Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-12-26
Our Poultry Dep artn ent
Black Breaste Red Games.
C. H. P, OTTAWA, CAN.

1t appears to me that poultry keep
ers who are writing their views and ex-
perience on poultry have nearly lost
sight of the Games, therefore l drop
you few lines.
My experience with fowls of various
kinds has not been very limited Il re-
fer to farm production) in this northern
climate, having for years procured diff
ferent crack breeds without any very
great success, resulting some few years
ago in the disposal of all except the
Games. l have found these Black
breasted Red Games far better than
any other. being hardy. good LAYERS,
excellent mothers, iair size, easily rails
ed and always on the alert. There is
a little difficulty on account of their
| pugnacity, but experience and fore
thought can regulate even that desire.
The mothers with their young broods
are the best of protectors, and will
tackle every enemy that may come
near their young.
Rats formerly made great havoc
with chicks of other breeds, but Games
never lose one. / have often stood
near in the dark just to hear the hens
pick at the least move of anything at
night, and on the roost two hens will
not stay close 10 each other, therefore
require plenty of room. Cedar poles
three or four inches in diameter make
the best roosts for fowls. Vermln
don't like the cedar, and in winter it is
warm for their feet.
l always try to have the broods
brought out in April and to prevent a
repetition ofsitting have coops six feet
long, three feet wide and three feet
high. placed along the fence, well COW
cred and dry. In these are put those
desiring to set for three or four days,
feed well, and In few days they COM
mence laying again. l cannot give
the egg production but from exper-
fence l am better satisfied with the
Black breasted Red Games than any
other breeds. They are great toragers
potato bugs and all other insects are
eagerly searched for, Moles, snakes,
frogs, ETC., they go for with great de-
light.
We only feed grain to them every
evening when insects are plenty, and
don't know anything about disease
amongst them. Give your fowls plen-
ty of room and they will be healthy.
One morning in 1882 Icame across a
large blue hawk in deadly combat with
a Game cock, and got my foot across
his neck before he could get off (his
talons went through my boot leg) but
his neck broke. When beyond doing
more injury, the cock worked away I'M
I'll he picked the hawk head to pieces.
The cock was a real show, his coat
plucked off in large patches and his
flesh pretty badly torn. l had to take
great care OF him for two weeks, but he
got all right again. The hawk meas
ured four feet across the wings. from
tip to tip. In the fall of the same year
a gray hawk lit in the barnyard, when
four young Games went out for battle,
bu, he sailed off without fight.
The progeny from a Game cock
placed with other suited breeds bright
ened them up very much, and can
confidently recommend the Games 10
farmers who desire good hardy fowls
| mind l have none to sell.) In order
to keep the standard up, always kill of,
the culls and introduce new blood every
fall by procuring other well bred cocks
or change yours with some other per-
son who has equal stock to your own.
Constant imbreedlng in fowlsis sure TO
ruin good stock in few years, just the
same as with any other stock or pro-
duction Of the farm.-Ponltry Kesber
|