The Portland daily press., 1867-09-21

The hen yteper having subsidized, men are
prepared to take common-sense view of the
subject. That the raising of poultry ON o
small scale can be made profitable, there is no
doubt; but it is well established fact that
large numbers kept together will soon become
diseased and die, in spite of the most skillfql
treatment that any of our poulterers have
been able to practice. On farms, a consider
able number of fowls, having the range Of
field, stable yard and barn, will thrive with
but little attention, but when they are coniin-
ed to single poultry yards even limited mum
ber require careful watching and feeding tb
keep them in a good healthy condition.
We think the tune has gone by, if indeed
such a time ever was, when it can be made prof
liable to buy ten or fifty dollar roosters for le-
gitimate breeding purposes. Such adyenturers
can only hope to get their money back by be-
ing sharp enough to find set of verdant
customers with more money than discretion,
Those who want to establish good stock Of
fowls for selling eggs, or chickens for table
use. can do so more safely as well as more
cheaply by careful selection from good medi-
um varieties, and afterwards breeding only
from such of their progeny as possess the
most desirable Qualities. Whatever strain
or style is decided upon, should be Kept free
from all incongruous mixture, and tend to-
wards fixed standard Of excellence. Very
much can be attained in this way to establish
desirable style of size and plumage, or 4
habit of productiyeness In order TO secure
good constitutional sock it will be necessary
to change the roosters nearly every year, as
continued breeding in-and-in is ruinoB to
fowls There should be one rooster to every
eight or ten hens. -a.l
Ii it is desirable 90 conline the fowls 10 a
yard tor all or pantion of the time, it will be
indispensable to their heclth and productive
ness to prov ide for them suitable food and
fixtures. These need not be expensive, but
the fixtures should be efficient and completes
SO as to secure the safety ~ 6lle fowls and al
low the keeper ready access and control o.
the entire product. We will suggest the plar
of a small henery capable of subsisting say
one hundred fowls, and ii any of our readers
know OF better way we shall be happy to
hear from them.
Select for the yard piece of dry ground,-
gravelly il convenient, with an aspect to the
you can afford, which, of course, must be reg
ulated by the consideration of what you can
spare for such purposes. Upon the north
side of this yard erect your hen house, facing
the south. with half roof sloping back. A
building ten feet wide, and fifteen or twenty
long will be sufficient. Let the front posts be
ten or twelve feet high, the back posts three
feet shorter. The roof may be of boards bat
tened or of shingles so as to keep QUO wet
The sides and ends covered with boards run
ming up and down, and the cracks battened.--
Have a small window in each end, and two
small windows in front, all furnished with
fixed slat blinds, so that the sashes can be
taken ont in hot weather and the room well
ventilated. A scuttle or false chimney in .tbe
middle, of the roof with valve win afford a
general facility for ventilation. There must
also be door, where it will be most conyen-
lent for the keeper, and one or more port holes
for the fowler togo In and out at. ian
& For the internal arrangement, put up suf-
ficient number of roost poles of the size OF a
mans wrist, and made firm ard steady and
high enough from the floor to allow person
to pass under; and to assist the hens in get
ting up, have one or more board ladders lead
ing from the ground to the roost poles The
styIe of nest boxes must be determined by the
kind of fowls for which they are designed. If |
for the large Chinese varieties, the boxes must
be made low and very easy of access, so that
the hens will not be obliged to fly up in order
to get into them. They should be shallow so
that the hens need not hop down from the
rim, as in this case they are liable TO break
the eggs. They must also be open to view, as
these fowls do not require 50 much privacy as
many other kinds. Fowls which are more par
ticular in their habits may require the en-
trance to their nests to be partially concealed,