22 NATURE AND ITS 



keep cut clover hay before the Poultry. This is what Poul- 

 try want. A cow or horse could not live without it, nor 

 Poultry keep healthy. Notice hens in spring-. They will 

 almost gorge themselves with old grass. They want some- 

 thing bulky, and clover hay has lots of lime in it to make 

 eggs. Don't forget this clover, green food and grain of all 

 kinds and cracked fresh bone and water, blood warm in 

 winter and milk. If you have pullets early hatched and of 

 a laying strain you can get twenty-five eggs out of every 150 

 fowls every day in the winter and in the spring you will get 

 seventy-five. 



Have your house front south and let them out every day, 

 or if too stormy open the windows if not too cold. Fresh 

 air and sun are the greatest health preservers we have for 

 all living beings. 



A dust box in front of every window in each house will 

 do a great deal for health. They dust themselves to keep 

 clean the same as we take a bath, whether they have lice or 

 not. A little air slacked lime thrown in every house will 

 sweeten it and prevent dampness. It is also one of the best 

 disinfectants we have. Poultry also like a box of coal 

 ashes, it makes them lay, makes their combs red and is as 

 healthy as charcoal for them. They get lots of egg forming 

 food out of the ashes. 



Ventilation is not necessary. Never have a ventilator 

 in a hen house. The best ventilator is to keep the house 

 clean, that is, clean out the manure and don't crowd too 

 many in one small house, Never use drop boards if you can 

 help it, unless you clean them every day. If you have drop 

 boards keep the boards about three feet away from roosting 

 poles, then the fowls won't breathe in the foul air all night 

 long. This is very dangerous and causes consumption. The 

 best way to air a house is to open the windows every day, 

 closing them as night. Don't close house up tight in mild 

 weather, but keep the window open a little, a.nd from April 

 to Thanksgiving day keep all the windows open and let in 

 all the air possible, and then in hot weather keep houses a. 



