The home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1857, 1857-01-29
POULTRY.

nificant part Of the live stock Of a
farm, yet they ought not to be alto,
ge,her despised. On large farms q
few domestic fowls pick up what
might escape the pigs and be lost
and on small farms the breeding and
rearing OF early chickens and ducks,
and in some situations, the rearing Of
turkeys and the keeping Of geese, are
found profitable. There are few who
do not relish good egg or pancake,
not to say the flesh Of fowls; and
there are some Of these comforts
which can be easily had,
Breeding and rearing ChicbcaS.--lt
should be a general rule to breed
from young stock: q two year old
cock, or stag, and pullets in their Sec
ond year. Hens are in their prime at
three years of age and decline after
five, whence generally it is not adyan-
tageous to keep them after that peri
cd, with the exception Of those capital
qualifications. Acknowledged fowls
are often Of tender constitution,
and always inferior in the quality of
their flesh, which is Of loose labby
texture and ordinary flavor. The
health Of fowls is observable in the
fresh and florid color of the comb, and
tho brightness and dryncss of the
eyes, the nostrils being frse from any
discharge, and the plumage of a
healthy gloss. The number Of hens
TO one cock should not exceed Six
Ten and twelve are allowed by some,
but the produce of eggs and chickens
under such an arrangement will sell
dom equal that to be obtained from
the smaller number of hens. Hens
above the common size Of their vario-
ties are by no means preferable either
as layers or sittcrs. The indications
OF old age are paleness Of the comb
and gills, dullness of color, and sort
of downy stiffness of the feathers, and
length and size of their talons, the
scales upon their legs becoming large
and prominent.
Every one is aware that Spring is
the best season to commence breeding
with poultry, and in truth, it scarcely ,,
matters how early, pre.supposing the
oest food, accommodation and attend
'nce, under which hens may be per-
nitted to sit in January. In the hatch
ng Of poultry, as in most other things,
nature is the best guide. The hen
Ind duck, if left to themselves, find
'ome dry, warm, sandy hedge or bank,
n which to deposit their eggs, forming
heir nests of leaves, moss, or dry
grass. In this way the warmth is re-
tanned when the fowl quits the nest
for the moments she dcvotes TO her
scanty and hurried meal. The good
housewives mode is the reverse of
this. She makes nest, or box, of
stone, brick or wood, and fills it with
clean long straw. By these means
less heat is generated by the hen, and
that which is produced quickly es-
capes in her occasional absence the
eggs are chilled and added, and rrc.
quent failures ensue in the expected
brood. To obviate this, the best mode
is TO put at the bottom and sides of
the boxes of the hen-house, a sufficient
quantity Of fine dry sand, or ashes,
lining them well with a little broken
dry grass, or UNFINISHED hay bands, or
moss, or bruised straw. Wood ashes
have been found to be the best, as
they produce the effect o. destroying
the aeas BY which poultry are much
infested; and this will not be disagree
able to them, as is evident from the
propensity which they have to roll in
heaps Of dust or ashes of any kind
An experienced rearer Of poultry
adopted the above plan, and during 4
long course OF years scarcely ever
met with disappointment. The com.
mon deep square boxes, uncovered at
the top, are very improper for nests,
boca use they oblige the hen to lump
down upon her eggs, whereas, for