Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-09-12
THE POULTRY YARD.


There is greater interest manifested in
poultry than may be supposed, for not only
is the farmer and fancier willing to devote
space to the management of fowls, but those
who reside in the suburbs of cities secure
pleasure and profit by giving them careful
attention. How much profit may be expect
cd from an ordinary flock may be shown by
giving the experience of Mr.. Henry Stewart,
written to the Rural New Yorker, in which
he gives his account with his fowls from Jan
uary l to December 81, 1888 The breed
was Light Brahma, and the flock contained
20 hens Although the profit derived was
large, being $3.50 average, the product is re-
ally low, being only 81 eggs for each hen.
Only II hens having brooded, but lS2 eggs
were set, from which 1913 chicks were Matched,
the loss being only one chick The expenses
for feed during the year were S41.l5, while
the receipts were Sl97.7G, leaving a balance
of Sl5G.7G, or profit of $50 for each hen.
Deducting that which was received extra for
the eggs sold for sitting purposes, and from
IA fowls sold for breeding, it still leaves a
profit of s. from each hen.
The fowls are kept in a yard j0xlj0 feet,
or about one-sixth of an acre, but have the
run of cow-yard adjoining. They have
comfortable house 80 feet long, 10 feet wide,
81 feet high at the rear and 5 feet high in
front The floor is of earth The house
faces the south, has two large windows, and
is partitoned off with laths. Once a week it
is cleaned, and then well busted with lime
The nests are boxes Is inches long and y
inches wide, open at the front, with a mar.
row bar to prevent the eggs from rolling out
These boxes are made of two.nch strips.
with one inch space and when a hen sits she
is lifted with the box and removed to an
apartment reserved for sitting hens. The
fowls are allowed to run on grassy lawn, of
acre, each afternoon, which they enjoy.
They do a great deal of scratching, and do
not desire much grain at such times. Coal
ashes they have plentifully, and are very fond
of fresh bones from the butcher, which are
broken up for them on stone with ham
mer.
When the chicks are Matched two broods
are put together and given to hen in a
roomy coop, which is put in the garden.
They are fed a thick dryish mush made of
corn and bran equal parts, ground together,
and also coarse, cracked corn, wheat and
some meat scraps, and this is also the main
feeding of the hens. Clean water is given
in wire. covered troughs. When the yard in
which the fowls are kept becomes foul it is
spaded up and wheat scattered over it. The
yard contains plum trees, which also give a
profit The manure was given no place in
the receipts, although it possesses a marketa-
BILE value.
IF this can be done in year with 20
hens" says Mr. Stewart, why cannot it be
done every year with ten times the number,
for have done nearly as well with fifty 2"
He thinks 80 acres can support 1000 hens
proftably and as well gs the small space sup
ported 20, and if each flock will only pay
half as much as did the 20 hens the yield will
be equal to that from so COWS. The indis-
Pensable requisites in managing are dry,
clean house, clean yards, freedom from YER
min and moderate feeding. 1t will be seen
that the principal profit was from the chick
ems Sold and had there been more eggs and
fewer chickens the profit would have been
less. quart of grain is enough for ten
fowls, and of the breeds the Plymouth Rocks
rank second to the Brahmas. Some of the
earliest cockerels weighed eleven pounds,
which is nearly s. each at IS cents per pound.
The poultry business can be carried on well
with fruit growing, and the whole ground
can be occupied with profit if the man or
woman is the right kind to manage.