The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-09-07
Poultry Raising.

Long Island has long been noted for
its chickens and eggs, the latter always
bringing an extra price in the New
York market. The people of "Old Suf
folk, Occupying most of the lsland)
pay special attention to poultry raising
and render il profitable and hence it
is that we quote the following from the
Suffolk County Journal as coming
from what ought to be good authority
Starting with the averment that it will
pay to raise poultry and buy feed, thus
making the poultry business not only
self-supporting, but profitable, the edi-
tor continues "Every farmer should
make speciality of raising poultry be-
cause they can furnish feed cheaper
than the poultryman who has to buy
it. To make poultry raising profita.
BILE and successful il needs constant
care and attention, and plan of sys-
TEN to work on. The reason why 80
many people fail in trying to raise
poulty is owing to careless manage
ment, and want of system. They al
low their poultry to run at large, and
lay where they please in the barn, in
the wagon house, under the fence or in
the woodpile, or anywhere else, not
only causing extra trouble in looking
up eggs but liability 20 lose good
many in the course of year. And
not only this, but the fowls become the
source of a good deal of trouble to
the owner and his neighbors by being
allowed to run at large. We are told
by poultry raisers that it is more pro.
fitable to keep them yarled with proper
attention, than to let them run out. The
yard should cover an acre or two of
good grass ground, more or less, ao-
cording to the amount of poultry you
intend to raise. Have it surrounded
with good picket fence, and no fowls
but the leghorns will get over it. keep
them in dry goods box) Have this
yard divided by fence running through
the middle, and on this line build your
poultry houses, so that you can plow
and plant each portion of the yard al
ternately every two or three yeas, thus
keeping your your poultry grounds in a
healthy condition. Build your poultry
houses three or four feet below the
ground with walls or stone brick or ce-
ment. If bank is convenient build on
the sunny side of it il you build on
level ground, make high, tight board
fence for protection ON the north and
west, Or plant trees for that purpose.
An orchard is good place to locate
poultry yard. A poultry house built
four feet above to the floor offords
room for sun and air aud good place to
hatch chickens in cold weather. The
south side of the building should be
full of windows sun and light are in
dispensiable to poultry raising The
fowls can roost in the upper part of the
house, while the lower part should be
kept expressly for laying and Matching
purposes. Have your rows or nest
boxes arranged one above the other
about foot apart with partition di-
viding each nest, extending from one
row of boxes to the other, so that the
front part of each nest, box or apart
ment can be closed by slat door (made
of lath) while the hen is setting then
preventing all intrusion by the other
poultry. Have small pen made of
lath with a cover, provided with
water trough and into this remove
your setting hens every other day to
feed and water, undisturbed by other
poultry. Have some soft dry earth in
one part of the pen for them to wallow
Keep them here from twenty to thirty
minutes, then turn out and they will
immediatly seek their nests.
The old adage that poultry will not
do we'll unless allowed to run at large
as fast becoming obsolete. We see no
reason why herd of hundred hens,
and yearly production of five hun
dred chickens cannot be as beautifully
kept on an acre of ground as if they
had whole farm to run over. Have
pen built expressly to breed your
chickens in. Do not let the old fowl
eat with them. DO not let a hen run
more than six or eight weeks with
chickens in warm weather. Shut them up
away from their chickens and they will
be laying again in less than four months
from the time of setting. Set your
hens in October and November for
early spring chickens which are most
profitable. For the summer market
set as early in the spring as your hens
will brood. The light Brahmas are
the best for weight. From five to six
months old they will bring dollar
apiece. The old line of barnyard fowls
are the best for broilers and for egg
producers the leghorns are the best.