The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-07

WHAT FOWLS TO KEEP.-A commit
tee of the Institute Farmers' Club Of
New York City, made report by ques-
tons and answers, as follows: What
breeds are at present most priced? A.
Different breeders disagree, but it is at
present thought that the majority pre-
7er the Houdans, dark and light Brah-
mas and Leghorns. Are pure breeds
preferable? A. The pure breeds are
better than half breeds, as layers, but
not quite 30 hardy. What fowls are
the best layers? A. White Leghorns
and Aylesbury ducks. Which grow
fastest and make the most dressed meat?
A. Creve C@urs, dark Brahmas, or
Aylesbury ducks. For eggs and flesh
both which are best? A. HOudabs.
For flavor and tenderness of flesh,
which breeds excel? A. HOudans,
DOrkiDg or game, and ROuen ducks.
For mothers which are found best?
A. Game and Dorking. Is the Dork-
ing hardy in this climate? A. No.
What feeding and range do you recon-
mend? A. Ground feed in the morn
ing, mixed with warm water, whole
grain at night, little meat OCCASION
ally in the winter, with some broken
oyster shell, all the range possible, and
good, warm house, is all that is ne
cessary. What is your opinion of pOul-
try raising Oh large scale? A. 1t can
be done with great profit if the grounds
and houses are large enough. Every
hundred fowls should have at least an
acre.
This report smacks largely 10 our
mind as an advertising dodge, or ex-
poses the ignorance of those sdUdns
who composed the committee of mves-
tigation. Any breeder of experience,
after reading the questions AMI an
swers, will be very apt to Titiicule the
report as whole. The idea that u
majority, or even a small minority, ni
breeders priced HOudans rL,ve other
breeds, is the furthest from tie thought.
Then, again, that the White Lealurn
are the best egg producers, is another
the nice, trim and prolific Hamburys
are left out in the cold, along with the
perpetual and everlasting Polish lay
ers. We have ver..heard from Il re
liable (?) source that White LeghOrns
were considered superior IA layers.
But we do know from several years
experience that POlands aud Ham
burgs are first-class fowls as egg pro
ducers and nOn-sitters.
Again, this learned committee claims
by their report that Creve Caurs "a
breed ignored by Northern breeders as
too tender for this climate) ''grow the
fastest and make the most dressed
meat" This, undoubtedly, will lie
news to those parties who were ill.,
duced to invest i'm this breed and had
them "die on their hands," they being
SO tender they could not be raised prof
itably, and were liable to almost all
contagious diseases. The report also
AYERS that the flesh of the HoudOns is
superior to that of the Dorking (by
placing it first on the LIST which is
about as correct as the rest of their
averments.
It is well known TO those attending
our annual poultry exhibitions, or
breeding fancy fowls, that Brahmas
and COchins are held in highest esteem
| and stand first on the list, rs being the
best to breed rom for profit, as they
feather-up at very early age, and
are ready for market sooner than most
other breeds, and command the high
est market price. The DorkiDg, not
only in our markets, but those of ''all
England" are considered the best ia
BILE birds, their flesh being sweeter and
more nutritious than that of any other
breed of fowls; Houdans are no doubt
good table birds, but their flesh lack
that golden yellow, buttery color which
attracts the eye of epiccures. AS layer
the Hamburgs and Polands are noted
rs having no superiOrs.