The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-07
Management Of Fowls,

Failures in the management of poultry
arise chiefly from one of two causes-too
much care or too little care. Some poul-
try fanciers who keep high-priced fowls
contrive in one way or another to kill
most of them by kindness. The birds
are kept in ornamental palaces and
, treated like songsters bred in parlors,
The buildings are often so tight and
warm that the inmates suffer for want
of pure air. They are allowed little ex-
ercise, and, as a consequence, they are
lacking in vitality. They become sick
on the slightest exposure, and are then
dosed like feeble infants. They are sub
iect to all kinds of diseases and ailments.
They lead an artificial life, and its con-
tinuance depends on fortutous circum-
stances. They produce but few eggs,
and these are considered as far too valu
able to eat. They are often unfertile, so
they are of no value for raising chickens.
Fowls with exceedingly long pedigrees
which are raised in buildings fitted up
wAh all the neutrality-suspicious. and fed
on daintics are chiefly valuable for exhib-
iting at fairs. By expanding twenty-five
dollars for fancy coop, eXpressage and
care during an exhibition, a breeder may
sometimes realize fifth of that amount
in the form of prize. The chances are,
however, tn he will simply learn that
his rooster is somewhere deficient in the
scale ofpoints adopted at some national
or international convention of poultry
fanciers. 1t is possible that one of his
tail feathers % is little OFF, in color. or
that one of the nOtcheS in his comb is
not sufficiently well marked. At any
rate, he is mot quite up to standard"
according to the highest acknowledged
authority in poultry science.
Other persons keep quite different
kind of fowls and devote scarcely any
care or attention to them. No attempt is
made to improve the old barn-yard strain
of fowls, or even to infuse new blood
into it, They practice breeding in-and-
in" till the stock ''runs out" If the
birds have any protection at all they find
it under barns and out-buildings or on
the sides of straw-stacks. They have a
chance to roost in the branches of shade
trees, on the tops of buildings, OF the
upper rail of fences. Chickens that
have not the ability to reach high eleva-
tons are obliged to find a resting place
on the ground, where their rest is quite
likely TO be disturbed by predatory ami
mails and birds. Possibly few of 1.-The
tittest survive" but if they do their
lives are prolonged in consequence of
their ability to contend with their enc
mics and to endure almost any amount
OF hunger and exposure. Their only
means of obtaining food is that which
wild fowls possess. As they have poorer
means of locomotion they have fewer OPP
portunities to procure proper food. They
are allowed to range at large during
the winter when there is no vegetation
to damage, and when there is little they
can pick up to eat. During the time
there are insects, fruits, vegetables and
grain to eat they are kept penned up.
They are then fed raw corn, and are al
lowed Il few bits of gravel, which are
supposed to serve an excellent purpose
in aiding digestion and improving the
appetite. Occasionally some water is
placed in the yard in q tin pan, from
which it soon evaporates, or in which 1t
becomes so warm or impure that no liv'
ing thing will taste it after the first trial
Persons who keep fowls in this way
during the summer think snow is an eX
celIent substitute for water during the
winter and allow their birds to eat OF it
if they desire. These persons, like those
first named, find poultry raising unproht
able Chicago Times.