FIfitiT LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 95 



Consideration must also be given to the fact that, though by confinement and high feeding, 

 hens may, as a rule, be made more productive than when given more liberty and lighter diet, 

 the process wears them out faster, and it is not advisable to force in this way hens that are to 

 be used the next season for breeding purposes, or indeed hens that are wanted to lay during 

 the succeeding winter and spring. High feeding through summer should be carried to the 

 limit only with hens that are destined to be sold as soon as they cease to lay profitably. With 

 those we want to produce longer we must be more moderate, and must modify the diet, even 

 at cost of reduction in the egg yield, during extreme hot weather. 



The Effects of Change. 



Another point to be considered is that a change of quarters or a change from one system to a 

 quite different one, with perhaps, changes in diet or method of feeding with the changing con- 

 ditions, will at the same time better the condition and the egg yield of fowls. 



Again and again poultry men have taken breeding hens after months of heavy laying in con- 

 finement, put them on range to recuperate, not caring whether the hens laid or not, and found 

 that after a little rest they began to lay, and laid well for a long time, when if left in their old 

 quarters they would probably have done nothing. Good laying under such conditions does not 

 seem to take as much out of the fowls as the same production in confinement. Such a change 

 is not a sure way of making hens lay in summer, but it seems to do so often enough to make it 

 worth a trial when other methods fail. 



Summer Feeding. 



Except for extremely hot periods or conditions which give hot effects continuously as small 

 yards and badly ventilated houses the general summer and winter rations for laying stock may 

 be virtually the same. 



Using such rations as are given in Lesson I. for moderate winter weather, increase the corn 

 meal and corn in them for extreme cold winter weather, and for summer reduce the corn meal 

 and (especially) the corn in warmest weather. 



In the last two or three seasons I have had more trouble with cracked corn than in all my 

 previous experience, finding it difficult to get cracked corn free from mold. Consequently I 

 have fed less cracked corn than formerly, and sometimes have omitted it altogether for weeks 

 at a time. Good clean cracked corn free from mold and not heated may be fed to hens on 

 range or in large grass yards quite as freely now as in winter, except in hottest weather, when 

 it is advisable to leave it out. 



Green Food. 



Ordinarily fowls may be allowed all the green food they will eat, both winter and summer. 

 Sometimes, however, when the weather is extremely hot they will, if liberally supplied with 

 green food, fill up on it and take too little grain to sustain egg production at their usual mark. 

 If egg production is to be maintained, if possible it is best at such times to feed green food only 

 after the fowls have been fed on grain. 



Again, fowls on a range well supplied with grass and insects are apt to get in the habit of 

 foraging early, maintaining themselves on insects and grass, and lay very little. The best way 

 to do in such cases is to keep the hens up until they have had one good feed of grain. If prac- 

 ticable the end sought may be gained by increasing the number of fowls on the range, thus 

 making the supply of food each secures by foraging enough less than a comfortable sufficiency 

 to keep it ready to take a fair ration of grain once or twice a day. 



Animal Food. 



A range must be very good indeed to furnish all the animal food they need to what fowls 

 can get all the green food they need on it. Hence under ordinary conditions it is more neces- 

 sary to supplement the animal food of hens on range than to provide special supplies of green 

 food, and I think hens on range in summer will stand even heavier feeding of concentrated, 

 prepared meat foods than when confined in winter. For hens that are closely confined it is 

 safer to reduce the proportions of prepared animal food, and if it is desired to feed meat heavily 

 feed at least a part of fresh meat or green cut bone, which contain large percentages of water. 

 In feeding concentrated animal foods at this season special attention should be given to the 



