Milford chronicle., 1883-08-17


losses from Improper feeding were greater than
from all other causes combined. He now never
gives dough or soft food wet up, such as fine
meal to chickens. They want coarse food. He
gives cracked corn. pinched wheat, barley, oats
and mill screenings. His food for old hens IS
mainly whole cora, cracked corn, piocbed wheat
and mill screenings, which is kept by them ali
the time. In each house is box which holds
two bushels Of corn. having narrow opening
at the bottom, IN which bag OF corn is placeds
and the hens eat at pleasure. Once a day In
winter the hens have feed Of boiled fish trim~
mings and shorts mixed. Cottonseed MEALS also
good winter iced. Hens like a great deal OF
green feed, and at this season Of the year eat
large quantities Of grass. They have the range
Ofthe entire farm although they do not so great
distance from their honses. Near the dwelling
an acre and half of wheat has been sOwn for
the hens. A movable fence. one lath high, made
In sections, IS placed around this field, and when
the wheat is ripe it will be taken away and the
hens given full liberty through it,
At present Mr.. Hildreth has 400 chickens Of
different ages. and intends to have sOO He has
had good luck this year, and has not lost a dozen.
In the middle Of July he began to kill the young
cockeres for market. and all the hens that are
coming two years old, keeping it up all the fall
at the rate Of about thirty a week. A hen IS
never kept as a layer but one winter and after
that her usefulness as layer is gone. The
dressed poultry all goes to one firm in Boston,
and is shipped every Monday The hens are pick
ed dry, and the work is done so quickly that gens
orally hen is undressed by the time it is done
bleeding. Indeed, the feathers must be taken
of while the hen is warm, or it is quite impossf-
bic to dress them in decent shape and buyers
are very fassidiOus. The poultry is never pack~
ed, hut is forwarded in buaches, tied up, ten or
a dozen in buuch. They dress an average Cf
"a to pounds, aud sell at good price. Being
consigned to one firm, they know the poultry Wilt
come on a given day, fresh, in good condition.
and are willing to pay good price for It. During
The winter aud spring 100 dozens Of eggs are sere
to market weekly-every Monday-the eggs
having all been sent to one firm in Cambridge
Mass, for several years past. TIE eggs are cole
eCted from the houses every night, and there Is
10 week Ia the year when Mr.. Hildreth does noe
get at least thirty dozens OF eggs.
Everything in these poultry houses is movable
'he perches are raised about two feet from TIE
loor. The nests are placed in a row, seven or
light together, on one side of the house. about
hree feet from the floor. The houses are we'll
GIFTED and ventilated, and even 10 winter there
re few nights when the windows are not drop-
ed two or three inches atthe top. The perchss
re painted twice during the season-in June and
-ugust-wlth a coating Of coal tar and kerosene.
he mixture being about the consistency Of paint,
+ in proportion Of one gallon Of coal tar and one
int Of kerosene This Is sure death to vermm,
nd as the lice are driven from the hens BY IT,,
one will get upon the chickens. The houses
eed great deal Of ventilation
As to the profits, Of course they are variable.
ome years prices Of dressed poultry and eggs
re higher than others. Feed for 500 hens and
lickens costs a considerable sum; care must be
lremitting, and attention to the hens carried late
to the evening. Still, Mr.. Hildreth thinks there
a net profit Of about As. per hen yearly, where
ey are well cared for. Three years ago he re-
ived ESQ for the annual sales from 514 hens
gh prices for eggs led to this unusually profit.
lie result. One greatitem of profit not usually
rkoned is the manure. From his flock Mr.
ldreth gets about eighteen loads of manure, Of
enry bushelstOa load. This he values at 920e
d says: Il could not carry on my farm if e
're not for my hens" The manure Offsets the
'or. he is fully satisfied from his use Of ben
lnure upon early potatoes onions, and cab
ges, which he grows for the market, that the
lnure from his hens is Of far more value TO-
n than 500 worth Of the best purchased CONF
rcial fertilizers would be. Taking all these
Fgs into consideration Mr. Hildrefh saws that
for large numbers pays. and he
atisfed that 900 hens Se:sid DC mSds, 81
ention and care, to pay as well as 500.
ID ID A II III s..