The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-05-05
Practical Hints about Poultry,

The editor OF the n. y. Evening Post (the
poet Bryani) occasionally gives his readers
a chapter Of his rural experience al his
country residence on Long Island. The
following "practical hints about poultry"
as they do "more truth Than po-
ety. may be read with profit
In the iirs, place, roos,ers should be
changed as often as once i'll. two years, it
not annually J, and pains should be taken in
replacing them, 10 procure, strong, healthy
aud perfect birds. The hens will lay bet
ter and hatch more chickens. 'ia'
Secondly, but small number Of hens
should be kept in one house, or togelher.-
We have known repeated instances in which
Keepers Of poultry have become disgusled
at their failure 10 Law, and have determined
to kill Them off. They. have commenced
reducing the number, which was, perhaps,
forty or tiity, and when they got down 10
hall dozen, were surprised 10 find every
one Of the hens laying, and the supply of
eggs for the family better then the whole
number furnished. ed. .|.1'..
As,o the profit, we donbt very much
whelher'if all their food be bought, the
eggs and chickens produced by any breed,
and sold nj the regular marke, prices for
the .able, will pay the expense OF keeping.
But il by no means follows from this, That
hens are not source Of profit on a farm.-
They en-, much which otherwise would be
entirely lost and wasted. And u small
patch of buckwheat, sown al trifling cost,
and lei, on the ground where they can stroll
over !, and feed a, their pleasure, will keep
as fat as butter.
But the main and mos, important point
10 which we wish TO call attention in COLI
nection with this subject. is the great value
OF manure Of poultry. The hen-roost is the
place where most farmers should 60 for
their guano. Ifob,ained there il will in
variably prove Of good quality. There
need be no fear, for those who get their
suano from this source, tha, il will turn out
10 be OF a spurious importation, or OF an in.
ferior Kind. Then, there are no heavy
bills TO pay for it. The bills Of the hens
every farmer can provide for, but the bills
of the guano dealers not every one is pre-
parel. 10 meet. And we doubt whether
even intelligent farmers who have no, tried
IL, would estimate ut more than onc-hutd
red,h part Of It's actual amount, the quantity
Of excellent manure which can be made in
this way in the course Of year.
The hen roost-duck roos'-seese roos,
and Turkey rocsi-should be supplied
with several loads Of peat, swamp muck, or
loan, spread evenly over the surface Of the
floor, and on this there should be scattered
u thin layer of sand or gravel. Rainy days,
when the work eau be done as well as not,
and as Often as practicable this should be
all shoveled over, and the manure mixed
with the other ingredients. The compost
soon becomes strong, when il can be re-
moved, and fresh supply of the most suit
able material convenient 10 be obtained is
thrown in.
The house is thus KEEP, sweet and clean,
and healthy, for the fowls and if any far.
mer will adopt this plan, and practice il
faithfully for live years, and keep an accu-
rate account, no, only OF the crop raised di-
reclly from the compost made with the
poultry manure, but from the manure made
by feeding those crops on, in their turn, he
will be amazed at the result; iirst, in the
amount OF cash he will have realized, and
secondly, in the eiIec, in the way OF per-
manent improvement Of his farm, Try it.