Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-11-26
agricultural.
A Small Flock and its Profits.


Our neighbor built small hen-house
in his small lot. and purchased Eve hens
for it last spring, His purpose was to
obtain eggs AMI not chickens and there
fore he made no rooSt for a rooster. He
purchased little corn and wheat, and
otherwise than this the crumbs of his
table, with what the fowls could pick up
about his place, furnished all their food.
His own family consisted ofonly two per
sons. Well, ever since his experiment
began, his flock has furnished him with
all the eggs used in his family, and they
have been used literally for al purposes,
not excepting the breakfast table and the
fried ham. In addition 20 this he has
given away some and has saved up quite
box full (the size Of which hc has not
stated for use in the fall and early win
ter months, when hens usually DO not lay,
and have sold during the year ten dozen
at an average OF forty cents dozen,
which is a larger sum than all he has paid.
lie has come the conclusion that ne has
got his eggs for nothing for his family,
and is a little ahead on money on their
account besides. and furthcrt hathe should
not have had many more eggs with double
the number ofhens.
This latter conclusion is in accordance
with the almost universal belief and per
haps experience OF those who have kept
fowls. Il IS difficult to account for il.
The smaller the ho,k the larger the ratio
OF profit generally. Blu, IL i've hens pro.
duce a certain number Of eggs why viii
not ten hens produce double the nuMbor2
We believe they Will with Ike care and
accommodations. The number of eggs
j. dependent in some measure upon the
health of the fowl. When they begin TO
hy. their combs become red and full of
blood, and they exercise more and are
much moro lively than IL other times.
A sick hen will lay no eggs Now a lyu
takes no care for theneatneSS ofherroo>t.
ing place II lefl to herself she selects
some high beam in the barn or sheds,
with plenty of air that Is pure, and where
her dropping, do not faint the all, and she
roamS about ., random during the day
over wide space. Such a hen generally
has a good appetite, enjoys high state
of health, and Is almost always a good
layer. II you keep bnt four or FIVE hens,
though confined, they live in a good pure
cir and remain healthy You increase
the number and YOU almost invariably
diminish the accommodations \ hen
that has been shut up alluigh, in q crowd
ed hCu-coopis notinaiit condition TO lay the
next lay, and if let ont IN the pure air in
the morning it takes her all day 10 get
right again. \ thousand hens in one
flock. ii As Wei cared for a> FIVE, would
lay a> many eggs in proportion we have
no doubt, bu, that Ike care they never
can get. Health Is the great thing want
ING in a flock. and tha, cannot he had eN-
oepthy living in pure air Go into Your
hen house some very cold morning. |
when YOU have shut it up pretty close
the night before Tor lcary ourtowlS would |
freeze, and the atmosphere viii De so bad |
thai YOU cannot remain, ami your fowls |
VIII 5c dull and jgmpj,h
l. i ju>; the same with mankind. We
never see double window in a sleeping /
room a we pas, along thv~trce', hut ,ha,
We want u take stone amt make q hole .
for fresh air to enter ia TO refresh the de- /
ludel occupants. Nci,hcy man nor ami /
mails should sleep in any room or building /.
where opeu space cuoughi> not left, both |
summer and winter, for the pure and I'M
tainted airof outdoors 10 come in and
give health and ,igor and life too some
times.
We suppose :i,tyue that small fock>
give the creates, ratio of profit, and for
the above reasons. The highest degree
Of profit l. generally derived from the
flock which Is vel, fed and has the bc,,
grounds to roam in. and which ALWAYS
lives impure untainted air and the smaller
the flock the more certain +, is to live in
this manner,
y small ilock j., certainly very protita.
bic. Three hens viii average more than /