The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-01-03
Hens IN Winter
Quarters Need
Special Care

"Hens should have a comfortable
house to live in," says G. s. johnson,
Manager of the Poultry Department
of the Purina Mills. "This doesn't
that is clean, dry, well insulated. free
from drafts, and well ventilated.
''In accomplishing these features the
first important step Is cleanliness and
sanitation. The house should be
scrubbed and disinfected regularly
with a Cre-so-fec solution at the rate
of one pint to six gallons Of water.
To avoid crowding, at least 81 to 4
square feet of floor space should be-
allowed per bird. Plenty of ventila-i
ton, too, is important because in a,
24-hour period 200 hens will throw
off % quarts of water in the air they
breathe out, and through their drop
pings.
'Roosts," Johnson says, SHOULD be
II to IA inches apart, allowing 6 10 9,
inches space per bird, with the perch
poles running from the rear of the
house toward the front, not from side
to side. 1t Is best to provide dropping
boards, using poultry wire under the
roosts and over the top of the boards
for proper sanitation. A nest for each
6 to s birds Is recommended, If space,
permits. Nests for light breeds should
be 12x12 inches and for heavy breeds
14x14 inches. "a good clean litter Is
essential Wheat straw, Oat straw,
wood shavings or peat moss will serve,
the purpose When necessary, the lit
ter should be changed and the floor
thoroughly cleaned. The house itself,
should be dry at all times end every-i
thing kept clean and sanitary both In
side and outside the house.
'"The care of the flock during these
months of confinement is just as inn.
portant as keeping the house in shape!
for the flock" says Johnson. 1.-THE
owner should Gull his laying stock as,
early in the fall as possible, replacing
them with pullets. Doing this will I'M
sure steady year-round supply OF,
eggs.
Worming Is Easy.
'If the birds show symptoms OF,
worms, they should be wormed be-
fore going into winter quarters, and
as often after as indicated. Worm
ing is made easy by the use Of Round
worm Tetsules to get rid of large
round and Tapeworm Kernels to pre-
vent damage from tapewOrms. Both
of these products were developed In
the Purina Research Laboratories"
Making sure that the layers get In
their feed the elements needed for
health and egg production, Is more |
good common sense that counts for
lot in keeping chickens on profit !;
able basis during the winter months,
according to Johnson.
Hens Need Vitamin A.
"Hens need lot of Vitamin A for
their bodies and to put into the eggs
they lay" he says. "rhe faster a /
hen lays, the more she draws on the
Vitamin A reserve in her own body.
Finally, the reserve is used up and
unless it is replenished the hen goes
to pieces. That's why hen mortality
has increased at such an alrming rate
the last few years. 1t is u known fact
that hen mortality runs from 27@o to
$780, in many parts of the country and
in some congested areas goes as high
as 55.5@6.
"Poultrymen everywhere know that
hens literally lay their heads off DUR
luS luG SlililS ulOItiio anu JCS nSOP
in good health. They do not go to
pieces. One of the big reasons is the
abundance of young, tender, green
feed which tones them up and puts
them in radiant health. There's an
elusive something in fresh. young,
tender, green feed that does wonders
for hens. That's why poultrymen
years ago began feeding sprouted oats
to hens during the long winter months.
But sprouted oats were unsatisfac-
tory and few poultrymen would bother
with them. A more practical way had
to be discovered
Puratene New Discovery.
"After years of research, scientists
have found way to capture this COED
ness and rut it into bag to feed.
They have found way to extract that
elusive something and refine 1t into
Puralene, the new ingredient that is
now being used in Purina poultry
mashes. Enough Puratene is mixed In
each bag to step up its Vitamin ac-
tivity 21s times. This gives hens suf-
ticient Vitamin A to let them lay all
winter like they do in spring and keep
in springtime health"