THE DOLLAR HEN FARM 
The first thing is the farmstead, including such orchard and 
garden as are desired. This stretches across the entire front 
end of the place. The remainder of the strip is fenced in with 
chicken fence. The farm is also divided into two narrow 
fields by a fence down the center of the strip. This fence, at 
frequent intervals, has removable panels. 
The year’s season we will begin late in the fall. All layers 
are in field No. 1 pasturing on rape, top turnips or other fall 
crops. In lot No. 2 is growing wheat or rye. As the green 
feed gets short in the first lot the hens are let into lot No. 
2. Sometime in March the houses that have been brought up 
close to the gaps are drawn through into the wheat field. The 
feed hoppers are also gradually moved and the hens find them- 
selves confined in lot No. 2 without any serious disturbance. 
Lot No. 1 is broken up as soon as weather permits and 
planted in oats, corn, Kaffir corn and perhaps a few sunflowers. 
The oats form a little strip near the coops and watering places 
and the Kaffir corn is on the far side. As soon as corn plant- 
ing is over the farmer begins to receive his chickens from the 
hatchery. The brooders are now placed in the corn field. 
The object of the corn is not green food but for a shade and a 
grain crop. 
The chicks are summered in the corn field and the hens in 
the wheat or rye. Whether the latter will head up will de- 
pend upon the number of the flock. It will be best to work 
the houses across to the far side and let that portion near the 
middle fence head up. As the old grain gets too tough for 
green food strips of ground should be broken up and sown in 
oats. The grain that matures will not be cut, but the hens 
will be allowed to thresh it out. The straw may be cut with 
mower or scythe for use as nesting material. 
Sometime in June or early in July a little rape vetch or 
cow-peas is drilled in between the rows of corn as on the far 
side from the chicken coops. During July or about the first 
of August, after all cockerels have been sold, the gates are 
opened and the pullets are allowed to associate with the hens. 
After this acquaintance ripens into friendship the hen houses 
sre worked back into the pullet lots. Surplus hens are sold 
off or new houses inserted as the case may be until there is 
room for the pullets in the houses. Each coop is worked up 
alongside a house and after most of the pullets have taken to 
the houses the coops are removed. The vacant lot is now 
broken up and sown in a mixture of fall green crops. 
The flock is kept in the corn field until the corn is ripe. 
The Kaffir corn and sunflowers are knocked down where they 
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