Who Should Keep Hens? 119 



help her. On a farm where there are willing helpers, mother and the 

 girls will often make a great success with the farm poultry. There are 

 plenty of cases where such women have started with a poor flock of 

 culls, and by wise selection and breeding developed a fine class of poultry 

 that paid better than any other stock on the farm. Women can and will 

 try many things for the comfort of stock which men would not think 

 of. There has been considerable discussion as to whether it pays to 

 provide artificial heat for Kens. We may give here the experience of 

 Zimmer Bros, who live in Cayuga Co., New York, a cold section. 



"We have one poultry house, 30x60, which is divided into 12 pens 

 and has an alley through the center of the house. We use a lint water 

 heater and pipe system for heating it at a cost of $100 for the heating 

 system. Last Winter we used one ton of coal to keep this building 

 at a temperature of 35 to 40. We let the fire out when a thaw was 

 on, and only ran it when the thermometer came to the freezing point 

 inside the building, which was about half the time. This building is used 

 for a brooder house during the Spring months, and this is when we get 

 full value from our heating system by using the hot water pipes for 

 brooders. We have another house, 20x50, divided into six pens with a 

 stove in one end, and the smoke pipe running the whole length of house. 

 One ton of coal has run this stove during the past cold Winter, keeping 

 the inside temperature above freezing. Both these houses are lined, 

 which makes the coal bill small, but when we build again we shall not 

 line the house, because the lining is of no use except during two or 

 three cold months, and the interest on the cost of lining will buy enough 

 coal to keep the house from freezing, and we have severe Winters in 

 this section." 



The farm women can often do much to interest the boys in good 

 poultry. Really a good flock of hens is better for a farmer's boy than a 

 colt or calf. The hens will keep him busyj give money returns quicker 

 and furnish more novelty. Where a woman can interest the boys and get 

 them to help her care for the hens we have one of the best combinations 

 that can be made on a farm. 



