Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-12

SOMETHING ABOUT POULTRY.-lr Editor.
It seems 10 me little might be said at this
time that would be interesting to your readers.
in relation TO poultry and poultry exhibitions
I have been breeding poultry and experimenting
with various breeds for several years, to satisfy
myself, at least, about the profit, if any, that
could be made from them by a person with
small capital. I have tried the various kinds
the majority of people have written in favor OF;
starting with the Dominique and Chittagong
and breeding them until they were Plymouth
Rocks and Light Brahmas. | like the Domi-
nique better ,citb0u Asiatic blood than the
Plymouth Rock with it, and can see no differ
ence between the Chittagoug Of twenty-five
years ago and the Light Brahmas Of to-day.
We gave mp the Black Spanish and Hamburg
more than twenty veais ago, because OUT GUS
toners at Troy, n. Y, did not like the poultry
| they made. The color, &C., was not good; and
we gave up the Chitfaaongs because 1t cost so
much to grow them and the buyers OF poultry
| complained of the amount OF otfal. We have
| now given up the Plymouth Rock, the Dom
Unique, and fine Brahmas, for the same reasons
| About the time we sold out on Dominique fowls
we started on Brown Leghons and have bred
| them ever since, always keeping them pure ana
| trying 10 improve them.
We have tried crossing them with various
other breeds, hoping al last to engratt some Of
| their good qualities on some larger breed, but,
| till recently, every attempt has failed. We have
| always found them more prodtaDlc than any
| other breed; have tried them in the same house,
and fed in the same way with various other
breeds and they have given profit of two dol
lars to a hen more the first year, and three the
second; in fact, they are the only breed have
found it profitable to keep more than one year
for eggS, as we feed.
We think the way to Get the most profit from
fowls is TO feed them all they will eat, from the
time they are Matched till they are too old to
keep for LAYING, then send them to market as
poultry. We keep our poultry confined in close
quarters constantly, with only an hours run
every two or three days, for Two reasons First,
we want the manure; and second, twenty-five
hens might damage us twenty-five dollars in an
hour amongst our plants. We keep hens for
eggs more than for poultry, and therefore want
TO keep laying hens mostly. 1t is because the
Brown LeghOrn hens are nOR-StterS, and very
active, that they bear confinement and forcing
for eggs.
Some people think tEem wild, but we have
never had breed Of fowls so susceptible TO kind
and gentle treatment. 1t is not uncommon for
them to aight on my arms when | 90 to feed
them. Every day objections are raised against
them, because they lay smaller egg than the
Brahma, Black Spanish, &c. People say "if a
Brahma lays halt as many eggs, and they are
as large again, Of course they are more profit
able" Every day | read from somebody who
wants eggs sold by the pound. Now facts are
said to be stubborn things. Our Brown Leg
hOln hens lay good deal larger eggs now than
ten years ago, end weigh pound and a half
more, and we expect, ten years hence, they will
Law still larger eggs and weigh heavier, retaining
all of Their good qualities.
SIX years ago Black Spanish cock weighing
screen pounds, was thought Cery large, and was
ruled out Of a show on that account. Recently
L.. /.
fabulous price to get one that weighed
nine pounds. A few of the facts in re-
gard TO eggs and poultry arc these The
heaviest eggs are not the richest necessarily,
more than the heaviest milk, and the heaviest
chicken or fowl will not bring the most profit.
We have customers who will pay us thirtv-ive
cents pound for a Brown Leghom or a Wor-
ce>ter County fowl that will dress three and
halt or four pounds, quicker than they will
twenty-five cents a pound for a Brahma or
Cochin that would weigh FIVE and a half or six
pounds. In fact they do not 9odnt the large,
coarse meaed fowl, but never refuse the smaller,
finer poultry.
Our Brown Leghom eggs have averaged
about nine to the pound and Asiatics and Black
Spanish about six. Some say, "you feed your
LeghornS best" Feed makes as much differ
enCe with fowls as with cows but when expert
mentng, all were fed as nearly alike as posi-
Bile, only we were Obliged to4eed the Spanish
and AsiatiCs, one-third more every day, and we
could keep twelve Brown Leghorns in the space
occupied by six of the others, and have less dis
ease amongst them.
| find 10y careful comparison, with data at
| hand, that we have got more eggs to a hen than
most people, from even the Brahma, and pre-
sumo we have given more forcing food constant
| ly. We find that fish makes us more eggs than
| scraps or meat, but not as good. We have had
a flock of twenty-five Brown Leghorn hens
average twenty and a half dozen eggs apiece
for year, which averaged tliirtv-fiye cents per
| dozen in Worcester market; and one of the
| hens still lives, is six wears old and lays regu-
| larry. We keep an account with Our fowls, and
have figures to take facts from and prove them
| by. FRANK j. KINNEY.