Evening star., 1918-01-13
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

We have in this country close to
half q billion domestic fowls. Each
year the greater part Of these fowls are
killed OF as meat, and a new genera
tion Is reared to take the place of the
old. The energy involved in this re-
production is enormous. It is SO stu
pendous. words and numerals fail to
measure 1t. 1t Is done by two process
jes-natural and artificial. In the for
mer, female birds are used to hatch and
brood the young; in the latter. ma
chimes are employed to do this work.
which they perform almost as success
fully as the birds themselves.
Hatching Is not SO much question Of
which method produces the greatest
number of chicks-the hen or the incu-
bator? 1t is a question of economy. The
hens greatest value lies in the eggs she
produces. If she is kept in laying trim.
she is moneymaker. one of the best
assets on the farm. II she fails to lay
prolihcly. she is an expense. especially
during these times of high prices for
feeds.
Very well, the hen cannot be expected
to lay and reproduce her young at the
same time. If she raises brood, 1t Is
at least a two-month task. and then
another month before she Is in physical
condition to commence laying again.
which she seldom does. because by the
time she has weaned her brood the hot
weather is at hand and more than
likely she enters the molt. The mott
keeps her busy for another three or
four months, and then winter weather
| Is at hand.
This is the way of the average farm
hen. 1t is the natural way. And It is
the reason why the farm hen seldom
produces over sixty eggs a year. Five
dozen eggs a year. unless they are pro-
duced as a by-product. with little or no
expense to the keeper, will not show
profit. Hence farmers aver that chick
ems do not pay.
Save the Hens Time.
The single plow was superseded by
| the double plow: the double plow was
| replaced by the three and four horse
gang p1owy the gang plow has been re-
| placed by the tractor which hauls
| number Of gang plows. Why? Be
| cause too many men and too many
/ horses were required by the old meth
| ods. It was too expensive: 1t did not
| pay The draft animals and the mems
wages absorbed all the profits. They
were more productive in other lines OF
their place. And SO 1t Is with the hen
The incubator matches hundreds OF
thousands of eggs. while the hen
matches a dozen or fifteen. The ma
|
| a portion of the mans time. while the
hens required to hatch an equal number
of eggs would require the attention OF
| three or four men,. The incubator car
be run on few gallons of oil or a tor
| of coal. while the hens energy meas.
| ured in the eggs she fails to lay be
| reason of her being on the nest would
| run into hundreds of dollars.
There is still another factor. and q
highly important one. When you deal
! with hens you deal with mighty per-
verse creatures. You may want to
bring off some early matches in order to
have early pullets for fall laying, but
il there are no broody hens you are
| helpless. Again, you may find some
broody hens, sitting on nests in some
obscure place. and when you try tc
make them sit on a setting of eggs ir
the place you provide for them they
/, will have none Of 1t.
| Or they may accept the proffere6
| eggs and sit on them for a week. then
abandon them. If there is no other her
to take the eggs promptly the partly
Matched eggs must spoil. Any one who
has had any experience with chickens
| knows only too well how exasperatine
a broody hen can be. She is the last
word in obstinacy. She will sit when il
pleases her. where it pleases her, and
as long as it pleases her. and no amount