CHAPTER XLII 
POULTRY DIARY 
January 
see that the fowls are all comfortably housed and in 
good condition. Pullets will be mostly laying by this 
time and backward ones can be brought on by a special diet of 
green bone fresh from the butcher’s. The older hens ought 
also to be well forward, and breeding-pens should be mated at 
once with second or third year birds. In the early days five hens 
to one cockerel should not be exceeded, especially as eggs are ex- 
pensive at this period, and one wants every one of them fertilised. 
The male bird should be introduced to the pen about three weeks 
before the eggs are required for incubating, and it is well to feed 
him heavily for a week or two before mating up. A male bird 
should never be allowed to run loose with pullets. 
All birds not absolutely needed for egg-production or breeding 
should be culled out and sold. Be sure that the house be as warm 
as possible and free from draughts. Feed plenty of good, whole- 
some food. If you feed dry mash, let the hopper be open all day, 
and feed not less than two ounces of sound grain per bird per day. 
If wet mash is fed, let the birds eat as much as they can pick up 
in, say, half-an-hour, but afterwards clear away anything remain- 
ing until the next meal. Vary the grain food by giving wheat, 
oats and barley or kibbled maize alternately. 
Get your incubators ready and give them a trial run to see 
they are in working order. If there are any frost-bitten combs 
apply a little camphorated oil gently rubbed in. Be sure that 
you do not get your hatching eggs frozen by leaving them exposed 
too long. 
"T= is one of the coldest months of the year, and one must 
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