SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KEEPING 



possible give the chicks a grass run, if not, keep them well 

 supplied with fresh gi'een food, like lawn clippings, clover, 

 green cut rye, beets, turnips, etc. 



If the birds are to be marketed, feed cracked corn and beef 

 scrap, keeping it constantly before them. In addition, keep 

 in one compartment of the food hopper, the following dry ground 

 grain mixture: Yellow corn, 50 pounds; heavy oats, 15 pounds; 

 hard red wheat, 15 pounds; sound barley, 15 pounds; all ground 

 together to flour fineness. Add to this 5 pounds of pure mealed 

 clover or alfalfa and thoroughly mix. Feed dry from a food 

 hopper. Keep market birds confined in moderate sized runs 

 Do not let them range. 



If the chicks are to become breeders or layers, keep the 

 beef scrap and the above meal mixture always before them, but 

 allow free or liberal range. Supply a grass range if you can, 

 but in any case allow plenty of fresh green food. Three times 

 a day give a liberal feeding of mixed hard grains in about the 

 following proportions: 40 pounds sifted cracked corn; 30 pounds 

 hard red wheat; 20 pounds heavy oats; 10 pounds barley; 40 

 pounds cracked corn; 40 pounds clean wheat screenings; 10 

 pounds oats (hulled preferred); 10 pounds barley. 



Grit, charcoal and pure water should of course be kept 

 always before the birds. 



KEEP QUARTERS CLEiAN 



Keep the chicks' quarters clean; if they are confined to 

 small runs remove to new runs often, always plowing up and 

 disinfecting the old ground from which the chicks were moved. 

 Air-slaked lime (if thoroughly slaked) will answer for disinfec- 

 tion if a good top dressing of it is given before plowing under. 

 It will be well to plant these old runs to rye or oats to sweeten 

 the soil and afford green food for fresh crops of chicks. 



The colony houses should be cleaned at least once a week 

 and kept clean, renewing the sand and litter often. In these 

 houses use a creolin disinfectant or a good lice paint at frequent 

 intervals. Take the roofs off and sun and air the coops often. 

 A little hot whitewash applied to the interior in the early morn- 

 ing of a bright sunny day, and a thorough drying out after- 

 ward, is an excellent means of sweetening the coops. Don't 

 let the chicks get lousy. If lice appear use a lice paint on the 

 woodwork and a good lice powder on the birds. 



When the chicks are a little more than half grown put 

 roosts into the coops for them. If they are healthy, well-fed 

 and well-nourished you need not fear crooked breast bones. 

 Provide shade and shelter for the birds to run to in hot or stormy 

 weather, but don't neglect to make the proper use of Nature's 

 best remedies, sunshine and fresh air 



In closing this chapter we present our final symposium of 

 the experience of successful poultrymen. The following ques- 

 tions were asked of a large number of prominent breeders who 

 are known to be men of experience and who have attained suc- 

 cess in poultry keeping: 



Q. 33. How many head of growing stock do you house 

 and yard together? 



Q. 34. At what age do you separate the sexes? 



Q. 35. Do you find it advisable, later on, to separate 

 the cockerels? 



Q. 36. If so, what method do you follow? 



Q. 37. What do you feed growing stock? 



Q. 38. How do you feed growing stock, also how often? 



As in previous symposiums we have numbered these ques- 

 tions and the answers, which follow beneath the name of each 

 breeder from whom replies were received, each bear a number 

 which corresponds with the question asked. - 



W. R. GRAVES, Springfield, Mass. 



WHITE WYANDOTTES 



A. 33. From 25 to 50 according to size of place. 

 ' A. 34. When they are easily distinguished. 



A. 35. Yes, I do for show birds. 



A. 36. When matured or nearly so have house with large 

 coops, and place one bird in house with run and change birds 

 every day, not allowing them in coop over three days at a time. 



W. L. DAVIS, WILLOW BROOK FARM, 

 Berlin, Conn. 



BREEDER OF S. C. BUFF, BLACK AND WHITE ORPINGTONS 



A. 33. For young stock we house in a yard together at 

 the present time about 40 or 50, and as they grow older we cull 

 this number down to about 25. 



A. 34. We separate the males from the females at the 

 time we hear the young cockerels commence to crow, in fact, 

 we allow them to remain together as long as conditons are 

 satisfactory and they get along well together, but never wait 

 for them to commence to try to run each other, , but take the 

 matter in hand and separate them. 



A. 35. I think it advisable to separate the cockerels 

 just as soon as they show any sgns of trying to run the yard. 



A. 37. Our growing stock is always fed enough, but we 

 always try not to overfeed. We keep ground beef scraps in 

 front of our growing stock all the time. They never can eat 

 too much of this. 



A. 38. The greatest success in the poultry business is 

 to be obtained by prompt, regular feeding, and also giving them 

 plenty of good fresh water. I think one of the finest foods in 

 the market today is stale bread that has been dried out so that 

 it will keep an indefinite time.. Take this bread and soak the 

 same in a pail of water for an hour, then put it into a small 

 cider press, and squeeze out all the water, and you have feed 

 as good as anything that I know of. If your baker will give 

 you the wheat and graham bread mixed together you have 

 something then that the chickens will like and do well upon. 

 Buy good beef scraps, and keep it before your chickens all the 

 time. They know how much to eat, I find, without telling 

 them. If you do not believe this, come to our farm and we 

 will show you the results. 



WILBER BROS., Petros, Tennessee 



S. C. WHITE LEGHORN SPECIALISTS 



A. 33. Twenty-five to 50 according to size, but never 

 any more. 



A. 34. As soon as the cockerels begin paying attention 

 to pullets, from two to three months of age. 



A. 35. We do, as the older cockerels will run over and 

 worry the younger ones and they will not mature into as good 

 specimens. Birds of about the same age can be reared together 

 but different aged cockerels, also pullets, should be separately 

 yarded. 



A. 36. Again, if when we note some cockerels or pullets 

 at the age of nearing maturity showing up to be very fine we 

 separate them, allowing only two to five in yard. 



A. 37. After birds reach ten weeks they are colonized 

 in lots of 25 to 50 and fed a variety of grain, vegetables twice 

 a week finely cut up, often boiled and seasoned, ground beef 

 scraps twice weekly, cabbage, sun-flower seed, butter milk once 

 a week, the variety being our object in view to give birds growth 

 in bone and flesh. 



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