The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-11-12
Bring the PuIIets in From the Range
Before They Begin to Lay, for Nov
ing Them Retards Egg Production
Two to Four Weeks.

II ii has q cement or wooden floor.
remove all litter and dirt and put in
4 or 3 inches of fresh straw or litter.
Remove the rOOsts and scrape the
dropping boards, wetting them down if
necessary to loosen refuse which has
caked and dried on. Sweep the walls
and ceiling with broom, and clean out
all old nesting material. The house is
now ready to be disinfected. Mix up
a batch of whitewash or other dsin-
fectant. Put peck or more of fresh
burned lime in a tub or barrel and
pour on it enough water to start slak-
ing. Stir occasionally and add more
water TO prevent burning. Keep the
vessel covered with an old sack TO re-
tain the heat. After the lime is thor
oughly slaked dilute it to the proper
consistency and strain it if il is to be
applied with a spray pump. Add
quart of crude carbolic acid to each
bucketful of wash. Other effective
disinfectants are lime-sulphur mixture
used for spraying fruit trees, cOal-tar
preparations, or the approved cattle
dips.
With a whitewash brush or spray
pump apply thoroughly to the inside of
the house-walls. ceiling, floor, Drop
ping boards, and nests, as well as the
rOOsts, which should be placed out of
doors In the sun for q few days. Al
hnrrSn tn, Hrx-
ting in fresh litter. Rye straw makes
excellent litter, because ii is tough and
does not break up easily, but wheat
or oats straw. cornstalks, dry leaves,
or coarse hay are all disable.
Make Houses Free From Drafts.
Be sure that the house is tight on
three sides and that there is no chance
for draft to strike the hens. If hens
roOst or are placed in a draft during
the fall and winter, colds are sure
to develop. which may result In roup
and other troubles. From one-third to
One-half of the south side, or front.
of the poultry house may be made of
curtains and windows, but should be
under control, so that the openings
may be closed gradually as the wealth
er becomes cold Have muslin chr
tains in the front of the house or leave
a window partly open, even on the
coolest nights, to allow some ventila-
ton in the house. Fowls will stand
exposure to cold air pro-
vided it is dry, and ventilation will
keep the air in the house dry.
Before the pullets are mixed with
the older fowls be sure that the hens
are banded or that the web of the foot
is punched in some way, so that Won
ran distinguish between the pullets and
the hens. This plan permits the older
stock to be culled out whenever de-
sirable, and the young hens to be kept
for further laying. For egg produc-
lion do not keep hens over two wears.
put some of the best hens may be kept |
Tor breeders until three or four years
Did
The pullets that mature early In the |
iall and that mott late the next wear
ire usually the best layers and should
De saved for breeding stock. Gull the
chickens carefully which are brought
nto the laying house. and fatten and
market all which are small, poorly
developed, or In poor condition. These
mall, poorly-developed chickens are
lpt to catch cold If put in with the
'ther poultry and develop diseases
which quickly spread through the
lock.
Clean the dropping boards at least
nee a week. and spray the roosts