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Show ft f POULTRY I 5 ) CRATE TO FATTEN POULTRY Work Should Be Done Four Weeks Before Be-fore Killed to Get Right Proportion Pro-portion of Fat and Lean. Fowls should be fattened at least four weeks before they are killed, not to make them as fat as possible, but to give them the right proportion of rat and lean to make the fowls fat and juicy when cooked. The fattening-crate shown herewith is 6 feet long, 16 inches wide, 18 inches high and divided into three equal- Crate for Fattening Poultry. sized compartments, each holding from four to six birds, as the case may be. , The slats or laths are 1 inches wide, placed one and a half Inches apart at the ends, 6ldes and tops of the crate, but those. In front are placed vertically two inches apart. The floor of the crate is made of slats laid lengthwise, one inch apart, leaving a one-inch space on either side between the first lath and the sides of the crate. The crate should stand on short legs or trestles, to allow convenience in cleaning. The trough is made the full length of the crate and should be three or four inches deep. It is supported at either end on notched boards, in order that it may be taken away when the coops are cleaned. Never leave the feed before the chickens more than 15 minutes, and feed very little at the start, gradually Increasing the amount until the end of the week they are getting all they can eat three times a day. Some rations for fattening are given below: Equal parts by weight of finely ground corn, oats and shorts, mixed with sour skimmed milk. Same ration, except substitute ground barley for the corn. Finely ground oats mixed with skimmed milk. Equal parts of finely ground oats, corn and low-grade flour. If beef-scraps beef-scraps are used, 15 per cent. Is the best proportion. LEGHORNS ARE BEST LAYERS None Other Found So Strong and Hardy and Consequently Easy for Poultrymen to Raise. Leghorns live and are profitable longer than other breeds. Large hens put on fat after the first year and do not lay so well afterward. Leghorns lay well until four or five years old and a Leghorn on free range will never get fat enough to hinder her laying. Like all other fowls they are at their best during the first and second years of their lives, but as long as a Leghorn Leg-horn hen looks bright and thrifty she will lay profitably, says a writer in an exchange. This in a great measure offsets the fact that their bodies are too small to sell well as dressed poultry, poul-try, however the buyers here pay as much per pound for them as for any. They are accused of not laying as well during the winter as the larger hens. If the houses are cold enough to frost the combs of the single-combed single-combed 'varieties they will not lay until un-til their combs are healed. They hard- ft A i1 k i,r Brown Leghorn Hen. '.y ought to be expected to, and rose-:ombed rose-:ombed varieties do better on this ac-:ount, ac-:ount, but given comfortable quarters I have no trouble in getting them to ay in winter. Last December was i very cold month here, the tempera-:ure tempera-:ure being below zero nearly every norning during the month and some nornings more than 20 below. I had yearling hens . laying, also pullets latched In June that had been laying lince September 1. Other small breeds that I have tried 111 all these points except one. I lave found none other so strong and lardy and consequently easy to raise, ind so take them all. In all, the Leg-lorn Leg-lorn suits me for an all-around farm- , ir's fowl better than anything that I j lave ever tried. I PURE BRED FOWLS FAVORED They Will Realize Good Profits If Properly Cared For Interesting Work for Farmer. If. in writing on the old, old subject of the advantages of raising pure-bred fowls I can influence even one farmei of the southern or eastern territory to discard the old flocks and in its place raise stock which will be a credit to himself and the section of the country in which he lives, I will indeed feel that I have not wasted time and space, says a writer in the Atlantic Poultry Journal. There Is no doubt as to the stability of the poultry industry. The tendency in all of the large cities Is toward suburban su-burban homes and the pursuit of rustic rus-tic labors as a pastime. Poultry forms one of the most pleasant diversions for these small farmers, and the initial stock must constantly be supplied. Any man who produces birds good enough to take premiums at the fall and winter shows and then advertises eggs and stock for sale, will meet with little difficulty in disposing of them. Any business, by careful attention and intelligent management can be made successful and the poultry industry in-dustry is no exception. With a little careful reading any farmer can learn how to improve his stock and profits, and he will soon find that poultry raising is a very Interesting In-teresting part of the farm work, as well as one which amply repays for the amount of labor and money expended. ex-pended. The slow steady growth of a flock of poultry is more to be desired than a large Investment In ' fancy stock without previous experience. Study just what line of the poultry business is best suited to your local environment environ-ment and then get to work and see what can be done with the proposl- White Plymouth Rock. tlon. A mongrel hen might, in an occasional oc-casional Instance, lay as many eggs as one that is pure-bred; but the flock will not live up to the standard set by the pure-bred fowls. |
