64 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[April, 1882. 



Poultry. 



Sunflower Seed for poultry. 



A correspondent, Mrs. M. J. C, Otter, Iowa, gives 

 her experience in raising raanimotli Russian sun- 

 flower seed for poultry and for stock. It is eagerly 

 eaten, malies the hens produce eggs plentifully, 

 keeps the feathers glossy and elegant. Our corres- 

 pondent has grown it successfully on a variety of 

 soils and even in fence corners, and regards the stalks 

 to be used for kindling wood as by no means unim- 

 portant. In conclusion, she adds: "It grows to 

 double the size of the common South American va- 

 riety, and far excels it in the large heads of nice 

 black seeds, if cultivated like other errains and kept 

 free from weeds. I raised heads larger over than 

 a water pail, and very heavy. I plant a patch 

 every year for my chickens. If you plant near your 

 barn the poultry will live and grow fat, and one 

 would be astonished at the amount of eggs pro- 

 duced. It takes three quarts for an acre and plant 

 as far apart as corn." 



Grain aud Vegetables. 



There are none of the cereals raised in this coun- 

 try, says the Ponltry U'ocW, but have their uses as 

 feed for domestic poultry. And all the root vegeta- 

 bles, such as turnips, potatoes, carrots, beets, ruta- 

 bagas, etc., when cooked and mixed with meal or 

 bran, half and half each, are esteemed economical 

 and healthful for fowl feed. 



The fattening properties of some grains, and the 

 undue allowance daily of boiled potatoes aud corn or 

 wheat meal are excessive, however. And where the 

 Asiatics only are kept, discretion must be exercised 

 in dealing out these hearty kinds of aliment, inas- 

 much as it is neither healthful, economical, or iiseful 

 to stuff these birds with such feed. 



The Cochins, the Brahmas, the Dorkings, and the 

 Plymouth Rocks will very quickly become next to 

 useless as Uiijers if indulged in overfeeding with these 

 rich grains and succulent roots. Care must, there- 

 fore, be had to avoid this error, particularly along 

 through the late fall and winter, when we are pre- 

 paring them for early spring laying. 



If they gel fat in cold weather old hens will gather 

 this objectionable kind of flesh internally often. And 

 this directly interferes with their laying, while it 

 harms the quality of the egg they do lay, for future 

 hatching. 



All our fowls should be well fed in cold weather. 

 But the breedini/ stock must he cautiously managed 

 in this particular, or their eggs will very frequently 

 prove infertile, from excessive cramming with these 

 hearty sorts of food. 



Keep a ready supply of oats aud barley at hand for 

 these birds. Allow them but little corn, and this 

 crushed, and to be given at night only. Plenty of 

 green vegetables will help them, steadily allowed all 

 winter, such as cabbages, chopped rutabagas, etc. 

 And if we avoid whole wheat, buckwheat, and whole 

 corn — for our breeders — they will do much better 

 next spring, when wcwant their eggs for incubation. 



Poultry Upon the Farm. 



As a general rule, fowls run the farmer in debt dur- 

 ing the winter months, when, with proper care they 

 could be made to pay a handsome profit. The tirst 

 especial thing is good, dry, warm quarters. Second, 

 is plenty of egg-producing food fed regular, with a 

 dish of warm water (or wariu skim milk is much 

 better) for drink with each feed. The liest food in 

 the morning is a mush, made of equal parts of corn, 

 barley, oat-meal with a few shorts all mixed thor- 

 oughly with boiling hot water (or milk if you have 

 it), add a teaspoonful of line salt to every quart of 

 grain ; once a week add a little sulphur and cayenne 

 pepper; give it to them while warm, just as soon as 

 they come off of the roost or can see to eat it. 



Ten o'clock or just before dinner, feed with boiled 

 meat, cut fine, or boiled fish ; the offal from the 

 markets and slaughter-houses is a very cheap way to 

 get fish and meat for your fowls- Four o'clock, 

 give all they will eat of dry, whole grain, equal parts 

 corn, buckwheat, barley, burnt wheat or wheat, 

 screenings aud oats. More depends upon the lood 

 than the breed of fowls ; but most farmers would 

 think it too much trouble to follow the above, but 

 would go ofl' to the nearest store or hotel and let 

 poor biddy scratch in the hay-chaff for her breakfast, 

 dinner and supper. — Mirror. 



Dressing and Keeping Poultry. 



In reference to dressing and keeping poultry, 

 "J," of the Philadclplda liccurd, gives this sound 

 and good advice: After the fowl is killed and pluck- 

 ed, cut off the head and feet, and draw out the en- 

 tire inside parts. Then carefully wash and place 

 aside to cool. After cooling sprinkle good table salt 

 into every part of the inside, and well rub salt on 

 the outside of the b{Mly; then nicely clean, and salt 

 the heart, liver aud gizzard, and place them into the 



carcass, as many buyers prefer to have them. Or, 

 if preferred, clean the fowls as directed, and instead 

 of salting, place them in an air-tight box, and at the 

 bottom of the hkx burn a small quantity of sulphur. 

 As soon as the sulphur fumes begin to rise close the 

 box, and at the end of half an hour take out the 

 fowls and pack them for market. They will keep 

 for weeks by this process, as the sulphur fumes 

 effectually prevent fermentation in all substances; 

 and instead of being injurious are positively bene 

 ficial, in completely destroying everything that could 

 by any means be injurious in the carcass. It will 

 give a peculiar glazed appearance to the fowl, and a 

 slight odor of the sulphur may remain (often none), 

 but the moment the carcass is heated for cooking 

 the sulphur gas passes off, and the meat is purer 

 aud better than before. 



Common Sense in the Poultry Yard. 



The "poultry" that everybody keeps are techni- 

 cally designated " fowls," or " barn door fowls." As 

 a rule they are kept in small flocks, fed chiefly upon 

 what no farmer misses. On most farms a flock of 

 twelve to twenty hens will pick up a living without 

 receiving a particle of grain from May to October, in- 

 cluding both months. Their food consists of insects, 

 seeds and grass or weeds; they need fresh water be- 

 sides. What wonder is it that fowls thus kept are 

 demonstrably more profitable than any class of stock 

 or any crop on the farm ? This is the best way to 

 keep fowls, provided th^y can be induced to lay 

 where their eggs can be found while fresh. To ac- 

 complish this a house of some kind is needed where 

 the fowls may be shut in occasionally for a few days 

 at a time, so as to make them roost and lay in con 

 venient places. If fowls can roost in the trees, lay 

 all over the farm and "dust" themselves in the road, 

 they will almost surely be healthy, lay a good many 

 eggs and keep in good condition. Besides, every now 

 and then^ a hen will unexpectedly appear with a 

 brood of ten or a dozen chicks, hatched under one 

 bush where she had "stolen" her nest and done her 

 hatching. That is all very well, so far as the hen is 

 concerned, but no one wants it to happen. We wish 

 the hens to lay and sit where wecan put whateggs we 

 please under them for hatching — and what is still 

 more important, we wish to be able to collect the 

 eggs for use or for sale daily. A fresh egg is a joy, a 

 delight, a good gift of heaven — a " perfectly good " 

 egg is an abomination. An egg to be fit to eat or for 

 sale, must be fresh beyond peradventure, and utterly 

 untainted with suspicion of having been brooded or 

 weathered. For this reason it is a most untidy thing 

 to use natural nest eggs. The nest egg after awhile 

 is almost surely gathered and of course is not 

 "right." — American AQviculturigt. 



The Roup in Fowls. 



Poultry is beginning to receive more attention from 

 farmers of late years, and for the amount usually in- 

 vested in that class of stock a much greater profit is 

 derived than from any other. Of all the ills to which 

 they are subject the most common is the roup. There 

 are several forms of it, the disease presenting symp- 

 toius similar to the "colds" incident to humans. The 

 signs are depression of the wings, running at the 

 nose, sore throat and an occasional sound like "pip" 

 from those that have it in the early stages. It does 

 more damage than cholera, for the reason that it can 

 be engendered in every yard without the knowledge 

 of the farmer. 



Roup comes from exposure. A single crack lu a 

 fowl house will allow a slight draught that often is 

 more serious than a large opening. It develops itself 

 among the fowls in damp weather generally, aud is 

 contagious if not at once arrested. It is a disease 

 that seems to seek the hard feathered fowls, such as 

 Games, Leghorns, Black Spanish and Hambargs. 

 Fowls with flufl'y or dowuy feathers are not liable to 

 it, as they are thus better protected from cold. Of 

 this class the Asiatics and Plymouth Rocks are ex- 

 amples. / 



To know what fowls are subject to roup in prefer- 

 ence to others lee any farmer select the Black Span- 

 ish, for instance. The outer feathers are hard, seem 

 full, and they really appear well protected. Now lift 

 up the wing, and the skin is naked or free from 

 downy feathers. Try a Brahma or Plymouth Kock 

 in the same way, and the body cannot be seen, so 

 thick are the fluffs of feathers. It is this covering 

 which enables the Brahma to withstand the severity 

 of our winters without passing through the difi'erent 

 stages of roup; and, being so well protected, less food 

 is appropriated to heating the body, and thus they 

 are better winter layers. This is an important fact 

 for poultrymen to understand — the feathering of the 

 fowls in winter, for the better they are covered with 

 the small downy feathers the more eggs wi 1 be 

 gathered. 



To cure the roup keep the fowl in a warm loca- 

 tion, aud give a teaspoonful of solution of chlorate 

 of potash three times daily, at night swabbing the 

 throat with strong copperas water. Wash the beak 

 with warm water. Let the food be varied and soft, 

 aud keep sick fowls away from those that are well, 

 lu nearly all yards where roup appears the cause can I 



be traced to inattention on the part of the breeder. 

 Farmers seem to think poultry of but little impor' 

 tance, claiming that hens are unprofitable, but those 

 who make this statement seldom do more than gather 

 the eggs, leaving the fowls to care for themselves. 

 Poultry finds quick sale in the markets, and, if the 

 quality is good, high prices are obtained; and as to 

 eggs, they are now selling for more than many buy- 

 ers wish to pay. Were it not for roup, which is a 

 nuisance in nearly all yards, fowls would be kept in 

 larger numbers than usual. It is a very fatal 

 disease, and from its habit of appearing in 

 many different forms often misleads as to its pres 

 ence. Droopy fowls in winter, if a larce proportion, 

 may be examined for roup. In its worst stages it 

 causes swellings on the side of the head, the throat 

 is white and slimy and the fowl refuses food. 



Do not be afraid to handle the fowls, for if they 

 are worth keeping they should be examined very 

 often. Cholera comes hut seldom in some localities 

 but the loup is a wolf waiting at the door always. 

 When once it gets a hold on a flock it will seize all 

 if not stopped. The best preventives are warmth, 

 cleanliness, changeable food and good shelter. 



^ 



Poultry. 



If you want fowls for general purposes take the 

 Leghorns, Hamburgs or Spanish, or some would 

 prefer Dorkings, Polish, lloudans or Crevecoeurs. 

 These last named breeds are what we call constant 

 layers ; but for eggs alone there is no fowl in exist 

 ence that can compete with the Leghorn. They lay 

 more eggs, consume less food, and for early, fast 

 growing spring friers they will out travel any breed. 



Perhaps at this time it would be in better place to 

 say a little towards the care of fowls. There is no 

 other class of stock on the farm, as a general rule, 

 that it 60 sadly neglected as the domestic fowl. Why 

 neglect this great source of human sustenance in 

 such a way? Perhaps some of my readers will hoot 

 at the idea, but it is true there are more fowls and 

 poultry consumed in the Uinted States than there is 

 beef or pork. This looks like a big thing but the 

 statistics show that such is the case. Look at the 

 consumption of eggs alone ; it is almost as great as 

 as that of pork. Now is the time to clean and 

 whitewash your roosts, and be sure and get ahead of 

 all vermin, for they make their start in spring, and 

 are more easily gotten rid of at the start than after 

 they have your hen houses all polluted. A good 

 way to keep them from starting is to pout coal oil 

 on your roosts and any other place about your hen 

 houses where they are likely to make a start. Spring 

 generally brings disease with it, and a good way to 

 keep fowls healthy is to keep a lump of alutii in 

 their drinking water ; the sour from the alum 

 mixed with water, helps to tone up their systems 

 aud keep them in healthy condition. To make fowls 

 healthy and lay well, a good wtiy is to give change 

 of diet, say soft food in the former part of the day 

 and whole grain in the evening ; and green food is 

 very essential for the health of fowls and also neces- 

 sary to insure good success in hatching. But every 

 farmer ought to see to it and have good fowls on his 

 farm, for the flrst reason it takes no more to feed 

 good ones than it does scrubs, and if he wants to 

 sell he won't have one-half the trouble to sell 

 blooded stock that is usually the case with common 

 scrub stock. And I say tliere is not any stock on 

 the farm that will pay more interest on capital in- 

 vested than will well-fed fowls. — Alex. Bickett in 

 Journal of Agriculture. 



Literary and Personal. 



Circular :n llErERENCETo Pyrethrum, issued 

 by the Department of Agriculture; a demi quarto of 

 4 pages, with a full page illustration of Pi/rethrum 

 roxeuiH, with a history of the plant, and ample diiec- 

 tion for its cultivation, preparation for use as an in- 

 secticide, and modes of application. If our tobacco 

 growers could be induced to devote a little corner of 

 their tobacco enclosures to its growth, and 

 give it the same care they give to the cultivation of 

 their favorite " weed," they would at the same 

 time produce the antidote to the baue which ofteu 

 diminishes the value of their crops. 



The Aoricultural Epito.mist, John A. Wooa- 

 ward, editor; J. A. Everitt, publisher; semi- 

 monthly, Watsontown, Pa., at 50 cents a year; de- 

 voted to the interest of American farmers. This is 

 a new candidate for public favor, and judging from 

 the number before us (No. -t, April,) it is amply 

 worthy of it. It is a five columned folio, about the 

 size of the Daily Examittcr, and is replete with able 

 aud practical original and selected articles, illustrat- 

 ing that "i/(' that tilleththelattd under atandinghj shall 

 hai'c plenty of bread.'^ The material and typographi- 

 cal execution arc unexceptionab e, and there is not a 

 single article in it that is not worthy of repetition ; 

 and, hailing from our own Pennsylvania, they are 

 well adapted to the region of Lancaster county. 

 We hail it as a valuable adjunct to our exchange 

 list, and have no hesitation in commending it to the 

 fayorable consideration of our patrons. 



