298 CARE OF LAYING HENS 



Special Care Necessary. — No pains should be spared to 

 keep the hens comfortable and happy. During the molt- 

 ing season and on days when it is cold or damp and the 

 hen's appetite is not likely to be keen, if the attendant will 

 bring to her in the middle of thp forenoon and the middle 

 of the afternoon a small amount of hot savory mash, she 

 will welcome it and eat it with such avidity that the whole 

 room will for a moment be transformed into conditions of 

 springtime. Such singing and scratching will be set up as 

 could be duplicated naturally only in the spring of the year. 

 This hot mash in winter not only warms the hen for the 

 moment, but if composed of the right ingredients will so 

 stimulate her appetite and the flow of digestive fluids that 

 she can be made to eat a large amount of other foods and 

 egg production will be increased correspondingly. 



In feeding a hot wet mash no attempt should be made 

 to satisfy thoroughly the hen's appetite. Best results are 

 realized when only enough is used to stimulate her appetite 

 so that she wiU eat more of every kind of food. Only so 

 much should be given at one time as will be eagerly 

 eaten. 



Inducing Molting. — It is not best to induce a molt, 

 though this can be done by feeding short rations for a time 

 and then feeding heavily on foods rich in protein and min- 

 eral salts. The best practice is to endeavor to get aU the 

 eggs it is possible to obtain without injury, keeping care- 

 ful watch to know just when molting begins. When molt- 

 ing has begun a gradual change in the kinds of foods should 

 be made to hasten the molt and make it uniform throughout 

 the flock. The amount of protein should be increased by 

 adding linseed meal or meat, or by increasing the amount 

 of milk or buttermilk fed. Too much buttermilk, or pro- 



