328 
April 2‘.) 
The Hen. 
A FLOCK OF PUREBRED HENS. 
HOW TO STABT BIGHT. 
Stick to a Standard. 
Satisfaction in Thkm. —There is a 
pleasing sound to the word purebred. It 
conveys the idea of a long line of illus¬ 
trious ancestors, and in the case of ani¬ 
mals, at least, it means the survival of 
the fittest specimens to preserve the best 
characteristics of the breed. The man 
who keeps purebred stock, and who uses 
all means within his power to improve 
the strain which he breeds, is a public 
benefactor. If he is a poor man, finan¬ 
cially, his neighbors will, no doubt, call 
him by a very expressive little name of 
four letters, which begins with f and 
ends with 1 ; but if he is a practical man, 
he will soon prove the fallacy of their 
statements, and his efforts will be 
crowned with a success which will re¬ 
pay him for all which he may have been 
obliged to endure in order to carry out 
his ideas. There is such a satisfaction 
in owning the best which Nature pro¬ 
duces. What pleasure can one take, for 
instance, in a flock of poultry where 
each differs from its neighbor, and which 
year by year, grows more hopelessly un¬ 
certain ? 
If the expense in keeping good fowls 
were really any greater, there might be 
some excuse for the mongrel flocks, but 
the expense is the same. At the start, 
there is the expense of a breeding pen 
or a few settings of eggs from some re¬ 
liable breeder, but that is often made up 
the first season by the sale of eggs, if 
the breeding pen is bought, or of one or 
more cockerels, if eggs seem more to 
one’s mind. Either way has its advant¬ 
ages and its disadvantages. If the pen 
is bought, make ready for your treasures 
before they arrive. Fence off a yard on 
a good piece of 6 od ground, large enough 
so that the grass will grow fast enough 
to supply the birds with green food. If 
the birds are of the smaller varieties, 
build the fence at least nine feet high, 
as you will not wish to clip the wings of 
your pets, neither will you wish to take 
any chance of their escaping from their 
inclosure. If the birds are of the heavy 
breeds, six-foot wire with a bottom 
board a foot wide will answer well. 
Brahmas and Cochins would not fly over 
four-foot wire, but the common birds 
outside would fly into the yard. 
Building the House. —If not more 
than five fowls are to be housed, the 
shelter may be made from a big box. 
Remove one side, and saw the ends on a 
slant so that the roof will be rather 
steep, taking off boards enough from the 
lower side to make it the right height. 
Remove the boards from what will be 
the floor of the house, so that the ground 
will be the floor. Make an opening in 
one side, with a sliding door for the 
fowls to go in. Secure an orange box, 
and nail a strip across the opening 
lengthwise to hold the litter in the nests. 
Prepare a dropping board two inches 
longer and wider than the nest box, of 
planed lumber. Cut two pieces of fence 
wire into equal lengths so that they will 
reach to the roof when doubled, leaving 
a long loop in which the ends of the 
roost may rest. Fasten the wires to the 
roof by means of staples. A piece of 2 x 2 
stuff, with the sharp edges rounded, 
makes a satisfactory roost. Have the 
wires placed so that the roost is about 
eight inches above the dropping board, 
and far enough from the back of the 
house so the fowls will not rumple their 
feathers against the house when sitting 
on the roost. The boards removed from 
the box will not answer for the roof, as 
the roof boards should project about four 
inches on each side. When the roof 
boards have been put on, cover top and 
sides with felt or roofing paper. Put 
swamp hay or other litter containing no 
seeds in the nest boxes, and when all is 
in place, it is ready for your birds. Put 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
them in at night, setting them on the 
roosts, and shutting them in. A box for 
grit and shell, and another for road dust, 
as well as some device for holding water 
must also be supplied. There should be 
a feeding trough, also, though a smooth 
board which can be cleaned easily is 
very satisfactory for a small pen of birds. 
If it is possible to keep the general 
flock confined while the breeding pen 
have their liberty once or twice a week, 
the egg supply will, doubtless, be dimin¬ 
ished slightly, but the per cent of fertile 
eggs will be greatly increased. Of 
course, the dry-goods-box house would 
be unnecessary if a building existed 
which could be converted into a home 
for the fowls, but it is a very convenient 
and cheap way of caring for a small pen. 
Cost of Purebred Fowls. —How much 
must one pay for a pen of purebred 
fowls ? do you ask. It certainly would 
be unwise to buy poor birds, but it would 
be equally unwise for a beginner to buy 
those which are too expensive. The 
first trio of Rose Comb Brown Leghorns 
which I bought, cost $ 6 , and I am sur¬ 
prised now that I obtained such good 
birds at so low a price. I already had 
quite a flock of the same breed raised 
from eggs bought from another breeder. 
The good fortune which sometimes at¬ 
tends a beginner was mine. 
What Bbekd ?—In regard to the va¬ 
riety, it is hard to decide, but once hav¬ 
ing selected a variety stick to it till you 
have mastered its merits or demerits, for 
nothing is gained by frequent change. I 
began with R. C. B. Leghorns with Buff 
Cochins for incubators and brooders. I 
found that the Cochins were too heavy 
for mothers, and simply good for noth¬ 
ing as layers. Crossed with the Leg¬ 
horns, they made very satisfactory birds, 
but I wanted purebreds I then bought 
some White Plymouth Rock and some 
Light Brahma eggs. I was pleased with 
both, but the Rocks had clean legs, and 
that decided the matter. I have had the 
Rocks long enough to feel that they fill 
the bill as mothers, and I find to my sur¬ 
prise, that they lay nearly if not quite 
as well as the Leghorns. The Rocks 
cannot easily be excelled as table fowls, 
the white pin-feathers in young speci¬ 
mens leaving no discolored marks. Prob¬ 
ably, the White Wyandotte is just as 
good, but since chance gave me the 
White Rock, I am quite satisfied. 
Seneca Co , N. Y. s. A. little. 
SALT FOR POULTRY. 
We observe this year, perhaps more than ever 
before, that reports are coming in from parties 
who feed more or less salt to poultry. This prac¬ 
tice seems to be growing rapidly with a certain 
class of poultrymen. No one seems to know just 
why the salt is fed, and every now and then we 
hear of some one who, apparently, kills his hens 
by feeding it. Just what effect will the salt have 
in the poultry mash ? What is the object in feed¬ 
ing it ? What good does it, probably, do? How 
much of it can be fed with safety, and do you, 
from your experience, advise poultry keepers to 
use it ? 
Salt is very useful because it makes 
the food more palatable, and fowls like 
it, the same as all animals do. It, prob¬ 
ably, aids digestion, but no more should 
be put in than would be put in the same 
amount of feed if for human use. Salt 
for poultry should be mixed with com¬ 
mon sense. h. s. bubdick. 
New York. 
I can tell little about the special effect 
of salt on fowls. While a pronounced 
deficiency of ash or mineral matter in 
the food soon shows a decidedly bad 
effect on most animals, it may be that 
there is enough salt and other mineral 
matter in ordinary foods for poultry 
generally. Fowls having a free run and 
a variety of food may do better without 
the salt added, and it may be a disad¬ 
vantage When roots are freely fed; but 
I prefer to feed salt to hens that are con¬ 
fined and fed largely on grain. A moder¬ 
ate amount of salt does not appear in¬ 
jurious in any way, and as it seems to 
increase the palatability of certain foods, 
may be of advantage. The first effect 
observed of too large a proportion of salt 
in the food was diarrhea. One ounce 
per day for 100 hens can be fed with 
safety, and I think tometim is consider¬ 
ably more can be fed. For young fowls, 
we generally mix about four ounces of 
salt in every 100 pounds of feed.* 
N. Y. Ex. Station. w. p. whekleb. 
For a good many years, I have fed my 
hens salt regularly every day in the 
mash. My reasons for so doing are that 
the salt seems to make the mash more 
palatable to the hens, and when my hens 
have food they relish, they generally do 
well. I believe a proper quantity of salt 
aids digestion in the hen as well as in 
animals and humans. I do not know 
how large a quantity can be fed safely. 
A very little is sufficient. If too much 
is fed, it interferes with digestion, causes 
looseness of the bowels, and in some 
cases, death by chlorine poisoning. Fed 
properly, I believe it tends to ward off 
disease by keeping the fowls strong and 
vigorous; at any rate, we have never 
had a case of roup, cholera, or any other 
contagious disease - among our hens. 
Salt should never be sprinkled in the 
mash or mixed dry with the ground 
grain, as it cannot be evenly distributed 
in that way, and some of the fowls 
would get too much and others none. 
Always thoroughly dissolve salt in the 
hot water with which the mash is 
moistened. We feed eight ounces daily 
to our 700 laying hens. h. .i blanchakd. 
Tompkins County, N. Y. 
Rape fob Poultry. —Hr. J. S. Woodward and 
others recommend Dwarf Essex rape to sow in 
orchard and for green feed for hogs, sheep, etc. 
Would this be equally desirable as a green feed 
for poultry where they are allowed to run in one 
yard while feed is growing in the other ? 
Boston, Mass. A F. B. 
Ans—O ur poultry seem to prefer rape 
next to Crimson clover. Sow the rape 
in Spring, and the hens will thrive on it. 
If sown in July, you may sow Crimson 
clover seed with it. 
POULTRY 
♦ We keep everything in the POCLTRI DINE, ♦ 
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F 
GREIDER’S FINE CATALOGUE 
of prize winning poultry lor 1899. The finest poultry book out. A 
perfect guide to poultry raisers. Calendar for ’99 on cover. Givea 
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Everybody wants this poultry book. Bend Biz cents in stamps. 
h. greideb. florin, pa. 
£ 
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y2ay«r*a Gw Id* published. Inclose 10c. for pottage, »te. 
J. R. Brabaxoa, Jr. * Co,, Box 57 , Delavaa, wU. 
Blanchard’s White Leghorns, 
The leading strain of heavy layers. Eggs for hatch¬ 
ing from finest breeders and greatest layers out of 
1.200 hens. 15, $1.50; 30. $2.25: 00, $1; 100, $0. Send for 
cir. H. J. BLANCHAKD,Groton, Tompkins Co.,N. Y. 
WHITE WYANDOTTES and standard- 
bred. Hens prollflo layers. None better. Low prices. 
Write for egg clr. Balph Woodward, New Rochelle, N.Y 
200 
young Barred P. Bocks; also Eggs. Clroula 
free if you mention this paper. 
C. F. GIFFKN, Lock Box 85, St. Clairsville, Ohio. 
DOIII TDV -Ten Varieties.—Larg- 
rUUL I It I est practical breeder In Olilo. 
CHAS. SlcCLAVK, New London, O. Box 000. 
Selected Matings in Standard-bred 
Bocks, Leghorns. Wyandottes, Indian Gaines, Pekin 
Ducks. Eggs, $1.50. My hobby is to give what 1 
promise. Llstfree. BUN MORELAND, Pataskala, O. 
W. WYANDOTTE EOeS^RPSE 
white prolific. J. T. COTHKAN, New Kocheile, N.Y. 
Eggs fob Hatching. —Mammoth Pekin 
Ducks. Thoroughbred Barred Plymouth Hock Hens 
Setting. 12 eggs, 50 cents; four settings, $1.50. Safe 
shipment guaranteed. KARL SEAMANS, Factory- 
ville, Pa. 
Eggs fob Hatching —B. P. Rocks, 
Light Brahmas, W bite, Brown and Buff Leghorns 
and Black Mlnorcas, $1 for 3; $2 for30. Circular 
free. CHAS. HUE, Minerva, Ohio. 
30 B P. R. Hens, $30; 18 B. Leghorns, 
$15; few W. P. K. and W. Wyandottes. Eggs, 50c. per 
13. Stamp. MRS. J. P. HKLLINGS, Dover, Del. 
White Wyandottes. —Send for circu¬ 
lar. G eo. K. Scuaubek, Box Y, Ballston Lake, N.Y 
Eggs —Great Reduction in Eggs. Eight 
leading varieties. Fine Poultry. Circular. 
C. B. HUFF, Delaware, N. J. 
tTlTj 
TAKING THE CITADEL. 
In war when a town is 
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no use in merely captur- 
big the outworks or lower 
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In warring 
against disease 
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Every suffering man or woman should 
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bound for the bare cost of mailing, 21 
one-cent stamps, or in heavy, handsome 
cloth-binding for 31 stamps. 
BROODERS. 
Olentangy Brooders given up to be the best to raise 
chicks by 10,000 people using them. Send for cata¬ 
logue. Address G. S. SINGER, Cardlngton, Ohio. 
Wanted —Every reader to send for our 
circular of Buff Cochins at farmers’ prices. 
CHAS. D. THOMAS, Slatington, Pa. 
White Plymouth Rocks a Specialty. 
Eggs, $1 for 15. JOS. P. PALMER, Geiger’s Mills, Pa. 
B. P. Rock Eggs. Finest strains. Price 
low. Clr. free. L. W. Clelland, BarrackviLe, W. Va. 
Best Farm Bbeeds. —Buff Rocks, Buff 
Leghorns, Mammoth Bronze Turkeys. Eggs now. 
SAMUEL DUNBAR, Klkhorn, Wls. 
White Wyandottrs Exclusively.— 
Write wants. Spencer's Poultry Farm, Phenix, It. I. 
THU 1JIPKOVLU 
VICTOR Incubator 
Hatches Chickens by Steam. Absolutely! 
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Thousands la successful operation. 
Lowest priced lst*class hatcher made. 
GEO. If. 8TAIIL, 
114 to 122 f». Bth St.. Quincy, III. 
LOUSY SITTING HENS 
will leave their ueata at every op¬ 
portunity, grow thinner and thinner— 
often die before hatching time. 
Lambert’s Death to Lice 
will clean a hen, sitting or standing, the 
minute you put it on. It will not injure 
eggs or little chickens. Trial sire 10c 
post paid. 64-puge POCLTKV 
BOOK FREE. 
D. J. LAMBERT, 
Box 807 Apponaur, K. I. 
Lee’s Lice Hiller 
don’t have to be taken on’ 2 ===™MU, 
faith as to results. A liquid,— 
you simply paint it whex-e the 
fowls roost at night and next 
day you can see the dead lice ly-j 
ing on the painted boards.lt gets 
them all, body lice, mites and > 
other bugs and insects, andj 
shows you where the profits go. 
Seeing is believing. Get rid 0 f« 
mites and lice on the old fowls and 
about the poultry house now and 
you will have no trouble raising • 
chicks in spring and summer." 
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