| OCR Text |
Show Wintering Poultry Special Care Should P,s Given Fowlt During Cold Weather to Obtain Best Results To obtain good results from n (lock of poultry during tho winter all tin lieuecs and coo s should bo put li good condition, on'y healthy fowli placed In tho buildings, nnd Rood earo should by all menus bo given to the poultry. Tho houses should 1 o thoroughly cleaned, disinfected nnd made tight for winter. It the iifiiso has a dirt floor, It Is wo'l In remove 3 or 4 Inches from the toi nnd substitute fresh grnyol or sniiil If tho floor Is cement or wood, ri movo all llttor nnd dirt and put If 4 or ." Inches of fresh straw or lit tor. Bo sure thutMhe houto Is light on three sides and that thcro Is no chance for a drntt to strike tho Iiohb If hens roost or uro plncetl In n draft during tho fall and winter co'd8 nro suro to develop, which may roiult In roup nnd other trott bios. Tho south side, or front of tho poultry house may ho left comparatively com-paratively open, but should ho un dor control so that tho openings ma) ho closed gradually as the weather becomes cold. Havo muslin curtains cur-tains In tho front of tho house, or leave a window partly open oven on tho coldest nights to allow some von-tl von-tl ntlon In tho houso. Fo la will Etand considerable cold nlr provided It Is dry, nnd ventilation will keep tho nlr thoroughly dry In tho houso. Tho pullets Bhoulil bo brought ! off tho range nnd put In winter quarters, quar-ters, but beforo they aro mixed with tho older fowls bo suro that tho hens nro banded or thnt the web ot tho foct In punched In some wny so ns to distinguish between tho pullets nnd tho hens. In this wny tho older stock inny bo cul'cd out whenever it appears ap-pears deMrnblo and tho young hens kept tor further laying. Cull the chickens which nro brought Into tho I laying houso carefully, and fatten nnd market nil chickens which are small, poorly developed or In poor condition. These small, poorly developed de-veloped chickens nro apt to cat'h cold !f put In with tho other pou'try nnd develop diseases which quickly spread through the Hock. Market nl" surplus cockerels or older mn!o birds which aro not dnslrcd for breeding or not wanted for a later market. Feed tho grain in a deep llttor on tho floor and raako tho hens oxo'lie for all of tholr grain. Tho mash mn ho fed cither wet or dry, nnd ehnuli1 bo so rcgu'nted that tho fowls will get about equal pnrts of mash and ot tho scratch grains. It Is ueces snry to glvo tho fowls plenty to cat to get good results, hut tho hlrdr should always bo eager for each feed. In cold wenthcr feed about ono third of tho scratch grains In tho morning and two thirds at night In this way tho hono aro forced to oxorclso moro thnn It thoy receivo a'l th grain they deslro at morn lug feed. Scratch grains, mash or ground grains, animal protein, green feed, grit and shell should ho aup plied In tho winter. A good scratch mixturo may ho mado of equnl parts by weight of cracked corn, wheat, and outs; and n mash may bo mado of two parts corn meal and ono pnrt ench of wheat bran, wheat middlings nnd beef scrap. Green feed, such I ns cabbages, matigel v11r7el beets, cut alfalfa, or sprouted oats, should bo supplied to roplaco tho green feed which tho fowls havo been securing in the fields nnd beef scrap, skim milk, cut green bono, or soino slmllnr toed Is needed to replace tho bugs which tho fowls havo been getting on the range. Heef scrap or feed of tills I nnturo is very ossontial In securing a good supply of eggs during tho winter months. Clean tho dropping hoards at least onco a week, and Bpray the roosts with kerosono or some commercln' preparation for killing mites once a month during tho winter. Havo a good supply of sand or dry dirt on hand to uso on tho dropping hoards during the winter. If any of tho birds develop colds, put ns much potassium porninngnn-ato porninngnn-ato as will remain on tho surfaco of a dime Into a gallon ot water and koop this mixturo In their drinking water for sovoral days or until the symptoms of tho colds havo dlsap penred. Romovo any sick birds from tho Hock ns soon as thoy aro noted and treat them In coops by themsolvos, or kill nnd bury them It thoy aro not worth treating. Exanilno tho pul'ets and hens for llco, and dust thoroughly' with n good Insect powder or npply a mixturo of 'J parts of vn8nllno and 1 pnrt of mercurial or bluo ointment, about tho size of a pen, 1 Inch bolow tho vent of tho bird, rubbing tho mixturo lightly on tho skin. An nppllcatlou ot this ointment two or threo times a year will koop tho fowls froo from llco. Whoro Insect powder la usod, It should bo applied threo or four times a year, or oftener If tho fowls becomo Infested. Provldo a small box In the houso partly filled with dry rond dust or lino dirt In whlci tho huns may dust, thus helping t keep themselves freo from llco. |
