THE SEASONS AS AFFECTING POULTRY 



outside of the building and give them a good scald- 

 ing and scrubbing with boiling hot water to which 

 has been added some carbolic acid. This will not 

 only cleanse them from dirt and filth, but will also 

 kill vermin and disease germs. If the house is to 

 be whitewashed, now is the time to do it. Winter 

 quarters that are light and cheery are very desir- 

 able, and nothing is better for producing this effect 

 than giving the interior walls of the house a good 

 coat of whitewash. It also has a sanitary and 

 antiseptic effect. 



The brooders and roosting coops that were used 

 during the past summer should now be thoroughly 

 cleaned and disinfected and stored away indoors 

 for use again next season. If left to stand out in 

 the storms of winter they will warp and crack and 

 lose much of their value. 



The trees are now shedding their foliage, and 

 the practical poultry keeper will find good use for 

 the clean, crisp leaves, and will store away as many 

 as he can use during the winter. They make excel- 

 lent bedding for the poultry house floor during the 

 winter, providing litter for the fowls to scratch in, 

 and also preventing cold currents of air from pass- 

 ing along the floor. 



Lay in a supply of dirt also before cold weather 

 sets in. This can be used to make dust baths dur- 

 ing the winter, and may also be used under the 

 perches. Dirt is an excellent absorbent and deo- 



223 



