THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



31 



TO MAKE HENS LAY. 



jEggs are Wanting Because Hens have not the 

 I Right Feed. 



J A correspondant in the California Cack- 

 i ler, in relation to feeding laj'ing fowls, com- 

 > municates the following: 



There has been a very great complaint in 

 some sections about hens not laying as they 



I should. 



i I think every case can be accounted for. 



I I was recently called in to see a lady's flock 

 . of eighty-eight hens that were looking to 



say the least, fine, yet she said she was not 

 geting as many eggs from them as I was 

 from a pen of eight that were always con- 

 fined in a j'ard 8 x 20, with a tight heuse 5 x 

 5, and hers had free range. I purchased a 

 dozen from her and after killing a couple I 

 found that her hens had not sufficient 

 food to produce eggs. 



While this I believe to be generally the 

 cause of failure of eggs, yet It is not alvfays 

 so; some feed too high and not that food 

 which will produce eggs. I have been for 

 some time experimenting on what kinds of 

 food will produce best results and have 

 found the following by far the best: Bran or 

 barley in the morning, scalded with milk; 

 give all they will eat up clean. In this we 

 have that which is generally acknowleged 

 to produce the greatest per cent of the 

 white of an egg and very little fat. 



At noon feed wheat or s<'reenings. In 

 this we have the lime for shell and also a 

 good per cent, of the yolk. Give all they 

 want, and if you have an ash or manure 

 pile mix a little in for them to scratch af- 

 : ter. 



' At night give a liberal feed of corn and 

 'do not be afraid of making too fat. I do be- 

 ' lieve, contrary to the opinions of some, that 

 will produce eggs, and lots of them, especi- 

 ally in winter. 



Feed beef scraps every other day (cooked) 

 and plenty of meal, with a liberal supply of 

 green food every day. 



Hens fed in this'manner must lay, if they 

 ! are any good at all; if not, get rid of them. 

 An old saying, and a true one. is that a hen 

 properly fed must lay or get fat. Of course 

 this will not apply through molting time. 

 ^News. 



Ji 



1 Clean up the dropping from the roost as 

 often as once a week. 



Chickens like green things as well as you 

 'do, give them grass and vegetables often. 



Give them meal once in a while to take 

 I the place of worms. 



Don't shut up your fowls in little, dirty 

 coops. 



I Keep an eye on them yourself, and don't 

 j expect your hired man to do it all. 



See the premiums offered for the best 

 poultry exhibit on the Iowa State Fair 

 : ground elsewhere in this issue. 

 '. Clean pens and houses will keep away 

 1 iisease to a great extent. 



DUCKS. 



Ducks are not as common and well known 

 as the various breeds of domestic poultry 

 which are usually seen upon the farm, yet 

 in many cases they are very profitable. 

 The duck is not particular as to the quality 

 of food if only it be abundant. Table-waste 

 and the many b3'-products of the vegetable 

 garden, such as cabbage, -beet and turnip 

 leaves, green corn stocks, etc., all are suit- 

 able and much relished by the duck. We 

 also have many breeds of this water fowl 

 that are strictly ornamental and present 

 a most pleasing spectacle when sportively 

 engaged in chasing one another over the 

 surface of their favorite ponds and lakes. 

 — Plain Talk, 



NOTES. 



Many boys and girls, as well as farmer's 

 wives, are accumulating " pin money " by 

 raising chickens. 



Very little money is needed to start poul- 

 try breeding, so no one is debarred from 

 making a trial. 



It pays to get the best to begin with, 

 always, as cheap breeding stock is most sure 

 to lead to disappointment. 



Pure-blooded fouls are much to be pre: 

 ferred to common, mixed stock. 



Clover rowen, when finely cut and steam- 

 ed, affords a very nutricious and appetising 

 meal for laying hens. 



The larger the variety in the food of 

 poultry the better. 



A taste and fancy for poultry is necessary 

 to the highest success. ■ 



It pays to " keep the eye peeled " to see 

 that every thing is running in the poultry 

 houses as it should. 



Dont make the mistake of crowding too 

 many hens together in one apartment, 

 as there is no surer way to induce failure. 



You cannot hire a man to care for hens 

 as they should be cared for. At least this is 

 generally true. The supervision of the 

 owner is usually required. 



If you have any thing to sell advertise 

 it, or let us auction it off, see auction sale 

 department. 



K you wantito buy of good reiable dealers, 

 patronize those who advertise in Obnitho- 

 LOGSiT and Botanist. 



Try our cheap advestisement column. 



Letson Balliet wants a large quantity of 

 poultry. 



Des Moines will soon have the largest poul- 

 try yards in the state. The yards will be 

 located west of Des Moines, with a whole- 

 sale and retail office in the city. 



Now is the time to sell your spring chick- 

 ens. An advertisement in this paper will 

 find for you a ready market. 



Display advertising pays. Don't be 

 stingy with space. 



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