
far better If one keeps only as many
fowls rs the housing will accommodate
without crowdIng
NECESSARY FLOOR SPACE.
The floor space required depends e
a very great extent upon tho number q
fowls kept IN ono flock flocks Of from
20 II 25 birds should have about five
square feet of floor space per bird. say
pen. ten Nv twelve feet N SIC.
Where fowls aro kept 10 FORKS of 100
birds or over. from three and onc-half q
four feet of floor space per bird Is sufficient
The popular size ri q pen for 100 birds +
% feet square The ponltryman VIII 1nd
tins Arrangement of 100 birds to q pen
gives maximum results with the minimum
of labor Larger Gocks cut labor to ccr-
tain extent, bat the egg yield, also, s
usually reduced by housing too many
fowls together
There i such 4 thing as having to
much floor space especially ~ winfer
With too much space. tho fowls cannot
develop sufficient heat to keep warm.
Tins Is especially true of small fiocks q
ten hens or less. However With proper
housing even fewer fowls han ten can PC
successfully housed ii severe climates
MAKE nostE- pRAFT-PRooF.
ono of the most important things at
thia time Il to see that the r0oSflng
| quarters are IN good condition for winter
iny cracks that mav have developed from
the summer heat, should he gone over and
every effort made 70 have draft proof
roostinp quarters. The ideal roosting
quarter. are those built against the rear ri
the pen, running the length q the pack
ri tho house. with the roof and ends u
/ the house forming a reaI closet
Bv hanging a curtain II muslin Y front
/ OF tie roosts that can be raised and lower
ed. the closet Is complete. For flock p
100 hens in q pen 20 ieet square. the
closet should 81 - feet long and fmFe
droppine-boards four feet vide his
allows space Tor three 2U-to0f ro1sfS, one
foot apart. and allowing root from me
first perch 70 the edge q he dropping
boards and the same space from ne rear
perch - the back sail \ roasting closet
of tins type viii keep q ttuch oi itD mons
comfortable on the coldeSt winter aiGht
For smaller tioeks the roostlng quarters
should be built proporHonattiy smaller.
FROM the standpoint ut results Il mas
been found that adaptations of the open
Z
eessftIj plahts 4re using the shed-Toei
house with au average height Of slN feet
,.xen aud one-haIi feet IN front by FIVE
feet in back. with the front constructed
oi about one-thIrd each of lumber, glass
sash and muslin covered openings. ms
tyne Of construction has given excellent
results
SKILL N FEEpING IMPoRfANF
Perhaps, after all. the most important
thing ID caring for the Young pulletS IS
feeding Is usual thing the flock has
had nothing but = growing r ton mp .
tins time Thls diet must be changed toa
more concentrated ration II order T.
stimulate production
The following feeding plan. with slight
variations has been followed by 9a for a
number of Years with good results
IN coming of the roosts = + he morn
lue. the hens tind grain IN The liitcr Tins
eraIu consists nf equal parts corn. wheat
and oats. although since the high pTiec II
wheat this mixture has consisted mostly
al equal parts cracked corn and eats,
with perhaps the addition of a httlc
kaf4if corn The grain allowed Al this feed
lnr Is about one quart To each - hers.
varied, of course, to sult the appeutes q
the fowls Hunting and scratching for
| tins gram keeps the flock busy lIntd the
| hours, has warmed up Ahoat ten o'cloek
Green food. consisting q cabbage, sproQt-
| ed oats ar mangles. IS fed lhe cabbage
| and nances arc allowed Ia such qnant-
ties as the flock viii clean ap during the
day. In feeding sprouted oats such
amounts are given as the flock Will eat
IN ten or - minutes
At noon, a moist mash Is led consisting
of the following materials POO pounds
wheat bran 100 pounds cornmeal. l0O
pounds mddlings 100 pounds linsced
meal 100 pounds gluten 100 pounds
alfalfa, loo pounds ground oats and 20
pounds beef scraps To four buckets oi
tins mash is added. one bucket Of short
eat alfalfa or clover that has been suakeC
IN hot water for several hours. The mast
and shortcut hay is thoroughly mlNce
and fed in vshaped troughs The ho
water III which the cut hay il soaked
makes the mash warm for feeding Th,
mash is made only moist not sloppy Al
allowance Of eight quarts to every ont
hundred hens is about right This quaint
IL. of course must be varied To SUIT th
appetites OF the fowls and other condi
tions
At four o'clock. the hens are again Il,
grain iii deep litter, III about the sam
amount in the morning 'Fhis fccdin
keeps the hens busy until they 60 to roost
when grain is once more scattered ia TIA
litter for the morning feed