Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-07
Poultry for Profit.

The lesser crops of the farm receive more
ent time than ever before. The berries and
small fruits were never so carefully harvested
and therefore never formed so material an
addition to the income as now. The rearing
of poultry as a staple source of profit is COM
handing attention. A correspondent of the
Rural New Yorker says
The science of poultry breeding has grown
incredibly during the past few years. Most
of Us can remember when the chickens were
looked upon as a necessary nuisance, TO be
tolerated only because the female portion of
the household looked to them for q supply of
pin-money. The weight of full-grown fowls
III those days was perhaps on the average
- pounds now frequently they weigh eight
to nine pounds at maturity, and brollers are
made to weigh u pounds at six weeks old.
Eggs then averaged II to the pound, now
eight or nine, and even seven. The same IA
ito is noticeable in ducks, geese and turkeys.
Fifteen or sixteen pounds were formerly con-
sidered extraordinary weight in turkeys, and
if a pair of ducks reached eight pounds the
producer was well satisfied; he had some
thing above the average. Now We often find
turkeys in our market weighing twenty to
twenty-five pounds, and ten pounds are not
an unusual weight for pair of ducks, while
twelve and even fourteen are not uncommon.
The same is the case with geese the improv-
cd breeds Bremen and Toulouse, are often
in our Christmas markets weighing twenty
pounds; and pairs of the latter have been
exhibited in England which weighed, alive,
Efty-SiI pounds nearly or quite double the
weight of good specimens twenty-five years
ago."
The writer proceeds to notice the improve
ment in quality of the flesh of poultry and in
the eggs, ridiculing the idea that IAN egg is
an egg no matter whether fresh or stale, of
good or i'll flavor, or tasteless. He then gives
some useful hints, the results of personal ex-
Perience in breeding poultry. He says;
AS to location prefer dry situation, a
southern slope on the bank of a lake or pond.
or, better, small stream, with low under
brush. As to buildings, a number of small
houses is preferable to one large one. They
may, for cconomy's sake, be built double for
two yards Of fowls, letting the dividing fence
join the houses in the centre. Each yard
should accommodate 80 hens, four cocks, and
be at least three-quarters of an acre two
thirds in grass and the rest kept mellow by
spading or blowing. The height of fence
must be regulated by the breed of fowls kept.
In addition to the buildings for breeding
stock, there must be a setting or Matching
room, nursery for young chicks partly roof
tl win BlhSst huu huOLueT room INTO winch
they may be turned when four or five weeks
old.
In the selection of stock the breeder must
be governed by the object to be gained. If
It be eggs, Leghorns, Houdans, or a cross of
these upon some other breed, will be best ;
If to fatten for market, Brahmas, Cochins, or
Plymouth Rocks, will prove most satisfac-
tory, though there is great difference OF
opinion on this point, In the laying stock il
is best to have one-half pullets of last sea
sons hatch and the remainder hens, one year
old By this selection we have no cessation
of eggs The pulets commence laying in the
fall or early winter, and by the time they
have laid their first clutch, the hens are ready
to take up their share of the work. In my
own experience have had an annual yield OF
l7j eggs per hen for two consecutive years
from the same fowls. OF course, this pro-
duction of eggs was forced. The present
year, from Jan. LIST to Sept. lst, from an ay-
erage Of 80 hens, have gathered over sixty.
two hundred eggs"
In breeding for profit the production OF
eggs will need 10 be forced by proper feed
aud care, and the writer says he believes that
it is beat to get all the eggs possible from a
fowl during her first two years, and then fl
. her for market and fill her place in the yard
by younger fowl to be put through the same
forcing process. II is folly to keep and feed
hen four years when the bulk Of profit may
be obtained from her BY proper care and feed
ing in half that time.