Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1875-11-25
TIRE POUL IT, TRY YARD.
EXPERIENCE WITH FOWLS.

At different times We have tlled some Oh
the different breeds offowls, and have finally
settled upon the Light Brahmas as beng pre-
eminently the fowl for profit.
SILVER SpANGLED HAMBURGs.-We hrst
tried this breed, and like them. Ihey are
the handsomest breed with which we are
acquainted, and, to those with whom pfoIlt
is a secondary consideration, we can warmly
recommend them. With us they proved
to be great layers of very small eggs; three
weighing about as much as two Brahhla
ecos. There chickens were very hard TO
raise: not more than one-Lalf Of all hatclled
would live to maturity. Still, with all thelr
faults, we thought them much superior to
the so-called s.dung-hill fowls,'' Which we
had previously kept
BLACK SPANIsH.-We found these fowls to
be good layers in the spring months, but
poor winter layers. Their eggs, though not
as large as the Brahmas, are OF good size.
One great fault Of the Spanish is, that their
combs are so large, that unless warmly
housed they will get frost-bitten and after
their combs are once frozen they never look
handsome again. They are very susceptible
to disease; and Withal are not as desirable
as the Hamburgs. So we discarded them.
BUFF CocH1Ns.-We purchased a trio of
Buff Cochins of a friend, who highly recon-
mended them, but we did not like them.
They are not as good layers as the Ham
burgs, though their eggs are larger. They
can fly much higher than the Brahmas can,
and not as docile; a tleast, such has been our
experience.
LIGHT BRAHMAs.-At first we did not
think we should like them, as Il busy-body
had told us that they were inveterate settlers.
why" said he, "they will sit on a cart
wheel if they can find nothing else" This,
however, is not the case; for ifthey are taken
in hand Immediately when they first become
broody, they can be broken up in from two
to four days. The Brahmas are great winter
layers and winter laying is what pays in
poult:y-keeping. Their eggs are large; |
weighed some Of their eggs of the average
size, a few days since, and found that they
weighed at the rate Of seven eggs to the
pound, lacking one ounce. The chickens are
remarkably hardy scarcely ever loose one.
Our Brahmas are so tame that we can pick
them up in the yard, or take the eggs from
under them while they are on the nest. We
keep the Brahmas confined with a four-foot
lath fence.
WHITE LEGHoRNs.-Since we have kept
Brahmas we have tried the Leghorns. They
are t~irst-rate layers, and their eggs are of
good size. We have not kept them long
enough, or in sufficient numbers, to pass
correct Judgment upon them; but, from
present appearances, we think they may
prove a rival to the Brahmas as far as egg
production is concerned.
From the above facts, we have come to
the conclusion that when both eggs and
chickens are wanted, the Brahmas will give
better satisfaction than any other of the
aforementioned breeds of fowls. We do
not feed our chickens hard-boiled eggs for
the first few days, as some recommended:
that would hardly pay in this vicinity, with
eggs at twenty-five cents per dozen in the
spring months and fifty cents per dozen in
the winter. We fed the chickens Indian
meal, wheat screening, cracked corn, and
small potatoes boiled and mashed. The
chickens thrive upon such food for this sea-
son we nave raised 125 Light Brahmas and
twenty-five Leghorns also about TWENTY-FIVE
nan bfahma and half Leghorn chickens. and
nave only lost two by disease.-Couutrv Gen.
Henda. 0o"y we