250 WINTER EGG PRODUCTION 



themselves with a single breed. They read what breeders 

 of every variety have to say, taking in every word, and 

 forgetting that these breeders have axes to grind. But 

 the beginner is not long in seeing his mistake. He sooner 

 or later cuts down to a single variety. 



Some, too, grow tired of the variety they have chosen, 

 and are continually changing. That class of poultrymen 

 hardly ever get beyond the hobby stage of the industry. 

 Select a single variety, and stick to that. 



Inbreeding is another bugbear. There is nothing that 

 will so quickly ruin stock as this. The house must be 

 dry and free from lice ; the warmer the house the better, 

 but there must be no draughts. 



Regular feeding is also an important point. Fowls 

 soon learn to know when their feeding hour arrives, and 

 will be in a more or less anxious state until they are fed. 

 Have a bill of fare, and stick to it. But see that that bill 

 of fare is composed of a variety. To endeavor to keep a 

 flock on a grain diet will soon breed all sorts of trouble. 



Ground bone, sunflower and millet seed, culled potatoes, 

 scrap meat, stale bread soaked in whey or skimmed milk, 

 cabbage leaves, and all table leavings, are good food for 

 fowls and help to form the needed variety. For a regular 

 grain diet, wheat and corn are favored. If oats are fed, 

 they should be chopped. A daily mash composed of bran, 

 middlings, ground oats, linseed meal and boiled potatoes 

 is excellent. It is best when moistened with milk, but it 

 should not be sloppy. Grit and charcoal are needed at all 

 times. Crushed oyster shells or bits of old mortar help to 

 supply the lime that hens need. 



Some kind of green food is necessary for a large pro- 

 duction of eggs, though it is not essential in fattening. If 

 it is not easy to furnish a variety, a little alfalfa or clover 

 hay will do nicely. Beets, turnips, carrots, potatoes and 

 cabbage are easily supplied on any farm, and they are a 

 valuable food, either boiled or raw. Give all the clean 



