The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-15
Poultry as Farming stock.
RON, the American Stock Journal.

How many farmers might obtain lots
of new accommodations for poultry, by
simply making use Of the buildings they
already possess? and how many farm
ers consider fouls unworthy of consider
alton, because of some supposed difficulty
or expense in erecting suitable houses?
And worse than this, how many farm
ers try to make poultry pay, without
any result beyond continual vexations,
merely from lack of ingenuity in bring
ing ordinary appliances into play
Why bother" they ask, about rails
ing chickens in cowsheds and outbuild-
ings, when you can set out as many
| coops as you like on the grass of pad
dock, the gravel of stable yard, or
upon the scattered rickyard straw"
Because, generally speaking, half
your chickens die under the common
farmyard treatment. They get wet feet,
and die of cramp; they drink rain
water out of cart ruts, or drink the high
colored saltwater of manure heaps, of
strawyard DRAWINGS and other filthy
Stops, and consequently sicken and die
by dozens. We have a troop Of adult
breeding fowls loose in the barnyard;
they pick up large part of their living
there. But they do not thrive so we'll
or keep so healthy as other troops of
breeding stock which we have stationed
at houses purposely erected in grass
fields, far from the homestead. For
very small sum you may knock up
square boarded house, tarred outside,
lime-whited inside, and covered with
asphalted felt. Each of the four sides
is in a separate piece, the roof (if of
gable form) in two pieces all hooked
together at the corners by staples and
pins So house (say six feet or seven
feet cube) can ho popped into cart,
and temporarily set up in pasture, on
a stubble, or wherever there may be q
good picking for the fouls. A couple of
perches, few nests and a drinking pan
form the furniture; while the ground
covered in by the house(for there is no
wooden hoor) is spread over with loose
earth, ashes and mortar. Such is the
home for one cock and eight or ten hens
and pullets during the breeding season,
or the home of double this number of
half.grown chickens. The house should
be placed against a fence, or in a cor
ner where two fences meet, so that
few poles and posts may protect it
against cattle. Or, ifyou wish to move
the house about to avoid killing the
grass, have each house raised about two
inches from the ground, resting on axles
of two wooden rollers so that every few
days it can be moved, by the aid of a
lever, on to fresh soil, thus avoiding the
destruction of the grass underneath, and
preserving the air of the roosting house
in constant condition of purity. There
can be no good reason against grazing
fowls as we'll as other animals and
the farmer who tries it for the first time
will be surprised at the amount of
grubb,' Qiterally, perhaps,) which
the active scratchers and peckers find
in grass field, in and under the drop
pings of sheep and cattle, among hedge
roots, upon ditch-sides, and so on only
small supply of grain being necessary
twice day. We wish that many farm
ers may take our advice-procure what
hardy sort you most fancy, Cochins or
Brahmas that endure close quarters,
Game that are strong birds, Dorkings
or some other good breed, and try this
mode
Is SALT INJURIOUS TO PoULTRY-A
correspondent asks if salt is injurious
to. chickens, ducks, turkeys, etc, and
hopes that some person will have the
kindness to tell such facts on this sub
ject as have come to his knowledge;
also if bread is bad for poultry at any
time, and if fouls have been known to
die through eating soft food in winter.
One fact connected with this subject has
been impressed upon us. Brine will
kill poultry of any kind if they happen
to drink it. We rccolect having lost
a fine flock of ducks by their drinking
brine which was poured out of a pork
barrel. Bread is very good food for
fowls, but it becomes indigestible when
given in large quantities, unmixed with
other food Salt meat is death to ponl-
try, but fresh meat is exceedingly bene-
fetal to them. A small quantity of salt,
such as is contained in bread, is not
injurious.