The Question Box. 335 



We had 65 bushels of nice, clean seed; sufficient for our 2,500 or 

 2,600 hens, but it must not be fed too heavily, as it is very laxa- 

 tive. Three pounds of animal meal to 100 pounds of mixed meal 

 will do for 100 hens. 



Do you think that chickens ought to be in places where hogs or other 

 animals are kept? 



Answer. — I wouldn't do that. No respectable hen ought to 

 be compelled to associate with hogs, nor would I allow a hen 

 to roost on a carriage top. Give them a place by themselves. 



Will hens lay in a room where water freezes at night, if they have the 

 proper foods? 



Answer. — I think so, if the hen house is not cold, so as to 

 cause the hen to freeze her comb. 



What is the best feed for laying hens in winter? 



Mr. Converse. — It is a physical impossibility to make a fat hen 

 lay eggs. They must have protein foods. Our plan is to feed a 

 warm mash in the morning, made of a mixture of 200 pounds of 

 coarse wheat bran, 200 pounds of ground oats and peas, 200 

 pounds of yellow corn meal and 100 pounds of animal meal. It 

 is all mixed thoroughly and wet with skim-milk if we have it; 

 if not, warm water is used. The whole grain ration is composed 

 of one part of corn, one of wheat. This is scattered in the straw 

 on the floors, and the hens allowed to work for it. They should 

 also have some vegetables such as beets and cabbage; also some- 

 thing to make shell, such as ground oyster shells; also dust baths; 

 and there should always be provided an abundance of pure, clean 

 water. 



Dr. Smead. — Mr. James Rice of Yorktown, well known to many 

 of you as an institute speaker, is a breeder of poultry on quite 

 a large scale, having at this time about 600 white, single-comb 

 Leghorns. His winter ration is whole wheat, three quarts to 50 

 hens, sprinkled broadcast in whole straw on the poultry house 

 floor. The straw is about a foot thick and the hens are forced 

 to work for the wheat, which gives them plenty of exercise. This 

 for the noon meal. Corn is fed at night for the hens to " go to 

 bed on," and for the purpose of keeping up the grinding process 

 in the crops. 



