The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-04-12
Keeping Poultry On a Large Scale.

LIZ ooRRAJ VI SSS0 anu POuAU ~
especially the former, in our mar
kets, says the Rural Home, has been
totally inadequate to meet the de-
mands of consumers. The price is
high the year round. Even in the
season of greatest plenty, the past
years, consumers who depended
upon the groceries for their supply
were obliged to pay about one and
half cents piece, and now they
cost about three cents each. We
think that for eating, solely, good
sized eggs are as cheap at two cents
each as beef-steak at sixteen cents
a pound. Still we believe a good
profit can be made producing eggs
at lower rates, provided the bust
ness is followed with the same
knowledge, judgment and good
sense that ordinary farming is
pursued.
There have been many attempts
made in the past to keep fowls on so
large a scale as to make it bust
ness of itself, but most of those at
tempts have failed. Probably many
causes have attribed to such fail
ures, but we think the greatest has
been the attempt to keep too many
together. Poultry yards have been
established under the mistaken
idea that large flocks may safely be
kept together provided they have a
sufficiently ample range. The fact
that however few are kept to
gether, and however large their
range, they will crowd together in
roostiDg, has not been considered.
Where large number roost togeth-
er the air will become impure, the
fowls will become filthy, lousy,
and subject to epidemics, and cpl
denies and disease and death will
render them Improbable and rapid
ly reduce their numbers. Most
of the large poultry farms in
this country have proved failure.
Large flocks have failed to yield
eggs in proportion to small focks.
Good laying pullets ; have been
known to lay $50 eggs in q year,
the first year of their laying, but
in large fiocks they generally fail to
average one half that number.
In establishing a poultry yard the
first thing to determine is, what
shall be your leading object, eggs
or chickens. If it is eggs, the
larger proportion of fowls should
be of the sitting, perpetual lay
ing breeds. Among these are the
Leghorns and Hamburgs, the Po-
lands and Spanish, and crosses with
one another or with common breeds.
To replenlsh the focks, it will be
necessary to keep some that are
good settlers and good mothers to
hatch enough of the eggs of the
layers to take the place of those
that exceed the age Of profitable
laying. No fowls can be kept with
profit for laying after two years,
and i4 may be questioned whether
it is advisable to keep them after
one fnll years laying. We are in
clined to think that the best plan is
to turn them off in the second au-
tumn when about eighteen months
old.
If you wish to make growing and
fattening chickens for market an
equal or prominent object in:the bus
mess, some Of the larger breeds or
crosses npon them would be desira-
BILE. Among the larger breeds
Plymouth Rocks are favorites with
many. They are not quite so large
and clumsy as some of the larger
Asiatics, such as the Cochins and
Brahmas, but they are of large size
and make meaty chicks. While we
are of the opinion that there is more
clear money in selling eggs than
chickens, because in selling eggs
we avoid all risks or loss of chicks
and expense in raising them, yet
careful poulterers will make money
in raising chickens. They will make
the conditions as favorable as pos
sible so as to reduce the percentage
losses to the minimum, while they
will feed them with the greatest
economy.
An essential to success in keep
ing poultry on large scale, is am
pie range.An acreIto 100 fowls isIuot
too much, and not more than 100
should be kept in one YARD and al
lowed to r'oost in the same house.
A portion of every yard should be
kept -spaded up mellow to enable
the fowls to scratch and wallow,
and the remainder kept in grass for
them to feed upon. The hen
houses can be made of cheap,
rough material, open and airy in
summer, warm but well ventilated
in winter. Eggs in winter can be
obtained only by giving the hens
warm quarters. Light also is i'm
portant, and this can be assured
by windows, or perhaps double
windows.
Next to good houses and ample
yards, proper food is indispensable.
Hens, to lay their best, must have a
variety of food. Grain alone, es-
pecially corn, will not make them'lay
their largest number. Grain, vege-
tables, and meat, with frequent
changes in diet, will secure the
greatest number of eggs. Many be
lieve that buckwheat is the best
kind of grain to promote laying.
Wheat is believed to be better than
corn, but probably a frequent va
ration in the diet is the best course
to pursue.
A small armer, working from thir-
ty to fifty acres, could devote from |
ten to twenty acres of it to poul |
try yard, and on the remainder |
frow the necessary feed for them,
and vegetables, fruit, &C., for fami
" use, realizing a better income
than if all were devoted to crops.
There is certainly demand in the
for more eggs and poultry,
md we think if some of our small
'armers should go to work in a sen
,ible way to attempt to supply that
demand that they would add to
heir incomes and benefit society.
Benefit Of Railroads.
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