El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-27
autumn Is the Time for the City Man to Prepare to
Operate a Hen Yard; Buy Good Pullets Rather Than
Older Hens; Advice Of Experienced Poultry
Raiser Will Help the Amateur.

THE best way for ths city poultry
j keeper to procure hens IS 70 pur-
chase them in the fall An effort
should be made 70 obtain pullets
rather than hens. and the pullets Sc
Iscted should be vel matured. so that
they VIII begin to lay before cold
weather
Evidence Of the maturity OF pullets
are the Development and red color Of
the comb and a size and growth which
are good for the breed OF variety.
Hens VIII lay few or no eggs during
the fall and early winter while they
are moulting. Well matured pullets,
however, should lay fairly well dur
ing this period so that an immediate
return Is realized from the invest
ment
Advice Helps Inexperienced.
When pullets are 10 be purchased,
q is well, If possible, TO 90 70 some
farmer or poultryman who may be
known to the prospective purchaser
In some cases II may pay 10 MAKE
ARRANGEMENTS with the farmer to raise
the desired number OF pull cts at an
agreed price. Where the householder
does not have an opportunity TO go
into the country for his pullets, he
can often pick them out among the
live poultry shipped into the city to
be marketed
The advice Of some one who knows
poultry should be sought to make sure
that pallets or young hens are OBJ
tanned and that the stock is healthy
often the local poultry associations
are glad 10 help the prospective poul-
try keeper 10 get stock by putting
him in communication with some OF
n-rrHrHrra HHnnlr HHH 10
Sometimes boards OF trade or cham
bers Of commerce are glad TO help
bring together the prospective pur-
chaser and the poultry raiser
kind Of Fowls TO Keep.
Householders usually desire not only
eggs for the table and for cooking,
but also an occasional chicken TO eat
For this reason, one OF the general
purpose breeds, such as the Plymouth
Rock. Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red
OF Orpington. IS preferable 70 the
smaller eEE breeds. such as the Leg
horns. Not only do the mature fowls
Of these breeds, because Of their larger
size. make better table fowls than the
EsEhorns, but the young chickens for
the same reason make better friers
End roosters, whereas chickens Of the
egg breeds are only suitable for the
smaller broilers.
Don't OTerEt0ck Hen Yard.
The size Of the flock which can be
most efficiently kept VIII depend first
upon the space available and second,
upon the amount Of table scraps or
other waste which IS available for
iced. 1t Is a mistake TO try 10 over
stock the available space Better re-
suits VIII be obtained from a few
hens IN o small yard than from a
larger number. TIE back yard pOul-
Try flock rarely viii consist Of over 20
or 25 hens and in many cases Of no
more than eight OF ten, or occasinally
OF only three or four For flock Of
- 10 IS hens a space OF not less than
% by 80 feet should be available for
a yard. Where less space Is available.
the size OF the flock should be re-
duced, allowing on the average 20 TO
80 square feet per bird.
A few hens are sometimes kept sue
cessfully with a smaller yard allow
ance than this. but If the space is
available a yard Of the size indicated
should be used.
Clean Yards Imperative.
Cleanliness is imperative in back
yard poultry keeping Poultry In
small back yards leave so much drop
pings on the land they occupy that
unless the droppings are frequently
removed the soil soon becomes foul
The back yard poultry keeper has to
take as much pains TO keep his yard
sanitary as 10 keep the floor Of the
poultry house sanitary. Lack Of
thoroughness in cleaning and disin-
fecting small yards is responsible for
much more disease and debility than
fnsanitary interior ground spaces
Measures 10 prevent lice and mites
should also be followed systcmatical-
IL and thorough in back yard p0ul-
try keeping. While the neglected
farm poultry house is often overrun
with lice 90 the detriment Of the flock,
the hens on farm have so much bet
ter opportunities than those in the
small back yard TO rid themselves Of
lice that a little siackness on the part
o. the keeper in measures TO prevent
lice is not likely TO give the parasites
such a start as the same negligence
would in the case Of back yard
flock.
Determining Chickens Ages.
a common way Of testing the age
Of dressed poultry. as described by
home economics specialists Of the
United States department Of agricul-