The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-09-06
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Poultry Experience.
AND DEscRlpTIoN OF Practical PouL.
TRY House.

Geo. l.. Cornell of Westchester Co. N.
Y, writes the following in response to in.
quries which have lately appeared in the
Rural Newly orker' for practical plan
for poultry house, together with his
twelve years experience in keeping fowls
He says:
II keep sixteen hens and two cocks
The house in 90 by 16 feet in the clear
ten feet post, lathed and plastered through.
out, and under the roof, as there is nc
upper loft, the floor cemented fence a.
round the yard 100 by so feet, 8 feet
high ; on the north side tight e,the
other three sides stats. The laying apart.
mo1t is 6x12 feet; setting room 81 by
II under sloping part where droppings
fall, and 90 down in entry 81 by IL
door opens east side to 60 IN and clean
out. The roosts are set in notchcs Sc.
occurred to wall so as to be taken out and
cleaned; roosts two feet above sloping
part, which is of groovcd seasoned planed
perfectly tight and whitc-washed spring
and fall, when the whole house has a
thorough cleaning and white-washing
There is large window in the south
side to open in roosting part.
My boxes for laying are sixteen in
ches square, six inches high, with back
fifteen inches high and q hole to hang them
up by the bottom projects in front eight
inches, SO that the hen steps from that
into the nest use broken straw for the
nests, but put first in the box two inches
of wood ashes, then two tablespoons full
of -four of sulphur, then straw. Do not
let hen set twice on the same nest
clean out the nest after setting,and white.
wash all the boxes inside and out before
using them.
Twelve years ago l commenced keeping
the yellow-legged Dominique fowls, (which
did we'll, and l had plenty of eggs and
good chickens for the table. But hear.
ing so much of the Black Spanish fowls
| procured number of them, but was
disappointed in my expectations. They
are good layers, but the flesh is dark and
not inviting as an article of food.
After trial Of three years, l dispos-
ed Of them and got the Dorking breed,
which is handsome, full.brcasted fowl
and thought was suited to my regret,
the hens laid each six eggs and wanted
to set. After breaking them up they
soon began to lay, and after producing
six eggs would again set. This did not
suit me, and then tried the Creve-
Ceur. They are good layers, but their
chickens are delicate, hard to raise and
their flesh dark. [ then tried the White
Brahmas, which are good layers, settlers
and nurses raised from them last sum-
mer one hundred and fifty chickens and
as many eggs as my family needed. They
lay well in winter, but the chickens are
not full breasted until grown large thigh
and leg, but rather coarse. The broilers
have but little meat on their breast +; with
this exception they are the best foreign
breeds that Ihave tried. then understood
that the Houdan breed was superior to any
other for all purposes; procured some
at high price, land found them good lay
ers,but chickens small and of slow growth.
The hens do not set but had Brahmas
to put their eggs under l set at least
two hundred eggs and got but ten chick
ems, and half Of them died with the gapes
the first time l ever had the disease in my
poultry yard.
have now come 10 the conclusion that
the foreign fowls which are so cracked
up are no better, if as good, as our old
fashioned yellow-legged Dominiques, and
am now going to fall back on that breed
and not pay such extravagant prices for
foreign birds.
This is my experience in poultry keep.
ing for the last twelve years land if you
see fit to publish it, for the benefit Of
others, you can do so, as it may prove
useful to some one."