138° COMMON SENSE 
their convenience, but we did not get many eggs in them. Ninety 
per cent. of the eggs were laid in the houses. 
In winter the programme was, of course, considerably varied. 
When the snow was deep many of the sheds were inaccessible, but 
when the ground was clear they were all frequented during the 
day. Instead of sending the hens off hungry to their feeding. 
grounds, however, I gave them soft feed, well cooked,.and consist- 
ing of corn meal, bran, ground oats and rye, flesh, bone dust, 
finely powdered oyster shells, etc. Of course the proportion of the 
latter ingredients was small. A little salt, and sometimes a little 
red pepper were also mixed with the food. This was made into a 
very stiff paste, being, i in fact, worked like baker’s dough, and was 
then placed in troughs, which were made in very simple fashion 
Fig. 11. 
by nailing two narrow boards together along the edges, and closing 
the ends by means of two square pieces, as shown in the engraving, 
Fig. rr. In order to prevent the birds from getting their feet into 
these troughs and defiling the food, I nailed a strip across the top as 
shown in the figure. It answered the purpose admirably. All our 
birds, without exception, would rush for these troughs, so that even 
the slowest feeders got theirshare. ‘They then went to scratching in 
the feeding sheds of their yards, and in this way got plenty of exercise. 
When the snow was on the ground, and no green food was to be 
had, we hung cabbages all around the sheds and Jet them peck 
away at them. We also mixed some very finely cut dried clover 
with their feed. By passing it through a feed cutter and also 
through a mill, we got it down almost toa powder. 
