86 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 
than fifty hens, so that this matter of large flocks 
will interest him only in an academic way. 
The use of litter on the floor is most important. 
It may be two or three inches deep at the beginning 
of the season and more thrown in as the first be- 
comes broken into fine pieces. Of course, there is 
such a thing as having it too deep. The main 
thing is to keep the hens working early and late 
seeking food. A little millet or hemp seed in the 
litter will act as an extra inducement to scratch en- 
ergetically and persistently. 
It must be remembered that in mid-Winter the 
hens keep short hours. With two-thirds of their 
time spent on the roost, they should have no time 
to waste during the day. The poultry keeper wants 
them to eat all they will and a busy hen has a much 
better appetite than one which stands around idly. 
Green food is essential. Sprouted oats have been 
mentioned in another chapter. Wheat and barley 
may be sprouted in the same way. Some amateurs 
who are handy with tools make a little frame which 
contains four or five trays on which the grains are 
spread after they have been soaked over night in 
warm water. The bottoms of the trays have slats 
placed so closely together that the grain will not 
