Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-09
AGRICULTURAL.
EGGS AND POULTRY.


re held at such prices that few families can af-
ord to use them at all and even those who are Il
n easy circumstances, consider them too expen-
i've for common food.
There is no need Of this. Every family or
nearly every family, can with very little trouble
have eggs in plenty during the whole year: and
Of all the animals domesticated for the use oil
ma n, the greatest possible profit to the
In the month of Nov enb.r, put apart eleven
hens and cock, gave them small chamber IN
a wood house, defended from storms, and with an
opening to the south. Their food, water and
lime were placed Oh shelves convenient for them
with warm nests and chalk nest eggs in plenty.
Those hens continued to lay eggs through the
winter. From these eleven hens received an
average Of six eggs daily during the winter;
and whenever any one of them was disposed to
sit viz: soon as she began to cluck, she was
separated from the others By grated partition;
and her apartment darkened; these cluckers !
we're well attended and well fed they could SEES |
and partially associate through their CRATES with
the other fowls, and soon as any one OF these
prisoners began to sing, she was liberated, and
would very soon lay eggs. 1t IS a pleasant re-
creation TO feed and tend bevv OF laying
hens, they may be tanned 90 as TO follow the chill
drcn and will lay in any tox.
Egg shells contain lime, and in winter, when
The earth is bound with frost or covered with
snow, if lime is not provided 'or them, they will
not lay, if they do, the eggs must OF necessity
neys and old buildings,is proper, and only needs
TO be broken for them. They will often at
tempt to swallow pieces of lime plaster as large as
wanuts.
have often heard il said that wheat is the best
grain for them, but doubt it; they will sing over
Indian corn with more animation than over any
other grain. The singing hen will certainly lay
eggs, If she finds all things agreeable to her but
the hen is much Il prude, watchful as weasel
and fastidious as hypocrite, she must she will
have secrecy and mystery about her nest; all
eyes but her own must be averted follow her or
watch her, and she will forsake her nest, and stop
laying; she is best pleased with box covered at
the top, with back aperture tor light, and side
door by which she can escape unseen
A farmer may keep an hundred fowls III his
barn may suffer them to trample upon and destroy
his mows of wheat and other grains, and still have
fewer eggs than the cottager who keeps single
dozen, who provides secret nests, chalk eggs,
pounded brick, plenty of pounded lime, plenty of
Indian corn, water and gravel for them; and who
takes that his hens not disturbed about
their nests. Three chalk eggs IN nest are bet
ter than a single nest egg, and large eggs please
them; / havo often smiled to them fondle
round and lay into a nest of geese eggs. Pull
lots will commence laying earlier IN life whore
tho nests and eggs arc plenty, and where others
arc clucking around them.
A dozen dunghill fowls, shut up away Eom
other means of obtaining food, will require somo
think fifteen bushels year fair provision for
them But more or less, let them ALWAYS have
enough by them; and after they have become
Infatuated to find enough, ut all times plenty
in their little manger, they take but a few ker-
nels at a time, except Just before retiring to
roost, when they will take nearly spoonful in
their crops; but rst as their provision
comes to them scanted or irregular, so sure they
will raven up whole crop fall at time and will
stop laying.
A single dozen of fowls, properly attended
will furnish a family with more than , 900 eggs
in year, and 100 full grown chickens for fall and
winter stores. The expense Of feeding the doz
fowls will not amount to eighteen bushels Of In
dian corn They may be kept IN cities as well as
in the country, and will do as we'll shut up the
year round as to run at large; and a grated room
we'll lighted, 10 feet by FIVE, partitioned from a
ny stable other out houses, sufficient for TIT
dozen fowls, with their roosting places, nests ant
feeding troughs.
At a proper season, viz. in the spring of thu
year, five or six hens will hatch at the same TIM
and the fifty or sixty chickens may be given t.
ono hen. Two hens will take care of lO
chickens we'll enough, until thoy begin to elm
their little stick roosts, they should be separate
from the hens entirely, they will wander les:
and do better away entirely from the fowls
have often kept the chickens in my garden ;the
keep the May bugs and other insects away fror
vines, &c.
In cases of combining fowls in sumtner,it shou
be remembered that ground room should /
chosen; or 1t will do just we'll to set into the
pen boxes of dried sand Kindred, well pulve
lied earth, for them to walow in; in warm we
Hher.
Bedford breed of Hoss.-We had the plea
ure on Friday OF seeing pig nine months o
raised by Mr. Joseph w. Haines of Hallowell
the following dimensions.
Length feet,
Th,ck hon 81