Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-01
FOWL
FROM APRIL CARE.
In Warm Weather Provide AM
pie Shade, but Also Give Sun
shine-It Pays to CapOnize-
Correct Fattening RatiOns Dis
tribute Weight Throughout the
Body
CBy II. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS,


Break up the broody hens
In some localities there Is a good out
let for Leghorn cockerels as SQUAD
broiers," Weighing about three-quarters
of a pound each. They are sometimes
called asparagus chickens" because they
come in during the asparagus season,
from April until June.
Heat is the great enemy of the egg.
To start the baby chicks there is moth
ing better than bread crumbs moistened
with milk, or crumbs mixed with hard
boiled eggs. and sprinkled with fine grit
few chopped onion tops may be add
ed. DO not feed this mixture in a sloppy
condition, rather in crumbly state, and
never allow it to remain long enough to
turn bad.
Don't throw those table scraps into
the garbage can; feed them to a flock
of hens.
Changing things about in the hen
house or moving hocks from one house
to another is fatal to egg production.
Chickens are inconvenienced and en-
barrassed by new situations.
Heavy fowls should not be made to
jump more than 10 or IS inches to reach
their perches or nests
Hens that persist in laying outside
the nests usually are very difficult to
break of this habit. which is annoying,
to say the least, because it invariably
means soiled eggs. As a rule the habit
is started by uninviting nests, an in
sufficient number of nests. or inacces-
sble nests
Pools of water have a peculiar fasci-
nation for young chicks, and to those
under a months age water is strangely
fatal
a chick in search of greater freedom
will find a hole in the fence quicker than
the attendant, or the chick will dig it's
way under a fence; but the chances are
the chick will not return through that
hole even though he passes it hun
dred times.
FRESH AIR FOR CHICKS
Air once breathed by brood of chicks
and exhaled from the lungs has in
creased its content Of carbon dioxde--
poison-at the expense of oxygen. and
if this air is not pentifuly renewed the
carbon dioxide steadily increases, until
the lungs are fed dead carbon when
they demand fresh oxygen. 1t is I'M
reasonable to expect Il healthy. vigor-
Gus development if chick is compelle
to take back into its system this devital-
lied. poison-laden atmosphere of which
nature has previously tried to get rid.
A brooder stove does not require a
special type of building, and this factor
is one of it's greatest virtues.
In warm weather too much sunshine
is just as bad not enough IF the
yards are without natural shade such
as trees shrubs, artificial shade must
be provided. Boards an old awning can
vas or burlap sacks can be improvised
nicely.
The greater the number of birds kept
upon II plot of ground and the more
they are crowded together In houses
the greater is the danger from disease
and the more important are the meas
ures for its prevention.
Strictly speaking, there are two sets
of reproductive organs in the hen. al
though only one SETTLE left set-func-
lions. The right set of organs degener-
ates early in life and virtually disap-
pears.
Chicks require great deal of rest for
the first days of their life. and during
this period they spend many hours hud-
died together. preferably where there
is strong sunlight.
An increased egg yield cannot be OBJ
| tanned over night, nor in months
time. The heavyl laying strain is prod
uct of many years of careful selection.
Prolificness is bred into flock. 1t can
not be put there by feeding alone, though
proper feeding helps a lot.
a dozen hens in the backyard will
produce more food in relation to the
amount of labor and space required than
any other form of husbandry Statistics
prove that.
BE sure the incubator thermometer reg
listers correctly.
The weight or specific gravity Of the
egg is no indication OF sex or fertility.
HOLDING EGGS FOR MATCHING
When eggs intended for Matching are
held longer than two or three days it
Is well to turn or alter their position
once a day. This is done to prevent the
, yolk from gravitatng to the membrane