The Red Cloud chief., 1882-06-15
Poaltry In Large Hooks.

For a given amount Of capital invest
ed there is . profit in poultry when
rightly managed than anything else or
the farm. II is w~eil-known. however,
that small flocks pay a greater proper
tional return than larger ones. This is
partly because small iiocks receive moro
attention. and rariIy because fowl will
not thrive when kept together in largo
numbers. In vcntuGing into the poul-
try business beginners should under
stand that IL IL Is intended IL keep the
fowls in large flocks. even when well
attended, bountiiuliy fed. and the full
range Of the farm given, success canuOt
be assured. This experiment has been
tried over anil over again. ana to-day
there is bat one farm in the United
States devoted Ia poultry in large mum
bcTs, and that one j. coadu-tc. on a
different plan from that To which farm
srs are accustomed.
PoIltry-rai>ing should be encouraged.
IL can be 50 managed n 10 give light
employment to women and children,
and j. within the reach of those with
limited means. Long before Americans
discovered that there was a great secret
in poultry-raiSing the French put in op.
GRAFTON a method that enables them 10
ship eggs To England. Germany and
Austria, as well as to supply a large de-
m.nd NJ home. II Is often remarked
that the French are The most successful
poultcrerS in the world. but We can do
all they can do in the matter. and more.
too, for they have no home-raiscd Indian
corn 10 assist them. They divide their
fowls into flocks Of MOI more than one
dozen. Each flock has a small fowl
house. l0xl0feet, and 4 yari of about
one hundred feet deep. divided in
the middle. The houses stand sep
arately in the center IF the yards.
which are thirty feet wide. Each
house has thus n 5Ox30 feet ward in
front, and the same in the rear. An
acre of ground viii allow fourteen of
these houses and Yards. The fourteen
yards. with one dozen fowls each. will
accommodate los fowls. This is n large
number for an acre OF ground. but they
are kept healthy by changing them fire.
quently from one vacant yard To anotli-
er. The partition fences are built very
chcaply, sometimes of wire. and again
VI vi ~ IlthG iui> >NcttAI IAs4GftE
t. the reader. il should be known that
W iocks of fowls are never in aijoin-
ing wards. as perfect seclus:on from
other tiocks must be enjoyed by each of
the small fiocks. Thus, while ore flock
is running in the ward at the front of
its house. the adjoining yard on the left
and right is empty. as the neXt lot Of
fowls viii be running in the rear of
their quarters. or. to illustrate by means
OF a chccker-board. the dark spaces
representing the occupied wards and
the white spaces the vacant ones.
As soo n the fowls are placed in
n of the yards (the front one. for in
stance) the ear N is spaded I'D and
seeded to grass, oats, ' e q~uick-grow-
Ing vegetables having good large tops.
or anything else that viii afford plenty
of green food When 4 fair growth has
been secured the fowls are turned into
the rear yard. and the front one il in
turn spaded up and seeded down. The
frequent spading of the ground not oniy
keeps the yard fresh and clean. but
their fertility Is greatly increased by the
rich droppings of the fowls.
There is another important matter
connected with the French system Of
poAltry-raising-they are particular in
regard TO breeds Unlike the American
farmer. any and every sors of fowl will
not do for them. They arc partial to
the non-seiters. and beiiere eggs 10 be
more pruttshle than chicks. although
some are beginning To alter their opia-
ions in this respect They have demon
stra;ed n tact in poultry-raising.
which has been verified by Engiishmen
and Americans, and tha. Is that an acre
O ground viii support neariy zoo hens
With q margin of one dollar profit on each
hen. which Is not By any means \ ls-ye
estimate. the reader can calculate for
himself the advantage Of this kind af
pouifry-raising.
But 20 do rs the French do, there
must be some person willing to give ali
his time TO the care of TIE hens Twill
not do TO attend TO the horses. cow and
pigs and give an occasional look ~ the
poultry. Some particular person must
hare the are Of them. TO see that thew
fed regularly; that plenty OF flesh. |
clean water is KEEP; within their reach
all the time; that ground or broken oy<
ter shells, gravel. = little box of sui
phur. eharcoSl and bones or scraps Of
meat is given literally Perfecf clean |
illness and ventilation are always To be |
looked out for. In winter there must |
be NO cracks in the houses to admit the !
wind There isa demand always for |
ezgs and poultry. and there Is no dan |
ger Of oysrssoeking the markss-Hl,
0detpaas keeer+