FARM POULTRY. 



179 



Allow at least 2 square feet of 

 floor space per bird. 



Proper ventilation and sunlight 

 mean a dry house and healthy birds. 



The partial open-front house is 

 conceded to be the best type for most 

 sections. 



The colony plan of housing poul- 

 try may be adopted to good advan- 

 tage on many farms. This system 

 does away with the danger of tainted 

 soil. 



The roosts should be built on the 

 same level, 2 feet 6 inches from the 

 floor, with a dropping board about 

 8 inches below them. 



Good roosts may be made of 2 by 

 2 inch material with upper edges 

 rounded. 



The nests may be placed on the 

 side walls or under the dropping 

 boards. It is best to have them 

 darkened, as the hens prefer a se- 

 cluded place in which to lay. 



Feeding. 



In order to obtain eggs it is neces- 

 sary to have healthy, vigorous stock, 

 properly fed. 



Plenty of exercise increases the 

 egg yield. 



Provide 4 or 5 inches of good, 

 clean litter in which to scatter the 

 grain. 



Cabbages, mangels, potatoes, 

 sprouted oats, etc., make excellent 

 green feed. 



When wet mashes are fed, be sure 

 they are crumbly and not sticky. 



For the first three days chicks may 

 be fed a mixture of equal parts hard- 

 boiled eggs and stale bread, or stale 

 bread soaked in milk. When bread 

 and milk are used, care should be 

 exercised to squeeze all milk out 

 of the bread. From the third or 

 fourth day until the -chicks can eat 

 wheat and cracked com, commercial 

 chick feed is a good ration. 



Plenty of pure, fresh water, grit, 

 shell, and green feed should be avail- 

 able from the first day. 



There is very little danger of over- 

 feeding young stock. 



Feed the chickens about five times 

 daily and only what they will eat up 

 clean in a few minutes, except at 



'Cripple," or Bird "off feed." 

 Eye. 



Note 



Buff Plymouth Rock, English Type. 



A splendid mixture for laying hens 

 is equal parts of cracked com, wheat, 

 and oats, which should be scattered 

 in the litter. 



Bran or middlings and beef scraps 

 should be kept in receptacles to 

 which the fowls have access at all 

 times. 



night, when they should receive all 

 they want. 



Egg Production. 



Produce the infertile egg. 

 Infertile eggs are produced by hens 

 having no male birds with them. 

 Removing the male bird has no 



