The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-11-25
Common Fowls.

l have had thoroughbred fowls on
the bra so long that l don't know
whether / can tell the truth about
common 'owls or not, but Tll try. Now
don't mag ne that | am going back on
the thoroughbreds, for | shall do moth
ing of the kind. | admire the pure
breeds; believe in them, but recog-
ME the fact that there are MANY
farmers who cannot afford TO stock up
with thoroughbred fowls to begin with
any more than they can a 10 d to start
dairy with $500 COW. Ii n farmer
had but $500 to stock farm with, it
would be the he'g ht of folly to spend
the whole sum on one COW; so if he had
but 50 to stock his poultry yard it
would hardly pay to spend it all on one
thoroughbred rooster A So rooster
might take a premium at the county
fair, and the owner might take pride in
the ownership OF the bird, but when it
comes to producing eggs, one old %
cent common hen viii beat all the So
ROSTERS in creation. The lest breed
ers OF thoroughbred poultry ask from
- to 10 for sitting OF eggs, and any
where from 81 to So trio for fowls,
and / think that eggs and fowls from
such yards are worth the prices asked
to those who desire 10 raise fowls for
special purposes; but the beginners on
farm in place where there is no mar
ket for poultry, where eggs sell for
3 or 10 cents dozen, and where ready
money is the scarcest imaginable ar
ticle, cannot u lord to indulge in S3-a-
dozen eggs, and S10-a-trio fowls.
In many small country towns in the
West S3 will buy ten common hens and
rooster, and that number of fowls will
furnish all the eggs and chickens need
ed for home consumption in family of
six. Ten common hens will, with only
ordinary care and food, lay 1000 eggs
and raise 100 chickens in a year; and |
venture to say that for the farmer who
only desires TO produce eggs and fowls
for home use, flo k of common hens
will, il given the same food and care
that one would feel obliged to bestow
upon more expensive fowls. prove quite
as profitable as any of the pure breeds.
/ know of one flock of twenty common
hens that produced $l5 worth OF eggs
during the months of May, June and
July. They were fed with wheat bran
dough in the morning, oats or corn at
night, all the sour milk they could
drink, had free range over as much of
creation as they chose to travel over,
and roasted under rickety old shed at
night. 1t would not be an easy matter
3 for some of our fancy fowls to show
better record under the circumstances.
Our common hens may be greatly inn
proved in point of size by always taking
care to select the largest and best to
keep for breeders. The laying quail
ties can also be improved by setting
eggs from the hens that are known to
be the best layers. On farms where this
course has been steadily pursued year
after year, the fowls have greatly in
creased in size, and rival the Leghorns
and Hamburgs in egg production.
Our common fowls are extremely
hardy, often escaping the ills that af-
fiict their aristocratic relatives, good
foragers, good sitters. excellent moth
ers, and remarkable for early maturity;
these are good qualities that we cannot
afford to lose. Believe me, it will pay
TO care for and improve the common
fowls. FanaV Field. ia Prairie Farmer.