December, Ig11 
PeOnusiow ay 
THE WAY TO CET EGGS IN WINTER 
By E. 1. FARRINGTON 
T used to be believed that the way to get 
eggs in winter was to simulate summer 
conditions by keeping the hens in heated 
houses, feeding them on hot mashes and 
pampering them in various other ways. 
After awhile, it was observed that such 
hens were out of condition much of the 
time, and laid few more eggs than those 
the average farmer kept in a corner of a 
windy barn and fed corn on the cob. Now 
the pendulum has swung far in the other 
direction. Many progressive poultrymen 
keep their hens in open-front houses the 
year around and feed them on dry grains 
only, with results which they claim to be 
entirely satisfactory. This plan certainly 
produces much hardier birds. [ewer eggs 
may be laid, perhaps, than when a little 
more attention is given the flock, but the 
difference is so small that it is more than 
compensated for, no doubt, by the great 
saving in labor. 
There is a happy medium for the ama- 
teur. Very warm houses are unquestion- 
ably a mistake. Houses with muslin cur- 
tains at most of the windows are to be 
preferred to a large expanse of glass. An 
abundance of fresh air is imperative to 
preserve the vigor of the flock. Too much 
is better than too little. 
The flock should consist of pullets ready 
to lay in October at the latest, or of hens 
in their second year. It is seldom profitable 
to keep hens over two years. 
lf the pullets do not begin laying before 
severe cold weather sets in, they may hold 
off until after the first of the year. There- 
fore, if the amateur is able to make a selec- 
tion, he should choose only well-matured 
birds for his fall flock. The hens should 
be in the house which they are to occupy 
for the winter by the time the first eggs 
begin to appear; if they are moved later, 
they may stop laying for some time. There 
should be comfortable perches, enough nests 
so that there will be no crowding, and the 
floor of the house should be covered with 
a litter several inches deep composed of 
leaves, straw or coarse hay. This litter 
should be added to from time to time dur- 
ing the winter as it becomes packed down. 
WHAT TO FEED. 
With the housing conditions satisfactory, 
and a good strain of pure-bred fowls in- 
stalled, the question of winter eggs will 
depend mostly upon the feeding. What to 
feed is a question about which there has 
been more varying opinions than almost any 
other pertaining to poultry-keeping. The 
experiment stations have carefully figured 
out the right grains for properly balanced 
rations, but when these rations are set be- 
fore the hens, they have a way of unbalanc- 
ing them which is characteristically per- 
verse, as well as highly exasperating. One 
hen will carefully pick out all the corn, 
another all the oats, while a third will search 
for the kernels of wheat. And thén what 
has become of the balanced ration, so far 
as each individual hen is concerned? 
Many theorists continually inveigh 
against the feeding of a large proportion of 
corn. And yet practical poultrymen all over 
the country are making it half the ration 
throughout the winter. 
There are two methods of feeding for 
the amateur to choose between. If his 
time is limited, he will do well to use hop- 
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