Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-02
OUR HOUSEHOLD
CONDUCTED BY LIZZIE 0. THOMAS

/ special drinking vessels for them be-
Gin now. 1t will astonish YOU how
much water they will drink if it is in
| a shady place, and so that they will
see it all the time. And you remem-
Der that water is the cheapest thing
in hens diet and one of the inn
portant ingredients, for an egg is
IS per cent water. II you don't
furnish it where can she be certain
d to get it,
We southern people are losing one
of our best opportunities to make
the flock pay when we fail to start
the hens to laying by the middle OF
October and do not have a comfort
able roosting place for them when
the cold rains begin to make the
nights chilly. A hen that has to
roost in a cold place has used her,
vitality in keeping warm and has
none to manufacture eggs See?
Living in the country, as [ do, !
am confronted with the problems of
the real dirt farmers" wife, and
I have kept books till I can tell you
pretty accurately what expenses
are, and how much waste leaky
henhouse causes. Last week I went
to. the feedstore In Tuscumbia, and
| wish that every one of you could
deal with as accommodating men. [
began to look over what they had.
my flock has been on the range and
only getting the mixed feed at night.
so now | believe from the color of
their feathers they are ready to drop
the old clothes hastily and put on
their new feathers. [ have had sew
eral in my hands and see the new
feathers ready to come. The lay
ing mash I want is $4.25 for a hum
dred pounds, and the mixed grain 81
cheaper. Oats have been boosted till
they are almost 81 bushel; bran has
not changed, so 7 decided that [
would get, five bushels of oats and
a sack of bran, soak a bucket of oats
every day and next evening make
il istiff with bran, emitting the grain
in any other form, and this will be
my flock's ration till September. Now
pay attention to this, the flock will
have the range, and this ration is
practically turning them into an
oats field, and all of you know
what a fine place that is for hens
You must not overfeed them with
and all fat hens do not lay 1t takes
study and judgment to manage a
flock. Local conditions must also
be taken into consideration, Aand the
hens that have a grain field to run
in need only the bran for surely they
get grasShoDpers as we'll as grain.
Don t forget to give them the epson
salts and the sulphur once a week.
Few flocks that have had clean
roosting quarters this summer and
are fed on the salts and sulphur will
be bothered with sore head in a vio-
lent form. Shut the doors and make
the flock roost in the open from now
till cooler nights Get some sort of
supports outside and put the roosts
on them, first giving the Ioosts a
good painting of stock dip, and the
: flock will not be so liable to roup.
1t often comes from the hot nights
and too sudden cooling when they
come out in the early mo ming.
It's hot to do much work now,
but it's better to be safe than sorry,
and now is the time to subscribe for
the winter eggs, and we must pay
in advance by fixing things so that
they will be delivered when we want
them.
N. B.-The visitors decided that
mites, scaly legs and old age might
be causes for their egg shortage. I
showed them that my laying hens
were not in the same flock with my
youngsters. Don't feed your pullets.
for eggs, that you expect to use next
spring for breeders. Let them grow
and mature gradually.