Show barred plymouth rock hen bred at united states government farm prepared by the united states department of agriculture the proper care of bens during the bummer Is not greatly different from that of the rest of the year but some changes may be made in the ration with good results while careful sanitation in poultry houses is very essential the growing rations tor chickens should be adapted to their age and a fattening ration should be fed to the cockerell cockerels cocker els which are to be sold either as broilers or ro asters the quality of eggs rapidly in hot weather which can be greatly lessened by producing infertile eggs and by using proper methods of caring for and marketing this product feeding hens A good laying ration for summer use may be made of equal parts by weight of corn wheat and oats fed twice dally scattered on the ground or in the utter in the poultry house with a dry or wet mash made of equal parts of corn meal wheat bran and beef scrap regulate the feed so that the hens eat about one half mash and one halt scratch feed the wet mash may be fed once dally at any time during the day giving only what the hens will eat up within a few aln lites if a dry mash Is used it should be kept before the hens all of the time in a hopper the amount of teed eaten by fowls varies almost directly with the ega yield so that it is very essential to reduce the amount during the summer and tall months when the egg yield is small hens of the general purpose and meat breeds such as plymouth rocks or brahman Brah mas are apt to become too fat during this non productive period the lighter breeds such as the leghorns Leg horns may be fed more freely during the summer and fall without detrimental effects hens moult tor several weeks the late summer and early fall aad lay few if any eggs during that period they should be in good hard breeding condition during boulting moul ting and a small amount ten per cent of linseed meal may be added to the mash at this time with fair success although good results in moult ing are secured without using linseed meal there does not appear to be any real advantage in forcing the moult by abnormal feeding methods such as are sometimes practiced practised allowing the birds free range and giving skim milk either to drink or added to their teed in addition to a well balanced ration are good ways to assist nature during the boulting moul ting period feeding chickens after the chickens are ten days old growing mash composed of two parts by weight of bran two parts mid one part corn meal one part low grade wheat flour or red dog flour and ten per cent sifted beef scrap may be fed either aa a wet or dry mash As boon as the chickens will eat whole wheat cracked corn and other grains the small size chick feed can be dropped from the ration skim or buttermilk Is very good tor chickens either in the mash or given as a drink growing chickens kept on a good range may be given all their teed in a hopper mixing two parts by weight of cracked corn and one part of wheat or equal parts of cracked corn wheat and hulled oats in one hopper and the dry mash la tho other fine charcoal grit and oyster shell should be kept before them all of the time and green feed should be supplied it it is not available in their yards or range the chickens should have an abundance of room in their coops especially in hot weather the cockerell cockerels cocker els should be separated from the pullets as soon as their sex can be easily determined fattened and mar feted unless they are to be saved tor bleeders breeders bre eders green feed in bome form such as sprouted Bp routed oats vegetables cut fodder or grass alfalfa or clover should be fed to hens confined to small bare yards such yards should be renewed frequently by planting oats and wheat or any quick growing grains two yards for the fowls and rotating these runs occasionally A constant cupply of water Is very essential in hot weather and should be placed iq the shade hens should hare good shade during the summer months which is best secured from trees or by planting crops such as corn and sun flowers or fast growing trailing cinesi on the fences hen houses built on runners provide a cool shelter for tha bens or artificial shelter may be bull for shade care of the house thorough cleaning Is very essential in the care of ben bouses during the summer as filth and hot weather offer ideal conditions for rapid increase in mites and lice the droppings board should be cleaned at least once 01 twice a week and the boosts roosts thoroughly oiled with kerosene crude oil or eomy commercial preparation of this nature every week it Is very necessary put the oil on the under side of the boosts roosts and it Is advisable to spray th oil in the cracks and corners aroun the roost and dropping boards tha nests should be cleaned occasionally and should be examined frequently for mites the chicken mite is usually a pale gray color with darker spots but after feeding it becomes reddish and is usually noticed as gray or reddish patches on the under side of thea boosts roosts coops for chickens should ba treated in a similar way A dust bath of fine road dirt or any fine dry earth should be provided unless the hens range on light sandy soil hens and chickens should be dusted with a commercial or homemade home made lice powder it many lice are found on them the necessity for such treatment depends entirely upon the conditions which should bo watched carefully care of the eggs in order to produce good market eggs in summer the following ruled should be followed keep the nests clean provide inq nest tor every tour hens gather the eggs twice dally keep the eggs in a cool dry rood or cellar market the eggs at least twice a week sell kill or confine all male barda as soon as the hatching season Is over infertile eggs eggs laid by hens that are not allowed to run with a male bird keep much better in hot weather than fertile eggs while the male bird has no influence on egg production |