142 



THE LEGHORNS 



time when natural vegetation is in the best form for their 

 use. Lack of tender vegetation and summer heat form a 

 combination that is too much for young chicks to combat 

 successfully. If late-hatched they must have our help, 

 both in the way of tender green food in ample amount 

 and plenty of shade to protect them from the summer 

 sun. 



Feeding the Layers 

 Put the layer-pullets into winter quarters by October 

 1st to 15th. (we name this period as an average for the 

 entire country), on six to eight inches of good scratching 



STANQARD-SIZE EGGS 



market, where smaller eggs are discounted in price. Pullet 

 eggs range smaller naturally than those laid by mature 

 hens of the same breed or variety, but individual pullets and 

 hens of the same breed and flock also lay eggs that vary ten 

 to twenty per cent in size and weight; therefore, in order 

 to develop a strain that will produce large-sized eggs on 

 the average, all persistent layers of small eggs among the 

 breeders should be discarded. This should be the practice 

 also in the case of pullets or hens that lay misshapen eggs 

 of any description. 



litter, and feed as follows: For the morning meal use 

 coarsely-granulated scratching food, composed of the fol- 

 lowing grains: 



25 lbs. Cracked Corn 



40 lbs. Wheat 



20 lbs. Kaffir Corn 



10 lbs. Oats 

 5 lbs. Buckwheat 



54 lb. Sunflower Seed 

 burying it deep in the loose litter. At noon feed a lay- 

 ing mash prepared as follows: 



100 lbs. Wheat Bran 

 40 lbs. Corn Meal 



40 lbs. Middlings 

 SO lbs. Beef Scrap 



1-3 of Bulk of Alfalfa 

 3 lbs. Salt 

 mixed to a crumbly wet state with cold water. To this 

 wet mash, before feeding, add about thirty per cent of 

 short-cut alfalfa or clover, also five per cent of high 

 protein beef scrap, a bit of salt and one per cent of fowl- 

 size grit, mixing thoroughly. Percentages are by meas- 

 ure, not by weight. Alfalfa is a valuable egg food and 

 gives the desirable rich color to the yolk. The alfalfa or 

 clover should be steamed before using by having boiling 

 water poured on it. Pour on as much water as the alfalfa 

 or clover will take up readily, cover the vessel and allow 

 the contents to steam until luke warm, then add to the 

 mash. It is a good plan to let the alfalfa or clover steam 

 over night. The greener-looking and more tender it is, 

 the better the fowls will like it and they can not eat too 

 much of this food. Alfalfa will soak up water to the ex- 

 tent of about one-half its own bulk. Once a week or 

 oftener add one per cent of charcoal to the mash. 



For the evening meal feed scratching food again in 



litter, feeding enough so that there will be some left for 



the fowls to begin on in the early morning when they 



come off the roosts. In winter time feed as early in the 



morning as convenient and supply the evening meal at 



least an hour before dark, giving the birds enough time 



to fill their crops. In spring and summer feed the 



scratching food about 7 A. M. and 5 P. M. Shake up the 



litter about three times a week with the foot or a fork so 



the grain will work well down into it and the fowls can 



move it to good advantage. Keep the litter dry. If it 



gets wet and is allowed to pack, the grain is liable to 



become musty. In scratching, the fowls work with their 



heads to the light and the litter will need to be 



loosened up and thrown or kicked back toward the 



vvindows. 



Keep the laying mash before the heavy layers all 

 the time in hoppers, also a constant supply of high pro- 

 tein beef scraps, fowl-size grit, charcoal, crushed oyster 

 shells. Look closely after the supply of fresh, clean 

 water and be vigilant against the presence of lice or 

 mites. 



Amount to Feed Layers 

 For each layer allow three ounces of the scratching 

 food per day, or eighteen pounds per one hun- 

 dred layers per day, feeding one and one-half ounces 

 per hen at the morning meal and the same quantity for the 

 evening meal. A quart of scratching food weighs 27 to 28 

 ounces. 



Of the noon feed, consisting of the laying mash that 

 is fed crumbly-wet, give the layers of any breed or variety 

 all they will eat up clean in a period of fifteen to twenty 

 minutes. Allow about a pint for each ten fowls at the 

 first feeding and if they eat this, give them a further sup- 

 ply, about half as much more. Do not feed more than 

 they will eat up clean. Wet mash that is left in the 

 troughs or dishes over night is liable to sour and it is 

 fatal to heavy egg production to allow the layers to eat 

 sour food that will ferment in their crops, or to feed them 

 musty or damaged grains which will result in scours and 



BELOAV STANDARD SIZE 



White Leghorn eggs that average 19 ounces to the dozen 

 would grade about 20 per cent lower in price in New York 

 City and other central markets than the standard-size eggs 

 shown above. 



other bowel disorders. These record layers must be kept 

 in prime condition if they are to yield the greatest profit. 

 Keep the laying mash and beef scrap before them all the 

 time (dry form) in waste-proof hoppers, so that any of 

 the birds that do not get their fill each day of the wet 

 mash (including birds on nests at noon hour) can go to 

 the hoppers at will and help themselves to this special egg- 

 forming ration. 



Some kind of animal or meat food is absolutely neces- 



