THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3i 
19fll 
The Chicken Yard. 
SOME HABITS OF HENS. 
Those Lively Buff Leghorns. 
Regarding those Buff Leghorn pullets 
mentioned on page 779 of last year, we 
are too apt to regard the fundamental 
distinctness between breeds as a matter 
of origin mainly, when the truth is that 
it is chiefly the product of acquired 
habit. It has been assumed that Game 
crosses are accountable for increased 
liveliness ana excitability of the Buff 
Leghorns, as contrastea with their 
White or Brown cousins. But these 
characteristics are the direct reverse of 
the Game’s well-known character. True, 
the Game fowl moves with unmatched 
quickness, but it moves but seldom; 
while the Leghorn is constantly in mo¬ 
tion. The Game has nerve, while the 
Leghorn has nerves, a distinction which 
places them at the utmost as regards 
temperament. We are accustomed to 
sum up the Leghorn’s distinct character 
by reference to the sunny climate of 
their original home. But let us get 
down to bed-rock by assuming that from 
temperamental differences the food con¬ 
sumed goes to make blood mainly in the 
one instance, and in the other to sus 
tain nerve power. Both the Leghorn 
and Game have highly organized ner¬ 
vous systems, as distinguished from the 
Dorking, the best phlegmatic example 
among fowls, whose forces preponderate 
in the building up of much flesh rath r 
than in products to be given off. The 
Leghorn s temperament we may describe 
as nervous-sanguine, the Game’s as ner¬ 
vous-athletic. The Game’s demeanor is 
one of the self-assurance of the lymph¬ 
atic temperament joined to capacity for 
great and sustained nerve activity when 
occasion arises, its true character oelng 
of the quietest, to distinguish it from 
the pronounced active habit of the Leg¬ 
horn and its crosses. 
The ijeghorn’s trait of rapid blood 
making is its predominant one. We may 
regard this as the natural concomitant 
of its active habits. As eggs exist flrsi 
as blood, a good blood-former should 
prove to be a good egg-producer. The 
occasional poor layer found among Leg¬ 
horns, though generally “scarj" enough 
indicates by the poorly developed comb 
that its wearer is a poor assimilator of 
food, as the size of the comb within 
breed limits is a reliable index of vigoi. 
and the comb grows large, or vice versa, 
according to the blood pressure at the 
period of development. Coming now to 
the question why the Buff Leghorns in 
question are wilder than White oi 
Brown specimens under similar condi¬ 
tions, the answer inevitably is, because 
of being a truer Leghorn, judged by this 
criterion of temperament. Granted a 
Buff Leghorn is a composite lowl, I hold 
that many strains are doubtless com 
posed mainly or wholly of White or 
Brown Leghorn blood. And who knows 
what in turn these are comprised of? 
The fanciers are at it untiringly trying 
the effect of every conceivable advan¬ 
tage of certain crosses to enhance some 
particular external feature. And it is safe 
to infer that our Leghorns contain more 
Spanish and Game blood than any other 
extraction. Why one color of Leghorns 
alternates with another in early ma¬ 
turity is a probable matter of several 
combined influences. Had the flocks all 
been of one color and breeding records 
kept the correspondent would doubtless 
have found one sire’s get to surpass 
others in this respect. Full size is at¬ 
tained before maturity, and what tends 
to reduce the size of the pullets, other 
things being equal, will allow of quickei 
things being equal, will allow of quicker 
are going to be of more than their wont¬ 
ed size to account for their backward 
development. Again, as vigor is the final 
condition upon which usefulness as lay¬ 
ers depend, however much stress we may 
put upon good feeding or heredity, per- 
. haps these Buffs are not so vigorous as 
their W^hite or Brown neighbors. 
K. w. imorTOR. 
WET BREWERS’ GRAINS. 
In The R. N.-Y. issue of December 22 
a correspondent asks about wet brew¬ 
ers’ grains for fattening chickens, say¬ 
ing that he can buy them at eight cents 
per bushel. While I indorse what you 
say in regard to their use for fattening 
purposes, I would like to call attention 
to their cheapness at eight cents per 
bushel where a protein feed is required. 
1 have been feeding them to laying hens 
for some time in a mixture of 10 parts 
of the wet grains, four parts of cornmeal 
and one part of animal meal. This 1 
give warm at noon—in the morning 
they have wheat in the sheaf, and at 
night some whole corn. The fowls keep 
in thrifty condition and lay well. If the 
brewers’ grains are fully saturated with 
water they will weigh 70 pounds per 
bushel, and it is on this basis that the 
published analyses are made. But as 
they come to us they weigh just about 
double what the dried ones do, or 42 
pounds per bushel. Regarding the pro¬ 
tein content only the dried grains, at 
present prices, give us protein at six 
cents per pound; while wet ones at eight 
cents per bushel of 42 pounds give it at 
2% cents per pound. This difference 
will pay for hauling some water, al¬ 
though as to extra hauling that is offset 
in my opinion by extra work in carrying 
water for the dried grains. \/heat bran 
at present high prices gives us prote’n 
at 7% cents per pound, and oats gives 
it at nine cents per pound. I do not take 
into account the carbonaceous elements 
of the feeds mentioned. If we are after 
those, corn is, as you say, the thing to 
get. During cold weather the wet grains 
invariably come in good condition. 
New Jersey. «. n. 
WARMING THE DUST BATH. 
\ recent writer speaks of a warm dust 
bath for hens with a lamp under it. How 
i.s this arranged, and what is it for? 
It is noticeable that all poultry in¬ 
struction books emphasize the import¬ 
ance of providing a Winter dust bath for 
hens. It is also noticeable, especially to 
the disappointed novice, that the hens 
very rarely, if ever, use them. Certainly 
never when the house and the weather 
are very cold. It is a case of bringing 
the horse to water. He will drink if he 
wants to, and he won’t if he doesn’t. 
You cannot persuade him; and you can 
not persuade a hen that it’s fun or a 
good thing to wallow in cold dust, in a 
cold room. But if you will cut a hole in 
the bottom of the dust box and insert 
an old dishpan, wash-basin or what not, 
liottom side up in it, and raise the box 
off the floor so the lamp will slip under 
the pan, and ■warm tne earth, it is sur¬ 
prising what comfort they will thus take 
in their bath, and the good results that 
follow. The space under the box where 
the lamp is, should be enclosed to pre¬ 
vent accident. Wire netting or laths is 
best, so as to admit to the lamp plenty 
of fresh air. Kerosene exhausts the 
oxygen so fast that a tight compartment 
is unsafe. The smallest-sized kerosene 
cooking stove, costing about 60 cents, is 
safe and satisfactory. w. 
0.\TS Fok Hens. —One doesn’t relish 
taking back what he has written par¬ 
ticularly after the types have told It to 
so many people; but it is said that “con¬ 
fession is good for the soul.” You see, 
there isn’t much use of having a hobby 
unless one can ride it sometimes. Now, 
it has long been a hobby of mine that 
oats are a good feed for hens, but dan 
gerous if fed carelessly or in the usual 
dry condition. Therefore, when I was 
told by reliable witnesses that one man 
had lost 75 or more hens by feeding 
them dry oats, I at once believed it all. 
and proceeded to portray the awful les¬ 
son. Witness my reward I Not only do 
poultry-keepers Insist that oats are all 
right, but hens of the flock where I got 
my evidence keep right on dying off just 
the same after they are fed no more oats. 
The ungrateful things! 1 have carefully 
examined that “hobby”, however, and I 
find It in good working order. My hens 
get one or two feeds a week of oats, but 
the oats are almost invariably boiled and 
fed warm, not hot. u. h. l. 
Sheaf Oats. —A writer in Hoard’s 
Dairyman has this to say of oats cut 
green and cured like hay: “Do you 
know that sheaf oats are one of the 
very best Winter feeds for dairy cows? 
When there is no silage on hand or 
none at all grown they form one of the 
very best substitutes. Sheaf oats, fed 
to cows in Winter, have a loosening 
effect almost equal to silage or roots. 
Cows fed on sheaf oats will never be 
constipated as they are when fed on 
straw or hay. I hardly know why this 
is, but the fact so remains. When there 
is no silage, cows fed largely on shea"’ 
oats must not be fed too many roo s, 
or they will scour. If a bushel of man¬ 
gels or turnips is fed daily to cows get¬ 
ting principally sheaf oats for roughage, 
the results will be bad: this I proved 
conclusively last Winter.” 
Pearl Guinea Fowls.— I would like in¬ 
formation in regard to Pearl Guinea fowls; 
how to distinguish male from female, how 
many hens to keep to one male. w. m. t. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
The male Guinea has larger wattles than 
the females and is usually rather heavier 
bodied, and in the case of the Pearl va¬ 
riety they usually have white on the 
breast, which is seldom seen on the female. 
One male is sufficient for from six to 10 
hens. j. K. 8. 
Poultry Notes.— My hens average only 
about one-third to lay in Winter. April- 
hatched P. Rock pullets start in to lay in 
October. I do not house pullets until com¬ 
pelled by snow, giving them the run of the 
premises as long as possible. Moulting sea¬ 
son varies largely in different individuals 
and different ages; the older birds some¬ 
times do not get their new plumage till 
Winter. Raw cut bone is most valuable 
as an egg producer. Then, too, the grain 
thrown into the dirt in the scratching pen, 
which they have to work for, is excellent, 
activity producing cheerfulness and health. 
Meredith, N. H. q f. s. 
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