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Show Walnuts as a Winter Diet to Make Hens Lay Mere Eggs DURING years in which grains of various kinds were more or less cheap, the problem of feeding a flock of poultry did not seem like a serious one, and in many instances but little attention was paid to the study of what particular rations were apt to produce the most eggs at a time when hens (v were usually off duty. I Now that the ordinary grains for poultry J are advanced In price until it is a serious problem just what to feed hens to insure the greatest returns in egg production, 1 poultrymen are making every effort to dis- ' cover some food, or method of feeding that will bring the desir.-d results. Recent experiments Ty those who are competent com-petent judges have shown that hens given walnut kernels three or four times a week will 'ay more eggs than those fed on other kinds of food. J But like everything else, there is a proper method of using this new highly prized food for laying hens. In many of the rural sections walnuts grow in great abundance, and it is not a difficult ta6k to gather quite a number in the-fall. They are easily dried sufficiently and stored for use in the Winter season when fowls have to be housed. Walnut trees grow rapidly, and it will not require many years to establish quite a walnut grove,"' and most places have waste land enough to grow hundreds of bushels of these nuts at little or no cost. Also insect pests have not attacked the walnut wal-nut as has been the case with hickory and chestnuts. The proper method of feeding walnut kernels ker-nels to poultry Is to have poultry houses provided pro-vided with a scratching shed and upon the floor of this have several inches of chaff or straw, or even a poor quality of grai;s or liny and weeds so scatti red about, that the grain and other solid foots may be thrown amon-the amon-the scratching mate -ial where the hens will be busy for hours in working to secure their food. It is In such, material tbo kernels should be pcatteredj From four to eight walnuts to each hen la a great abundance. Toe best plan is to lay the nuts on a solid block and strike each a heavy blow with a , wooden mallet. This crushes the shell and scatters both shell and kernels through the ivratchlng material, where the hens work toj find it. I'oultry-fed on common grains do not need nerly as much grain if walnut .',eriiel3 are. fwi three or four times a week, and the- cx-oc:i'-o the hens get,!,;; 'lite search for the f -.eet mor.-als of f."'0d puts the hers in th condition for layirg, and the best of it all Is. the walnut d;et induces thorn to lay eggs x.h'Ati we have, yinter weather and esgn ara at t-jp pr!ce:i. I |