The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-20
POULTRY KEEPING FOR FARMERS.

A Paper Read at the Meeting of the Board
Of Agriculture at West Rutland, Dec. 80,
1874, by John G. McKeen of South Ac-
worth, N. H.
There are but few farmers that realize
the profit to be made in keeping poultry.
Farmers can keep poultry cheaper than
any other class, as they have large range,
a variety of food and most of it is grown
on the farm.
They do not require the amount of
yards that is necessary in villages,
or such constant care. have after made
the assertion that nothing kept on the farm
saves SO large per cent for the capital in
vested, as poultry rightly managed, and l
find but few that believe me. The pro-
fits depend more upon the management,
than it does in cattle or sheep, for fowls
will not bear neglect. / shall conflne my
self to the management of hens for profit
alone, and shall give what l consider the
best method of growing chickens for the
market, and obtaining the most eggs for the
feed consumed.
To begin with we must have a suitable
place to keep our fowls. No one would
think of letting their cattle or hogs run
loose over the, barns, and it is as necessary
to have place to keep fowls, as it is our
cattle.
Ii we build house for our hens, it need
not cost such an unreasonable price as
most hen houses do. A rough board build
ing, made warm is just as good as one cost
ing hundreds of dollars.
w. II. Todd of Ohio Zone of our largest
breeders of poultry gives in the "Poultry
Nation" his plan of building cheap poultry
houses. He builds 8x16 feet, II feet high
in front, ~ feet high at the back, with a
shed roof The stills are 2 by inch scant-
ling, halved together at the ends and spik-
ed. These ellis rest on three sleepers six
or eight inches high. running the whole
length of the building, and leveled for the
floor, which is cut and placed so as to fit
just inside the stills, no posts are used. A
couple of by inch plates, with rafters
2 by and then proceed to cover with up
right boards, beginning at the corners and
the frame is soon up. He either battens
The cracks, or lines with coal tar or sheath
ing papers. He says a house of this size
will accommodate forty fowls in the winter
rooms, and can be built for $40 to $50 &C.
have small movable house built
something in the same style. Mine is by
10 and the stills are by 6 inches, and two
feet longer than the building and shaped
like q sled runner on the bottom, it can be
| drawn any where with one horse. should
not have board fosrs, if the house is To-
| Gated on dry ground, (and no other is suit
able for poultry keeping.) All poultry
houses should be built in warm sheltered
places, and face the south, and be well
| lighted in the south side, but there is no
need of having all the south side glass, as
| recommended by some writers. The houses
must be built so as to be warm, and keep
out the wind, and at the same time be well
ventilated at the highest point of the build
ing. The door and windows should be put
in so as to be easily removed, and substi-
tute lattice work in hot weather.
The inside arrangements should be sim
| pie, and every thing movable. Boxes an
swer well for nests, and for most breeds
should be placed on the ground, With hole
| cut in one side for the hen to enter. The
nests should be lower than the perches or
the hens will roost on the boxes. The
| floor should be covered several inches deep
with dry earth, or sand, and keep good
supply of dry leaves to scratch in. There
snoulu De small PLATFORM LOT the water
dish to stand on, raised several inches above
the floor, so the hens cannot fill the dish
with dirt. Many farmers have plenty OF
shed room that might be made over into q
house .or hens at email expense. One of
the best places ever saw to keep hens, is
that of j. II. Morrison NARROW, New
Hampshire. He has a cellar under his
barn, wall on the north side against bank.
The other three sides are boarded tightly
and lined with sheathing paper. The east
and south sides are well lighted. He has
no floor, as the barn is built on very dry
gravely soil, SO the floor Is bed of dry
ground. His hens always look well, and
do not get their combs frosted in the cold
est weather.
Much depends upon the hens kept. Ev-
cry farmer should raise his own chickens
and they should be Matched as early az May
10th or earlier If the season will allow II.
The pullets ought to begin to lay by Nov.
IA and some breeds will lay earlier. They
should be we'll fed with variety Of food,
and get them laying as soon as possible,
and keep them at it all winter. Eggs are
always high in the winter. We must have
early pullets, or we do not get eggs at that
season.
1t will be cheaper in the end for the far
mer to get some pure breed, start with q
trio, get good built fowls of good constitu-
ton, let the fancy points take care OF them