0%? R U R AL N EW'-Y'O R K E R 
Continuous Growth of Young Stock on 
the Range 
DANGER OF STUNTING.—A «reat many people 
have the erroneous idea that after their chickens 
are two months old there is no danger of loss, etc., 
and that the birds will take care of themselves. 
There is nothing that Avill check Winter egg produc¬ 
tion like the stunting, or holding back of growing 
pullets, during the Summer. One should endeavor 
to keep them continually growing and developing 
every day during the Summer months. Intestinal 
worms, lice, mites, underfeeding, and poor range 
conditions are the things which are most common 
in stunting the Summer growth of young stock. 
INTERNAL PARASITES. — Intestinal worms 
can be detected on examination of the fresh drop¬ 
pings. The worms may I)e anywhere from the size 
of a pinhead to two or three inches long. To com¬ 
bat this trouble, measure out the amount of mash the 
birds will thoroughly clean up at one feed, moisten 
with water or milk, and add one teaspoonful of oil 
of American wormseed (.Terusalem oak), and one 
teaspoonful of turpentine, for every 25 birds on the 
range. Mix this thoroughly, starve the birds before 
feeding, give light grain ration 
at night, and this treated mash in 
the morning. Repeat the feed of 
treated mash at night of the first 
day. On the morning of the second 
day, give a mash containing six 
tea.spoonfuls of Epsom salts to every 
25 birds. Use lime freely on the 
dropping boards during entire treat¬ 
ment. and for two weeks after. 
Keep the birds confined in tlie house 
during the treatment, and for 24 
hours after it, and thoroughly clean 
tlie house and dispose of all litter. 
I.IC'E AND MITES.—For I»ody 
lice, have the druggist mix ecpial 
parts of mercurial ointment and 
va.seline. Take a small itortion of 
this ointment, half the size of a pea. 
on the finger and rub it wOll into the 
skin of the bird, either below the 
vent, or under the wing, or both. 
To free a house from mites, it is 
only necessary to reach all hiding 
places and breeding places with a 
good coal tar dLsinfectant. This 
may be applied Avith a l)rush, or as 
a spray. Be sure that the disinfec¬ 
tant penetrates all cracks and crev¬ 
ices. There is no excuse for mites 
on the range, although a great 
many of them are found. Keeping 
the range house clean and spraying 
the roosting cpiartei’s and sides, and 
also cleaning the immediate sur¬ 
roundings of the range houses oc¬ 
casionally. will almost in every case 
eradicate the red mites from the 
range. This should be (piite a step 
towards maintaining a good growth 
during the Summer, of the I'ange 
stock, as the mites not only make 
the birds uncomfortable, but are a 
gieat factor towards sapping the 
life out of the stock and checking the growth to 
(piite an extent. 
SHADE AND GREEN FOOD.—Two very impor¬ 
tant factors on the range for the best growth of the 
birds, are plenty of shade and protection from the 
hot sun, and a good supply of green food. Many 
ranges have weeds, etc., growing in them, which are 
not tasteful or appetizing to the birds. Neither are 
these weeds succulent in such a u-ay that the birds 
enjoy them. A great many ranges during the mid¬ 
dle of the Summer, which have had good green food 
during the early part of the Summer and late 
Spring, are more or le.ss dry. as far as green food is 
concerned, because then part of the greens have be¬ 
come dry and woody, and. like the weeds, are not 
appetizing to the birds. In such case, if it is not 
possible to sow rape or some other fresh green food, 
this .should be supplied. Waste lettitce. cabbage 
leaves and a great many other things from the veg¬ 
etable garden, till this bill in great shape. Where 
this is not obtainable, mangel beet tops or corn leaves 
or young growing corn plants make a good succulent 
feed. Nothing will aid the digestion and keep the 
birds in better condition, and help to assimilate feed, 
factors which are very necessary for constant de^•el- 
oi)ment, better than a good steady supply of juicy, 
palatable green food. The birds on the range are 
not comfortable if they have no place to go during 
the hot part of the day where they .will be comfort¬ 
Dry Mash Hopper on Range. Fig. 468 
able, and protected from the snn. This shade 
.should be provided in some way so that plenty of 
air can pass under it to insure moj-e comfort to the 
birds. It is dui'ing this rest period that our range 
A Cover Crop of Soy Beans in Corn. Fig. 569. See page 1030 
birds get a great deal of their development and 
growth, and one should be very careful tlnit these 
rest places are always within reach of all the birds. 
AMl’F.E FOOD.—The writt'r has laid the oppor- 
^ -w 
- 40 -y 
Sectional View of Dry Mash Hopper. Fig. 470 
1029 
tunity of getting accurate figures on various flocks 
kept on ranges under variou* conditions, and the 
one thing which these records show to be of the 
most importance, is that a plentiful supply of whole- 
.some, nutritious food be liefore the birds at all 
times. They should be given a light feed both night 
and morning, of cracked grains, composed prin¬ 
cipally t)f cracked corn and wheat. Very often 
buckwheat, barley and clipped oats can be procured 
and mixed Avith the wheat and corn, at an adA'ant- 
a.ge of cost. The iirincipal part of the day’s rations, 
howeA'or, is the dr.v mash, and although one should 
be careful to get a well-bahinced, nutritious ration, 
it is by far more important that this mash be fed 
in such a way that the birds can get the mash they 
want at times of the day. This constant supply of 
feed is .so important that the Avriter has carefully 
observed three different flocks which had attained 
maturity as shown by their egg production, on an 
avera.ge of a month earlier. Avei.ghed 15% more and 
had 10% less culls than other flocks of the .same 
stock. Avhich had access only to this dry ma.sh at 
certain parts of the day, and on ranges Avhere there 
was an insufficient number and too small a capacity 
of dry-mash hoppers. When dry-mash hoppers Avere 
established, according to the plans 
and pictures at Figs. 468 and 470, 
in snflicient (luantities so that as 
stat('d above, the birds had the 
mash they wanted to eat, all of 
the time, more uniform growth 
and earlier maturity Avas had as 
.shoAvn by earlier egg production. 
The folloAving mash has been used 
Avith excellent efficiency for range 
growing inillets: 
V 
Wheat bran . .by Aveight. . 100 lbs. 
Ground oats . . ” ” . . 50 ihg. 
(’orn meal - ” ” .. 50 lbs.’ 
Alfalfa .” ” . . 20 lbs. 
Meat scrap ... . ” ” . . 20 lbs. 
I‘RINU1PLE OF FEEDING.— 
The underlying principle of effici¬ 
ent and regular feeding of range 
birds, is that this stock uses feed 
lirst to maintain or to build up the 
parts of the body Avhich are con¬ 
stantly being broken doAvii l)y ex¬ 
ercises Avhich the birds are receiA'- 
ing on the range. Second, that 
the surplus from the first use is 
consumed in building up ucaa' tis¬ 
sue, or supplying the groAving body, 
and third, the surplus from the 
tAvo uses is consumed in develoi>- 
ing or filling out the reproductive 
or egg organs, so that, in order to 
obtain a pullet Avhich Avill lay as 
it should, it is neces.sary to get one 
that has been .so supplied with 
feed that the body Avill be suffici¬ 
ently nourished, and that sufficient 
nourishment is given for neAV 
groAvth, and still there should be 
a sufficient surplus .so that the re- 
pruductive organs he Avell nour- 
i.shed and developed. 
WET MASH.—For certain reas¬ 
ons, it is sometimes A'ery incon¬ 
venient to supply enough dry 
mash hoppers, etc.; in such a case it Avould help to 
a great extent if the dry mash used, or the dry 
niiish outlined above, be moistened to a crumbly 
state, and fed in hoppers sufficiently large, so that 
the birds Avill have enough to eat for three-quart¬ 
ers of an hour to an hour each day. 
A GOOD WATER SUPPLY.-It should not be 
neces.sary to state that it is impos.sible to get a 
good groAvth out of our range birds during the 
.Summer, unle.ss they have a constant, plentiful siqi- 
ply of good fresh Avater, but the Avriter has had 
occasion to see a great many birds on the range 
Avhich often Avent three or four hours during the 
day. Avithout access to this important part of the 
ration. It might be stated here that there is noth¬ 
ing Avhich Avill aid in developing or groAving stock 
during the Summer like sour skimmed milk and 
Avhen the price does not prohibit, or AAdien it can 
be obtained, it is advisable that this ingi’edient be 
fed. 
SEPARATING THE COCKERELS.—Many poul- 
frymen and especially farmers Avho haA'e a consid¬ 
erable flock, have no place c(^nvenient to put the 
cockei'els, Avhich should be separated from the pul¬ 
lets. It is a Avell-conceded fact that pullets Avill not 
make the groAvth that they should if the cockerels 
are not .separated from them at a A’ery early .stage. 
If no place is found Avhich Avill conveniently hold 
these cockerels, they should be marketed as soon 
