REPORT OF THE PO UL TR Y MA XA GER. 199 



use every kind of vegetable in rotation, but vegetables of one kind or another, are 

 as a rule, abundant on a farm and the inferior or unmarketable specimens may be 

 given to the poultry. Small potatoes boiled and mixed with wheat bran to which 

 may be added the table and kitchen waste and a couple of handsfull of coarse sand 

 or ground mortar, the whole fed warm for the morning ration, will bo found an ex- 

 cellent vanation. 



LIGHT FEEDING OR NONE, AT NOON. 



Where meat, bones, and vegetables are furnished liberally and regularly there 

 will be no necessity for a noon ration. It must be borne in mind that the tendency 

 is rather to overfeed than otherwise where poultry are cared for, and on the other 

 hand where poultry are not looked after, they get neither care nor comfortable 

 quarters, and of course there is little likelikood of results of any kind being obtained. 



THE AFTERNOON RATION. 



The evening or rather early afternoon ration, for winter days are short, should 

 be a generous one. It is well to remember that a long night fast is before the 

 layers and it is proper to have them go to roost with a full crop. It is better to 

 feed whole grain for this afternoon ration. Should cut, or broken up green bones, 

 not have been fed in the morning it might be well to give a half ration of them at 

 noon and the remaining half at the afternoon grain ration, reducing the grain in 

 proportion to the quantity of bone fed. Neither bones, nor mash, should be fed in 

 anything or anywhere, but in the clean narrow trough at the side of the scratching 

 room. Mr. Alexander Stewart, the well known market gardener and farmer of 

 Hintonburg, told me that he always found his Plymouth Eock hens to lay well in 

 winter on oats and plenty of cabbage. His poultry house was not a particularly 

 warm one. 



KEEP THE WATER FROM FREEZING IP POSSIBLE. 



It would be a very great gain if the shed or house for scratching in, could be so 

 constructed or situated, as to prevent the freezing of the drink water. And where 

 the water does freeze care should be taken to have the chill taken off before it is 

 given to the layers. It should be supplied in this lukewarm condition at least three 

 times a day. Laying hens drink a large quantity of water. But a cold house has 

 other disadvantages such as the vegetables freezing solid; droppings freezing hard 

 to platform and the floor becoming very cold. It has been before remarked that 

 when the layers are kept in a very cold house, the food instead of going to make 

 eggs is drawn upon to supply animal heat. And yet artificial heat is not desirable 

 when it can possibly be done without. If the house could be kept at the freezing 

 point, or three or four degrees higher, it would be found suitable. Before going 

 fui-ther it may be as well to summarize the information so far given as to the 

 exercising and feeding of the layers. In that shape the jooints may be easier to 

 remember. 



SUMMARY OF EXERCISE AND FEEDING POINTS. 



1. Do not gorge the layers by overfeeding. 



2. Use every incentive to keep them from idleness. 



3. Feed as much cut or broken green bones as possible. 



4. Less grain is to be fed when bones and vegetables are supplied in abundance. 



5. The evening ration should be a grain one and generously fed. 



6. The object being to keep the crops of the layers full during the long night 

 fast. 



