Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-04-18
Poultry Breeding.

A FEW PRACTICAL HINTS THERE IN.
1t is assumed by many persons who
have attempted the experiment that
poultry breeding is a humbug, " and
that it "costs more than it comes TO, y
to try to rear fancy fowls. The class
who assume this complain that because
they have paid high price for fowls.
and having placed them III bleak and
damp positions they do not meet their
expectations as producers, nor can
they rear chickens successfully; the
fowls become diseased and die, and the
owner becomes discouraged, and hence
is ready to cry out "humbug. The
great trouble with such is that they
have no knowledge OF the management.
of poultry, frequently allowing them to
shift Tor themselves, expecting or as
Stunning, because they have paid fancy
prices for fowls, that they should be Il
source of profit without the least care
or trouble. This is an erroneous idea
to get into the head of new beginner
Fowls can not be bred protitably and
successfully unless proper care is be,
slowed upon them.
Before person begins the breeding
or keeping of fowls, he should mark
out some definite plan for his houses,
etc, keeping in mind on the outset
that the memories should as Il general
rule face the south for fowls like
flowers, will always thrive best when
they have plenty of sun and light, pure
air and free ventilation, without drafts
We would recommend, if it were posi-
BILE, to have two sets of breeding houses,
and to secure success in Matching, mate
your adult cock birds with yearling pull
lets, and the yearling cockereis with
adult hens two or not exceeding three
years Id, and the produce in almost all
cases will prove healthy and vigorous
birds.
Do not neglect to feed your breeding
stock regularly and mt stated periods,
and see that they have clean, fresh wa
ter Immediately after giving them their
feed, if you are not fortunate enough
to possess a self-wateriug fountain. We
do not believe in the idea advanced by
some shiftless breeders, that because
he ground is covered with snow in the
vicinity OF your coops or runways, your
fowls need no water, but can Stake their
thirst sufficiently with snow. Our ex-
perience is that fowls allowed to Stake
their thirst with snow for any length
of time are liable to scours and diar-
rhRa, and eventually death.
Thera certainly is no difficulty in
breeding fancy fowls If Il person will
use ordinary care and forethought.-
And as to the profits derived therefrom
there is not question. We have bred
fowls more or less for the past thirty
five years, have studied their habits, and
can speak with some degree of certainty
upon the subject. Therefore we have
no hesitancy in advising those who have
repeatedly asked us the question, "Can
poultry raising under ordinary circum.
stances be made to pay ~ to try and
prove the matter for themselves.
Our advice has always been IN com
mencing the business to begin on
small scale select one or two varieties
of fowls, and experiment with them,
tdking care to keep correct debit and
credit account during the season, and
at the end thereof strike balance and
give us your experience for publication,
so that others may profit thereby. If
you have committed errors the first sea
son, they csn be corrected the next. An
exchange Of views and opinions in poul-
try breeding will prove of as much I'M
portance and benefit as in almost any
other department of farm husbandry.-
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