A Market Gardener's Hens. 75 



GENERAL CARE. — Once a week the floors are thoroughly cleaned, 

 the manure is scraped up, the soiled litter removed, the whole floor 

 swept and then fresh leaves put in. This is very important, and must 

 not be postponed, as nothing will cause hens to lose their tone and 

 vigor more quickly than eating from foul litter. Of course ventilation 

 is freely given by opening windows or screened doors so as not to cause 

 a draft. In severe weather all is kept close, ventilating thoroughly 

 two or three times a day when the hens are busy. Clean water is 

 given every morning and warm water added when cold enough to 

 freeze. The dust bath is renewed once in two weeks. No roosters 

 are kept in the flock. The food consists of corn, oats, wheat, corn- 

 chop and bran, beef scrap, cabbage, hay and milk. The quantity the 

 hens will eat varies with the number of eggs produced ; but last Winter, 

 when the flock was at its best, and the quantity of food had been the same 

 for more than a month, I took a note of the exact quantity, and comparing 

 this with the amount fed this season since they are in full laying condition 



1 find it is practically the same. The quantity for 100 hens per day is about 

 as follows: Corn, 3% quarts; oats, six quarts; wheat, five quarts; corn- 

 chop and bran, mixed equal parts by weight for the mash, six quarts ; beei 

 scrap, one pint every second day; cabbage, three or four small to medium 

 heads. About a peck of hay shatterings, mostly clover, such as collects 

 where hay is thrown down, is given every few days. 



FEEDING SYSTEM.— Not less important than the variety and 

 quantity of food is its proper distribution throughout the day. In 

 this it is well to remember the conditions in the Spring that usually 

 induce the laziest hen to lay. The warm weather, new grass and 

 insects coax her out, and she eats all day long, but only a little at a 

 time, she becomes interested and busy. This is the vital point. No 

 moping hen ever laid many eggs. With these facts in view the hens 

 are fed little and often, six times in a day, as follows: Early in the 

 morning they are given iVi quart of oats. They wake up and take 

 some exercise scratching for this, and then at eight o'clock they get their 

 mash. At 10 o'clock 1^ quart of oats are again given and the same at 



2 P. M. The noon feed consists of two quarts of wheat, and the evening 

 feed, which is intended to be all they will eat, is S^/^ quarts of corn, three 

 quarts of wheat and 1^2 quart oats. The cabbage is invariably fed in the 

 evening after the grain. Milk and beef scrap are mixed in the mash. I 

 have found mangels a fair substitute for cabbage. Caution should be 

 exercised not to overfeed either of these or any other "greens," as it is 

 sure to cause a derangement of appetite. It will be noticed that oats are 

 fed in small quantities and often. I consider them a very important pari 

 of the ration on account of their bulk, but experience has made me cautious 

 of feeding any large quantity at a time. Now, to those not accustomed to 



