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and maintaining the utility of a flock. For further information and plans showing the construction of a trap nest, send for Farmers’ Bulletin 682, “A Simple Trap Nest for Poultry.” FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION _Classification of Poultry Feeds_ =================+=========================+========================== Nature provides--|Scientific classification| Poultrymen feed-- -----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------- Worms and bugs |Nitrogenous material, or |Meat (Green cut bone or |protein |beef scrap), milk or | |cottage cheese. Seeds |Carbohydrates |Wheat, oats, corn, barley, | |etc. Greens |Succulents |Lettuce, cabbage, kale, | |mangels, alfalfa, clover, | |sprouted oats, etc. Grit |Mineral matter |Grit and oyster shell. Water |Water |Water. -----------------+-------------------------+-------------------------- [Illustration: A homemade dry-mash hopper.] [Illustration: Oats in the process of sprouting.] In order to obtain an abundance of eggs it is necessary to have healthy, vigorous stock, properly fed. The following are good grain mixtures for the laying stock, the proportions being by weight: Ration 1. Ration 2. Ration 3. Equal parts of: 3 parts cracked corn. 2 parts cracked corn. Cracked corn. 2 parts oats. 1 part oats. Wheat. 1 part wheat. Oats. A choice of any one of these rations should be scattered in the litter twice daily, morning and evening. [Illustration: Average amount of feed consumed by a laying hen and eggs produced.] Either of the following suggested dry-mash mixtures should be fed in a dry-mash hopper such as illustrated, allowing the fowls to have access to it at all times. Mash No. 1. Mash No. 2. 2 parts corn meal. 1 part middlings. 3 parts corn meal. 1 part bran. 1 part beef scrap. 1 part beef scrap. When fowls do not have access to natural green feed, sprouted oats, cabbage, mangels, cut clover, etc., should be fed. When wet mashes are fed, be sure that they are crumbly and not sticky. Plenty of exercise increases the egg yield. [Illustration: A rural cafeteria.] Fresh, clean drinking water should be always provided. Charcoal, grit, and oyster shell should be placed before the fowls so that they can have access to them at all times. For additional information on feeds and feeding request Farmers’ Bulletin 287, “Poultry Management,” and Farmers’ Bulletin 528, “Hints to Poultry Raisers,” from U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. [Illustration: To produce infertile eggs confine or dispose of the male birds. This has no influence on the number of eggs laid by the hens.] Produce the infertile egg. Infertile eggs are produced by hens that have no male birds with them. The following table shows that the losses of fertile eggs are computed to be nearly twice as great as in the case of infertile eggs. ===============================+========+========= | Fertile|Infertile | Eggs | Eggs -------------------------------+--------+--------- |Per cent|Per cent On the farm | 29.0 | 15.5 At country store | 7.1 | 4.0 Transportation to packing house| 6.4 | 4.7 +--------+--------- Total | 42.5 | 24.2 -------------------------------+--------+--------- MARKETING THE PRODUCT The hen’s greatest egg-producing periods are the first, second, and third years, depending upon the breed. The heavier breeds, such as Plymouth Rocks, may be profitably kept for two years; the lighter breeds, such as Leghorns, three years. Market white-shelled and brown-shelled eggs in separate packages. Eggs irregular in shape, those which are unusually long or thin-shelled, or which have shells otherwise defective, should be kept by the producer for home use, so that breakage in transit may be reduced as much as possible. [Illustration: Uniform products command the best prices. Standard-bred fowls produce uniform products.] For additional information on packing and shipping eggs by parcel post request Farmers’ Bulletin 830, “Marketing Eggs by Parcel Post,” issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. [Illustration: Extremely large, small and soiled eggs should not be marketed; use them at home. All the eggs above were produced by a farm flock of mixed or mongrel fowls.] Eggs from “stolen” nests should not be marketed; they are of unknown age and quality and should be used at home. When taking eggs to market, protect them from the sun’s rays in warm weather. Ship or deliver eggs twice or three times weekly. Notice the candler has places for the good eggs as well as for checks (cracked eggs), dirty eggs and “rots.” When selling eggs insist that they be bought on a quality basis. [Illustration: The result of a trip under the corncrib.] [Illustration: Everybody in the shade except the eggs.] Infertile eggs will withstand marketing conditions much better than fertile eggs. All cockerels not intended to be kept or sold for breeders should be marketed when they reach suitable size. Such birds confined in a homemade fattening battery or coop and fed a fattening ration for a week or ten days will not only increase in weight but bring a better price on the market, because of improved quality. [Illustration: A shipment of eggs on the railroad station platform, exposed to the sun.] [Illustration: Candling eggs for quality.] CAPONIZING A capon is an unsexed male bird, which when mature is of larger size and more desirable for eating than cockerels or cocks. [Illustration: A Buff Orpington cock.] [Illustration: A Buff Orpington capon.] By following directions and with a little practice, poultrymen will find caponizing a simple operation. For detailed information on caponizing, request Farmers’ Bulletin 849. [Illustration: Boys caponizing a cockerel.] LICE AND MITES The free use of an effective lice powder is always advisable. A dust bath, consisting of road dust and wood ashes, is essential in ridding fowls of lice. Sodium fluorid, a white powder which can be obtained from druggists, is also effective. Apply a pinch of the powder at the base of the feathers on the head, neck, back, breast, below the vent, base of tail, both thighs, and on the underside of each wing. An effective remedy for lice on chicks is a small quantity of melted lard rubbed under the wings and on top of the chick’s head. [Illustration: Applying sodium fluorid.] The free use of kerosene or crude oil on the roosts and in the cracks of the house will help to exterminate mites. Whitewash is effective against all vermin. It is possible and thoroughly practicable to keep the poultry flock reasonably free from lice and mites. Such practices should be the aim of every one who is endeavoring to establish a successful flock of poultry. For complete information on mites and lice, request Farmers’ Bulletin 801. [Illustration: A bad case of roup.] COMMON DISEASES AND TREATMENT All diseased birds should be isolated. Colds and roup.--Disinfect the drinking water as follows: To each gallon of water add one tablespoonful of sodium sulphite or as much potassium permanganate as will remain on the surface of a dime. [Illustration: Chicken pox.] Chicken pox.--Put a touch of iodin on each sore and apply carbolated vaseline. Gapes.--Fresh ground and vigorous cultivation will often remedy this trouble, which is caused by small gapeworms that live in the soil and attach themselves to the inside of the throat. [Illustration: Limberneck.] Diarrhea in hens.--Low-grade wheat flour or middlings is good for this trouble. A teaspoonful of castor oil containing 5 drops of oil of turpentine to each fowl is also good. [Illustration: Scaly legs.] Bumblefoot.--When the feet are badly swollen, a small cut should be made with a clean, sharp knife, and the pus removed. Wash the wound out with equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water, grease with vaseline, and bandage. Limberneck.--A teaspoonful of castor oil given to the fowl will sometimes effect a cure. Scaly legs.--Apply vaseline containing 2 per cent of creolin to the affected parts and after 24 hours soak in warm, soapy water. Repeat treatment until cured. For a detailed discussion of the foregoing and other poultry diseases, request Farmers’ Bulletin 957, “Important Poultry Diseases.” NINE ESSENTIAL FEATURES FOR PROFITABLE POULTRY KEEPING