Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-02-12
Ia Poultry Profitable I?

man has found TO bis sorrow 'na'' nes
Lated, fowls are more plague than profit
nat they can scratch and waste, as well
as lay and fatten, and that the widest
kind of margin is necessary in counting
the chickens before they hatch. There
. difference in fowls in both laying and
table qualities, and whoever keeps any
should "get the best" but probably with
the present prices Of grains, no fowls fed
exclusively thus, especially in the colder
months, can be kept without loss. A
common-sized fowl will consume about
Gill of corn, wheat or buckwheat daily
Nv actual successive experiments eight
fowls of the Poland variety, consumed,
with few boiled potatoes, peck OF corn
in eleven days, peck of barley 10 seven
days, peck of wheat in seven days, and
a peck Of oats in six days. Each of these
grains was accessible till all consumed.
Fowls like variety of food. Hence no
one article should be fed exclusively
They are partial to corn, but will not re-
fuse wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat, rice
or millet. Apparently the hardest thing
to take is rye, which they object TO un-
less quite hungry. Damaged grain has
been known to iDjure poultry, though
generally nothing comes amiss. Almost
every aimentary substance agrees with
them. even if buried in manure heap.
Seeds, flies, worms, grubs, scraps of meat
and offal mouldy bread, potato skins,
onions, milk, egg and oyster shells, bro
ken bones, and eifete lime, are omnivor-
ously accepted. No kind of food will
make hens lay well, unless these last four
are added. Meat at two cents pound
is cheaper fer them than grain at dol
lar a bushel, but meat will not answer
alone. Bulky food satisfies them best,
hence it is considered economy to boil
corn and barley, and to scald meal, as
these thus are increased in bulk from
oDe.fourth TO one-third There is less
Advantage it boiling oats, buckwheat or
rye. The French excel oil other nations
in the use of poultry and eggs, and hence
the cultivation in France is carried to
great perfection. 1t is the custom of poul.
try.keepers in France to boil to bursting
the grain given to fattening fowls, and
doubtless there is economy in the operas
ton.
We have been highly interested of late
in the success of young German family
near US in the poultry line, and are per-
mitted to draw from their six months
account.book On the LIST of January,
1863, Lewis Ritter of West Springfield
had so hens, chiefly Black Spanish, and
5 common ducks, inventoried all told at
$22,50. They were kept in warm oc-
tagonal poultry house and yard near the
junction of the Connecticut aud Agawam
rivers. In the month Of January they
laid 307 eggs which, at % cents dozen
for SIG. They ate that month three
bushels Of corn worth S3.l6 one BUSH
81 of buckwheat worth 80 cents fifty
pounds of meal worth So cents sixty
four pounds of meat worth $l.28 refuse
onions worth 80 cents; and red peppers
worth IL cents total 1854. The profit
that month was 81 cents. Only about l 0
of the fowls laid, or the profits would
have been much greater. They were
capable of five times that yield. In Feb
ruary, they were similarly fed Except
that the buckwheat and meat were in
creased and the corn and meal decreased)
at total cost of $6,2l, and they yielded
492 eggs, which sold at about 25 cents a
dozen for $l0.S7. The profit this month
was $466. In March they laid "a IL
dozen eggs which brought $3.50, besides
26 eggs which were used for setting =
They consumed 500 worth of feed, and
yielded a profit of $40. In April their
keeping cost SIG, and they laid Go i-2
dozen eggs which brought $l6.25, yield
ing profit of $780, The price of eggs
ranged from % TO 36 cents according as
they were sought for setting. In May
they were charged for feed 1854, and
credited with 81 dozen eggs at 5000 );
profit $2.16. In June they ate $40
worth, and yielded AZ dozen eggs at $l0.-
43; profit 1888. Total profit for six
months $2l.96. The least profit was in
January, and the greatest in April.
From the same source we learn that
pUllets Matched in March, often. COM
mence laying in September, that fowls
commonly decrease in laying properties
after their second year, and that the eggs
OF maturest hens are surest to hatch
The estimate for the yield of good lay
ing hen the first year is $50 eggs, the
second year 100 eggs, and the third so
eggs. Continued laying debilitates a