The Cecil Whig., 1867-06-29
Breeding Poultry.

Phil. Million, in the Comt,y Gentleman,
.iyes some timely hints ON the care neces.
3ary in improving poultry:
| The same general principles which gov
ern IN the breeding Of other domestic ami
mails are applicable also in the management
| of poultry. The most of our farmers seem
To FORGET that chickens villas surely degen-
crate by constantly breeding from the same
| Stock as will cattle or hogs by the same
| course.
Degeneracy in poultry manifests itself
| sooner in no other way than by the lesseneI
| iecundity OF the hen and the interiorily in
| size and quality of the eggs. Shelter at night
| and during wet and stormy weather, apprt
| pirate food, good water, plenty of lime and
| ashes and sand, contentmcnt and cleanli-
ness, are all essential to the abundant pre-
duction Of large and good eggs but with all
these, we will still be disappointed if w,>
| neg lect to infuse into our stock fresh bloc d
from year to year.
10 increase the average number of eggs
per hen we must, of course, weed out the
poor layers. Or a given number of pulletS
Matched at the same time, some may COM
mence laying much sooner than others, sou {.
may lay larger eggs, some more frequently,
while others may continue TO lay longer
by little attention Oh the part Of the per-
| son who has charge of them, the peculiary
Of each hen in these respects may be known.
Choose those combining the most good eual.
tiles, and breed from them only. Rep at
this process from year to year, and il the,
greatest number of eggs is the chief obec
sought, cultivate the laying propensties of
your flock, by selecting those hens which lay
most frequently and continue TO lay the long.
est. Yet, where eggs and chickens are both
objects of profit, the everlasting layers are.
not desirable, to the exclusion of all Others,
For rearing chickens, you will need some
mems OF n gentle and peaceable disposition,
and not such as will try to kill every stray
chicks that happens to get into the wrol q
coop. Such ill-lcmpered hens are thoueht
by some to be more watchfnl against cats or
other enemies, but L. find they lose more
chicks than the more quiet hens, for when u
cat presents itself at the coop, and Madame
Spit6re commences her warlike demonstra,
lions, she is almost sure to drive every chick
out, and that is just what the attacking party
wants. On the other hand, Madame Quiet
retains her 'posish in the far end of the
coop, with her brood under her wings, as if
conscious Of her safety, and if the coon is
properly constructed, she is safe
In selecting breeding stock, have an eve
to plnmage, for it rs an admitted fact amonp
poulterers that fine feathers cover fine flesh
select also from among the early hroods.-
10 XIII OIL all the early chickens and save
only the late ones for the next year is n mis-.
take TOO treqneutly ly practiced on some farms.
For the sake OF having eggs in December,
some Will manage to keep "a few of the early
pnlets, but as for the rooStrrs, as they DOM
lay anyhow, it is thought Jnly hatched
chick will be big enough to crow by the fol-
lowing February, aud that is all that is re.
qnired.
Early ROSTERS, as well as early pnletq, are.
the ones TO save, II we wish to improve our
poultry from year to year.