The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-12
Economy i'm Feeding Chickens.

Those who keep chickens know very well
that if all the feed that is given to them
has to be purchased, the profit arising from
keeping them is very small. 1t is true
that at certain seasons of the year the ne
cessities of the farm and garden require
that they should be shut up, and of course
fed almost wholly out of hand and during
winter, although they may be allowed to
range, vet the amount of feed which they
can pick up is but small. And yet our ex-
perience leads us to believe that the chief
advantage arising from keeping chickens
lies in their acting as save-alls. we nave,
therefore, adopted certain rules which are
in o measure based upon this idea, and we
find that just go far as We depart from them
Just 50 much do we lose.
Our first rule is to keep as few chickens
as possible during winter and the time
when they must be shut up; or, if we have
number on hand, they are mostly small,
requiring little feed and not being very de,
structiye. With the exception of few old
favorite hens kept for breeding, we keep
but few hens over winter. During early
summer, oil the old hens in the country lay
freely, and eggs are cheap. Early spring
pullets commence laying early IN the fall,
and furnish good supply of eggs when
prices are high.
By the middle Of October we proceed tt
fatten our chickens, and this we accom-
plish without coping them up; but We dc
| not commit the common error of giving our
| hens q "warm breakfast" Many of our
chicken-keeping friends do this, and the
consequence is that the chickens satiate
themselves, and 60 off to sun themselves
in the shelter of some quiet bank. Our
system is to give them good, hearty
meal Of some easily-digested and easily
picked-up feed just before they 60 to roost
for the night. This enables them to resist
the cold better; the food is digested while
the birds are at rest, and they wake up in
the morning strong and hungry, and eager
| for forage. They then 60 to work just as II
thew had to depend upon their own exer-
tons for living. In this way they pick
up enough to live on, while all the food that
we give them is 30 much extra, and goes to
make fat.
Some wiseacres may object to giving ami
mails hearty meal just before sending them
to bed. It would be easy to fill column
with arguments in favor Of the practice,
but it is unnecessary. Look at that plump
little quail that has gone to roost IN the
shelter Of heap of brush. He is fat and
sleek, and his health and strength are most
excellent, as you will very likely find il
you try your hand at capturing him and
yet he goes to bed every night with his crop
literally stuffed with grain. All wild ani:
mails that we know anything of 60 to bed
with full stomachs, and We never find that
any evil consequences result. Whoever
knew lion with fit of dyspepsia? We
feed all our chickens in this way. We have
no desire to fatten some to the exclusion OF
the rest. We never find that liberal feeding
interferes with the laying Of young birds
and chickens that enter upon winter IN good
condition-they require less food, and come
out better in spring than those that are
stinted. Moreover, we must acknowledge
that although We have heard glowing &C
| counts of the practice, and have often tried
it, we never could make it pay to fatten
chickens in close coops.-Houdan, in Cult
vator.