Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1892 — THE POULTRY-YARD. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE POULTRY-YARD.

A Gool Chicken Coop. This, according to a suberiber of the Practical Farmer, is especially

valuable for raising early ebicks. 1 and 2 are two common window glasses, which are fastened i n grooves in the boards. The opposite side of the coop is simply plastering lath. The

roof is composed of two doors which can be raised when sunlight or more air is wanted than can be had at the ends, which have a short piece of lath at the top. The small door slides up and down, and can be kept.at any desired height by a nail being put through the hole in the door into the hole in the board above; if the coop is set on a board platform it will be vermin proof. This coop is cheap, durable and can be made of any size. ZXK* the Tear Round. There is no sure course of having eggs the year round, but one thing must not be overlooked. -»The pullets must not all be hatched at the. same time. There should be at least three families, hatched say in March, May and late August or early September. This will lead to molting at different periods, and consequently only one flock will be idle at one time, if all be well led and carefully attended to..

No hen lays continually, and the only way by which a continual supply of eggs may be insured is to have birds varying ages. Still another rule that should be observed is that heavy fowls, like Plymouth Rocks or any of the Asiatics, lay in winter better than the light breeds, hence the earliest broods for laying through the winter’s coldest weather should be of these breeds, or at least be sired by a male of one of these varieties. Late hatched chicks that are not wanted for layers before next spring will do well if partly or wholly Leghorns, as these birds are noted for being tho layers of the most eggs of any breed during the mild season of the year.— H. Sage. Pertinent Poultry Points, Give the sitters proper care and attention. Put sulphur in the nests to destroy vermin. Trap off the rats or they will catch the young wicks. Give the hens liberty so that eggs will be strong and fertile. „ Peed the to-be-sitters corn; get them fat for the job—it’s a hard one. Get all your flock of one kind; you will then take more interest in the hen business. Breeding at $5 a head, Plymouth Rock fowls ought to pay the farmer We know of one who gets this price for his high-bred birds. It costs him no more to rear them than the common barnyard mongrels. Set eggs from some of the Mediterranean or Hamburg class. You want hens that can work off corn, as all farmers feed more corn than anything else, and those classes do . not get to fat to lay when fed corn. There are exceptions. Many farmers neglect their opportunities. They ought to know that hens will pay as well as their cows, sheep or hogs. Eggs are always salable at a profit in summer, the farmer can either sell or store them for higher prices. In eggs alone he can be assured a very fair income.