26 MAKING POULTEV PAY 



in egg production. By no means keep the lazy hens 

 of any breed, for a lazy hen is not a good egg producer. 

 Keep the ones that molt early for winter layers, and 

 avoid crowding. Hens having the range of the farnn 

 do not need as much attention as those confined in 

 pens. Do not leave chickens to shift for them- 

 selves until the cold bleak days are here, but give them 

 attention all the time (they do not need so much during 

 the warm months when nature supplies their wants), 

 especially during the molting season, when they need 

 plenty and a variety of good wholesome food to supply 

 the extra demand made upon them. At all times en- 

 deavor to keep the hens busy, comfortable, happy and 

 cheerful. 



Every successful poultry keeper has worked out a 

 way of feeding and care which is best for him. He 

 might not be successful with the methods which bring 

 good results for another. The following plan of feed- 

 ing has been quite satisfactory with one good poultry 

 keeper who makes his living from hens. He says: 

 "I mix bran middlings and corn meal in about equal 

 parts, putting in a tablespoonful of ground bone to 

 every two quarts, and season the mash with a little 

 calt and pepper and wet up the mixture with hot milk, 

 when I have it. In the morning, I feed this mash to 

 the hens, and give them only what they will eat up at 

 once, but not enough to quite satisfy them. I then 

 scatter a few handfuls of grain, using wheat, oats and 

 buckwheat for a variety, on the floor, and cover it with 

 leaves, chaff, or other loose litter. This is done several 

 times a day to induce the hens to scratch for the grain 

 and thus get plenty of exercise. In the coldest weather, 

 I feed them boiled corn at night. I give them warm 

 water to drink and keep cut clover, meat and bone, grit 

 and shells in boxes so made that they cannot get into 

 them to scratch them out. I hang up cabbages and 



