| Show SUNSHINE IS BEST TONIC FOR LAYERS 0 hens exposed to light rays produce vitamin D by H T L Kem kempster lster professor Prof wor of poultry husbandry Husband rr ot missoura MIss ourt gt servi few people realize nealise the importance cf direct sunshine in the successful winter management of 0 the labing la ing flock but recent discoveries indicate that sunshine l plays an important part in the productivity of the laying node flock the reason tor for this Is due to the beneficial effects ot of certain light rays when the hen Is exposed to them sho Is able to manufacture vitamin D which Is associated with mineral metabolism in other words when a hen Is exposed to direct sunshine she can utilize the minerals in tier her food to advantage hens exposed to direct sunshine not only lay more eggs but the eggs are apt to have stronger shells and if used for incubation will produce better hatches batches it Is thus seen that somo some measures should be taken to expose the hens to sunshine on pit nil possible occasions especially in winter due to the fact that most of the glass used in poultry house construction niters liters out those these beneficial light rays a certain amount of the window space in the house should consist of an open space which may be covered with cloth frames which may be closed in inclement weather or at alit but which should remain open on sunshiny days the usual rule Is to provide a square foot of cloth frames for each 15 square feet of floor space in houses of average geslie size 14 to 18 16 feet from front to back the amount should bo be reduced somewhat in narrow houshi houses and increased in houses which are deeper another advantage of the open space Is that it provides excellent vent bentlin lin tion even at night when the curtains are closed fresh air will enter the house and ordinarily when open the airl ng out of the house during the day wl r remove mo e much of the moisture so as to encourage a dry house |
