The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-02-15
Raising Chickens for Profit.

AS q general rule farmers; in the
true sense of the word, cannot or do
not make speciality in any line that is
not strictly in the category of actual
farming operations. There are very
few lines of operation but that have
their specialists, and when they set
themselves up as teachers, do not do so
from the real farmers standpoint, but
do so as professionals, aud so, in max.
ing their recommendation shoot, so to
speak, over the average farmers head
and from numerous rules and suggest
ions, tend to discharge rather than en-.
courage. Every farmer shoulI raise
poultry, the quantity of which he must
judge for himself, taking into account
his location regarding neighbors and
all questions of feeling in any way the
successful management OF the same.
Whether turkeys are to be raised de-
pends upon location. If near neigh
bors, and the farmer has any regard
for the quiet aud peace of the neigh
borhood, he had better omit the tur-
keys, since their disposition is to roam
and they will become trespassers and a
prolific cause of dissension. Geese and
ducks are similar in their nature, and
unless restrained will roam about at
will, causing damage to crops but
they can be confined ia pen whore
there is plenty of water and will
thrive, which is not the case with tur-
KEYS.
In point of fact, for all purposes and
as source of profit, hens are the most
profitable for the farmer The benefit
that comes from hens devouring insects,
ETC., goes a great way in balancing any
damage that may come from their
being at large. 1t is more satisfactory
to have hens confined in yard to
which is attached warm and well
lighted room tor shelter nights and
during the winter. The chief profit of
poultry comes from the production of
eggs during the winter season, when
the price is high but if any one ina
gines that they can procure eggs by
half feeding and allowing hens to roost
on trees or in open sheds, they had bet
ter go out of the business Immediately
1t is in having warm shelter and an
abundance of food given in variety
that causes hens to lay in winter. A
mixture of grains, such as corn, buck
wheat, oats, rye, wheat screenings, with
occasionally a feed of chopped apples,
cabbage, turnips or onions, and also oc-
casionally mess of ccrnmeal scalded
and spiced with red pepper, and once
in while feed of chambers scraps
of pieces of meat chopped, will give a
variety very similar to the food when
running at large, and will be more
likely to produce good results than any
continuous feed of one variety. 1t is
also necessary that the fowls should
have the opportunity of enjoying the
sand bath when desired, and which
should be provided for their use nor
should broken and crushed bones, oys-
ter shells, etc, be omitted, lest there be
want of material for shelling the eggs.
1t farmers exercise little Judgment In
this matter, there will be little fear of
favorable results it is where careless.
ness prevails that failure occurs.
1t should be borne in mind that there
is one important source of profit in the
manure that comes from poultry. 1t is
of concentrated and powerful kind,
and valuable for most crops, and if
carefully saved will amount TO a con-
siderable quantity in the course of
years.
1t was not the intention of this arti-
Gle to give explicit directions regarding
the management of fowls, but simply
to throw out few hints that shall lead
to more satisfactory practice than is
adopted on many farms W. III. Yeo-
mans IN Germanto,on Telegraph.