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Show BBsl SBBBBBH '( BBBBBH iw m ww m BBBBBH Winter Eggs. From Farmers' Kovlow: Tho most jHHHJ successful winter poultry houeo I ever HHHI saw was a big open straw cattle shed. HHHl Tho shed had been covorod from the HHH stacker ot n thrashing machine. Tha HHHI roof, north sldo nnd ends woro several iHHHJ feet ot straw and chaff. Somo 30 head HHH of cattlo were In tho shed and yard HftHfl nights and running In tho corn stalks HHH daytime; bosldea there was a hog HHHI trough In tho yard, where the shoats HHHI got their dally slops of bran, shorts HHHl and waste vegetables, I was a boy at jHHHJ home with Dad' and Ma at tho time. HHHfl My father believed In being liberal HHHl with Bait, tho cattle had their salt HftHJ box and all the slop ot tha swine jHHHJ was seasoned with salt. 1 remember HHHJ that an argument was up as to HHHI whother tho fowls would get tog much. HftHJ salt at the hog troughs. , HftHJ Up over head In this shed wero a va HHHJ rlety of polos and brush that served to IHHHJ hold up the straw. Flock after flock HHHJ of the early hatches took up their HHHJ roosting place In tho cattle shed and HHHJ by cold weather the regular hen house, HHHJ was almost entirely deserted. Some HHHJ 150 hons, mostly early pullets were HHHJ roosting In tho cattle shed by Decern- HHHJ ber 1st, and the dally output of eggs HHHJ was from flvo to eight dozen, and It HHHJ continued all winter. When tho woath- HHHJ er got coldor, and stormy days cams, tho cattle wero fed In racks, clover and timothy and millet hay, corn fod- HHHJ dor, etc. Tho cattle were continually HHHJ working down somo of the straw shed, HHHJ and finally tho shoats went to sleep- HHfl Ing In tho litter. That old straw shed HHHJ seemed to be a homo for most every HHHJ thing that could got Into It. Even HHHJ the flocks ot quails made dally visits HHHJ and worked with tho hens In and HHHJ around tho yard and shod. I do not re- HHHJ member ot a single ailing fowl all HHHJ winter and whon Bprlng came, they HHHJ wero bright and ready to hunt In the HHHj nearby grovo and orchard. HHHJ At tho tlmo, I looked at all these' HHHJ things as a "matter ot course," but HHHJ slnco I havo grown older and read and' HHH listened to up-to-date methods, sclen- HHJ tlflc ventilation, Jim crack foods and HHHJ sanitary poultry houses, my mind wan- jHHH dors back to the old straw shod, Its HHJ simplicity and Its success. I have HHJ firmly mado up my mind that lots of, HHJ up-to-dato poultry theories aro more HHH thoorotlcal than practical and that If it HHH wero possible for all poultry raisers HHH to have an old straw shod, chlckon HHH doctors and remedies would not be HHH so popular as they aro. HHJ I am a firm believer In lots of litter HHH for tho fowls to work In, also a va- rlety of fcods and unlimited pure air. H Still moro, I bellovo fowls Bhould have HHH plenty of salt and water. Stop and HHJ think of it. An egg Is nearly 80 per HHH cent water; the hens must havo wator In abundance and unlimited exerclso HHH In puro air. Yos, salt will kill fowls HHH and It will kill stock, too, but It will HHH kill nothing It it has boen managed HHH carcfuly. Sunshine and puro air was HHH mado for fowls as well as other life, HHH and whllo It Is so cheap, why bo stingy HHH with It? Straw, chaff, leaves or other HHH kinds of llttor Is onjoyed by hons Just HH as much as a pond of wator Is by HHH ducks. Tbo water may not do the HHH ducks any particular good, but koeps HH tho hens warm and healthy and the lit- HHH ter absorbs moisture and keeps the HHH ground or floor under It warm. In HHH building poultry houses, we should HHH study tho hens more and ourselves HHH loss. M. M. Johnson. HHH |