Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-03-18
Bookings.

The following directions tor raIslng5 Dork-
ings also apply equally well in many points
to other breeds They are copied from leg
etmeiers new Poultry Book-a rather ex-
pensive book, but the best one now out.
- Early Matched Dorking pullets will lay
all the winter, although not quite so freely
as some other bree Dis. Dorkings make good
mothers iii general. and lay from thirty-five
to fifty eggs before wanting to set As
mothers thep very docile you may
handle them you please, and give them
the chickens from other hens, which they
take to at once As Dorking chickens are
extremely rapid in their growth, it is desira-
bic to coop the mother for the first seven or
eight weeks. During the first week | alway s
coop the hen under dry, dusty shed; by
the end of that time the chickens get strong,
and if dry weather sets in, they are fit TO be
cooped on the grass under the shelter of a
hedge, or by the side of IA plantation where
there are plenty Of nice, dry, dusty banks.
and where they can get enough of mornn.
sun but they should not be exposed to the
midday sun III places where they can get no
shelter. The coop with the hen should be
moved daily about midday, and the chick
ems fed most literally, if yon wish to rsar
any fowls that are any good, and out Of the
common such fowls as VIII sometimes sell
at nine months old for the price of a cow-a
fact have often proved.
- My readers may like to know how | raise
them so as TO become as valuable as | state.
When young give my chickens good eggs
and new milk made int custard, which is
given at very meal. The best oatmeal is
used for their stock food sleeps head and
pluck. boiled and chopped up, are gwen
three times a week until the chicks are three
weeks old. Bruised oats are thrown down
Just in the rough for them to peck at, and
they are fed every hour from five clock in
the morning to seven o clock at night. \
nice, warm, dusty place is selected for the
coop, and in the morning, before feeding.
water Is given them with little sulphate of
iron in it. 1t is wonderful what frames they
make when fed in this way. When seven
weeks old, l begin to give coarser food, such
split wheat and barley, leaving off the
custard by degrees, adding more barley meal
and cat meal being careful not to let the
chickens out of the coops, if a strong dew
is on the grass, uatil the sun is well up.
This is easily managed by opening the coop
and letting the chickens out to drink, the
very first thing in the morning, when they
will rush to the water, then by putting q
little food in the cOOps you get them all back
again; then shut them up for time, till the
grass is dry. When large framed birds are
desired, the frame must be produced whilst
the chickens are with the hem size is only to
be obtained by liberal feeding and great
attention. In general | set from nine to eleven
DorkinS eggs under hen, but never more
than the largest number. My largest and
best fowls have always been those Matched
about the end Of April and first fortnight in
May,
Many persons who desire to keep Dork-
ings for supplying their own table with first
class poultry, object to the breed on account
of the delicacy of the chickens and the diff
Guilty Of raising them in large numbers. On
such occasions it will be found very advisa-
bic to cross the Dorkings with the Brahmas
If few heavy, short legged, dark Brahma
hens are allowed to run with the Dorkings,
and their eggs Matched, they will be found
ems of great weight and unexceptionable quail
ity as table fowls. Itgetmeier's Poultry
Book