SUMMER WORK 83 



so I would advise you to save two-year-old hens for mothers, for 

 your flock next year, especially if they are pure bred, and to mate 

 them to one or more, according to the number, vigorous, pure-bred 

 cockerels. You had better sell off all the other cockerels, or keep 

 them by themselves and eat them, or you might have them capon- 

 ized, if you can find anyone to do it for you. The usual price for 

 caponizing is from five to ten cents per head. 



Teaching Them to Roost 



It is sometimes difficult to- persuade the young chickens at this 

 time of the year (September), when moved to winter quarters, to 

 go into the coop or house, which they should occupy. The little 

 perversities insist on returning to the place where their mother 

 has raised them, or they will huddle together on the ground, while 

 the older ones fly into the low trees. Night after night, they have to 

 be carried to their house. I, however, have found that by driving 

 them gently with a broom for two or at most three nights, they 

 will soon learn what is expected of them. A broom is by far the 

 best way of driving chickens without frightening them. 



A broom in each hand is the best way of driving a large herd of 

 turkeys, also, by gently waving them on each side. They will be 

 afraid of the broom, but never become wild or afraid of the attend- 

 ant in this way. It is entirely possible to drive the profits out of a 

 flock of hens by stoning and pelting them every time they get into 

 mischief. Be quiet in your manner if you wish to be successful 

 with hens. Make the fowls feel that, when you are present there 

 is a protector among them, not something that is likely to scare 

 or harm them. The only way to keep your fowls on good terms 

 with you is by keeping them tame and treating them in a common- 

 sense manner. 



The Dry Hopper 



In the matter of feeding hens on a farm, I would much prefer the 

 dry hopper method, keeping one hopper full of mixed grains and 

 one hopper with beef scraps or granulated milk, and letting the 

 fowls have free range until it is time to put them in their winter 

 quarters. Then instead of only grain in the hopper, make the mix- 

 ture of bran, corn meal and alfalfa meal, or take one of the good 

 balanced rations sold at the poultry supply houses for the hopper. 

 The reason for this change which should be made gradually, is that 

 the fowls being confined, do not get the exercise and consequently 

 may get over fat from eating the whole grains, while the finely 

 ground food has to be eaten more slowly. For fowls in confinement 

 besides the hopper or finely ground feed, they should have a scratch 

 pen in which the grain is thrown every morning for them to scratch 

 in. This will give them the exercise which they would otherwise 

 miss after being on free range all the summer. 



After getting the fowls accustomed to their winter quarters, you 

 can, if you wish, let them out for two hours before sun down to 

 run on the grass or green winter wheat, or alfalfa. This will give 

 them a little exercise and change, but it is not absolutely necessary 



