Smyrna times., 1926-04-07
FARM EGG LAYING CONTEST
I'll. S. Palmer, Extension POultryman
of University of Delaware, Reports

I'll. S. Palmer, Extension POultryman
of University of Delaware, Reports
H. S. Palmer, Extension Poultry
man of the University of Delaware,
has just issued his February report of
the Delaware Farm Egg-Laying Con-
test. A total of 159 farms through
out the state reported for February,
and this number represented 29,797
pullets and 20,312 hens, in addition to
1898 birds comprising mixed f1ocks,
making total of 69,102 laying birds
enrolled, and their egg records report
ed during the month. One of the main
points in poultry raising discussed by
Mr.. Palmer in this recent report is
brooder house sanitation, as this is
the season of the year when every
poultryInan should be giving special
attention to the care and management
Of his houses in which young chicks
are to be reared These buildings
should be thoroughly cleaned and
sprayed before the chicks are placed
in them, for comfort and cleanliness
are the secrets to successful brooding.
Thousands Of chicks are killed or
stunted every year by being placed in
brooder houses that are cold and
damp and infested with disease germs
If the brooder house has a dirt floor,
the top layer of four to six inches
should be removed and dirt replaced
with dry soil from a field in which
no chicks have ever run. In the case
Of wooden floors, the walls and floors
should be scrubbed with boiling hot
I've water, and a 5 per cent solution
Of crude carbolic acid makes an ex-
cellent spray for the inside of the
houses where it is almost impossible
to reach with the lye water. After
the floor has dried, it should be COW
cred with a thin layer of sand over
which should be scattered some finely
cut straw or hay to serve as a litter.
The litter of sand should be removed
at the end of ten days, and this pro-
cess repeated every five days until the
chicks are eight weeks old.
The Importance of summer green
food for the chicks is also emphasized
ny WI. Il M1lO 6LctICS IIlclI IllC
growing chicks must be provided with
an abundance of tender, digestible,
green food if they are to develop into
strong and healthy pullets that will
give profitable production, throughout
the coming fall and winter. The type
Of house and the kind Of land each
poultryman has for the rearing Of his
chicks will determine the question of
green food.
The best way to furnish green food
IS to have movable brooder houses
which can be changed to new locations
each year, thereby providing the
chicks with plenty Of fresh green
crops, such as alfalfa, sweet clover, or
any Of the grass crops. For a limit
ed range, however, and where the
brooder houses are stationary, the
ground should be divided into three
lots, and no chickens should be allow
ell on these lots from the time the
pullets are removed in the fall until
the chicks are Matched in the spring.
Such crops az rye, rape, kale, and oats
are recommended for sowing in limit
Ell range lots.
Those poultry raisers who must
keep their young stock confined to
close quarters should turn their soil
II the fall, apply lime and seed the
ground to rye which can be used for
green food by the chicks early the
following spring. This ground should
be plowed and reseeded frequently
during the summer to insure supply
of green food for the season.
For late spring and summer it is
also advisable to plant such crops as
lettuce, kale, rape, swiss chard, or
sorghum, in the garden or truck patch
as a means of supplying the chicks
with green food at this time of the
year. One of Delaware's most sue
cessful pouItfymen sprinkles his lawn
during dry weather and uses lawn
clippings which he considers as being
worth at least $500 year as source
of green feed for his poultry.