170 POULTRY NOTES. 



care and feed. From the best laying pullets select the hens for next season's 

 breeding and mark them with leg bands. In this way you will build up your 

 flock for winter egg production. 



When the fowls are confined have a shallow bo.x filled with road dust in 

 which has lieen mixed a small amount of Diolice. Place the box where it will 

 be in the sunshine as much as possible. This dust bath is a luxury for the hens 

 and helps to rid them of lice and other vermin. 



In considering poultry for profit one must not overlook the value of the 

 manure as .a fertilizer. It should not be used as a top dressing, but mixed with 

 soil and apjilied principally to garden crops. It is worth from two to three times 

 as much as common barnyard manure. 



Hens that are over-fat arc not good layers. Feed less corn and wheat and 

 more green stufi:. Make them exercise as much as possible. 



An excellent way to feed oats is to let them soak over night, then boil until 

 they are soft. Add a little bran or a portion of the mash mixture until it forms 

 a crumbly mass. Feed while it is warm, and on a cold morning this mixture will 

 be greatly relished by the fowds. 



Make a careful study of your birds and care for them according to their 

 individual needs. All fowls are not alike. Some need more attention than others. 



Any disturbance among the hens that causes any degree of fright will notic- 

 ably affect the egg yield for a time. Be very careful that no strange persons or 

 animals cause any excitement among the laying hens. 



If you are troubled with hawks getting" the little chickens, try raising a few 

 guineas. Being of a wild nature they are constantly on the alert and will quickly 

 give the alarm when they see a hawk or some strange animal approaching. 

 Chickens and other fowds soon learn the signal and waste no time in seeking a place 

 of safety. Guineas are very industrious and will pick up nearly their whole living, 

 if given the run of the farm. They have never had much reputation as a table 

 fowl, but on account of the gamey flavor of their fiesh, they are fast becoming 

 a favorite dish on the tables of first-class hotels and restaurants. This increasing 

 demand for the guinea will add another source of profit to the farmer. 



A hen will not lay eggs if she is constantly tormented with lice or mites. 

 Give your laying hens access to a good dust bath. Keep the roosts and walls 

 sweet and clean with whitewash. Spray occasionally with Disinfectall and do not 

 neglect to dust the hens once in a while with Diolice. Fight the vermin and keep 

 the hens as comfortable as possible. 



In order to make the most profit from your poultry you must get the highest 

 prices possible for the products, and at the same time keep the cost of production 

 as low as possible. Every effort made in increasing the output of your poultry 

 yard, and every convenience added to make the work easier and more efficient, is 

 adding that much more to the value of the farm. 



Should the reader of this book fail to understand any of the descriptions or 

 recommendations herein, or be unable to make application of them, if he will 

 write the author for further information, it will be promptly given. 



Do not experiment with your live stock ailments. Obtain the best and 

 most reliable veterinary medicines and give them strictly according to direc- 

 tions. You will not only save time and money, but your animals. 



It is better to profit from the experience of others than to meet your 

 losses when trouble overtakes you. 



There is a great difference between what a man know.q. and what he 

 thinks he knows. You should know how to treat your live stock; if not, write 

 Dr. David Roberts, 500 Grand Ave., Waukesha, Wis. 



