Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-06
ENGLISH POULTRY FARMS.
PROFITS or BREEDINa CHICkENS dNB
RsIsTNG E0Gs ron MdBkEE



chickens the farmer with his 200 or 3ooac
can keen and rear ten or twenty times ns
many, aud though believe very much de-
ponds on the cottager quite rs much depends
ON the farmer In America where h,rins,
or the cultivated portions are oi roasonap'o
size, probably farmers viii hc more ihclihcd
to take up poultry Keeping In this country
small farms arc the exception, not tue ruie
and IL IN very much harder To induce th"sc
gentlemen farmers, ~ they are called, tocoh-
slider such small FRY ~ cocks and hens. The
agricultural returns published hy the gov
ernmon,, have this year included, for the
first time, statistics of poultry, aud these have
revealed remarkable state of affairs. These
statistics only apply to farms in rural dis.
tricts of half an acre upward In extent 80
that cottngcrs save in few isolated IN
stances are not included. The numbers
given show that there are In the United
Kingdom only 80 poultry (Which term IN
cludes turkeys, geese, ducks ana fowis) to
every 100 acres of cultivated land, ur ll2
poultry to every loo acres III permanent piS-
ture or grass not broken up IN rotation. when
IL IL stated that there are million more
sheep than poultry upon these iarms, the
manner in wnlch this branch of live stock
has been neglected is very remarkable
What the figures are IN the states, | should
bc glad to know.
Inc above HppICS 10 tho ' nlttu hlhgdoHi,
but from what can learn, in some portions OF
the United States the same state OF things IL
To be found There are some farmers here
however, Who are working out tho problem
for themselves. | cannot do better than de-
scribe a farm at which a solution has been at
tempted as believe 1t Is on the system here
adopted that success will be achieved.
WV HUNDRED ACRE FARM.
This farm il situated at Strattou, about four
miles from the old city of Dorchester, the
capital of the county of Dorset The owner,
Mr.. Thomas Chick, lives in q quaint old low
house, next to an old fashioned square tow
cred church. and the hamlet lies around aud
about These houses aud farm buildings
are prettllv cnsconced III the narrow
valley, on both sides of which * the land o.
cupied by Mr.. Chick. Here he has resided
Tor forty years. The farm II about 800 acres
in extent, and il chiefly devoted 20 sheep
breeding, dairy farming and poultry keeping.
Corn or wheat growing IL only n very minor
portion Of the work. The herd Of Devon cat
tie is avery good one, and ! have seldom
seen finer collection of the beautiful ami.
mails. Mr.. Chicks devutes his attention To
economical breeds, uf which he keeps several
varieties, and not only does he send large
quantities of eggs and chickens To market
but he supplies to small poultry keepers and
other farmers ogI-s for sitting and pure bred
stock birds This, however, IL n perfectly
Legitimate part uf the system, and on" which
very many farmers might encourage, to their
own profit. During the egg season, higher
prices are obtained than If merely for the
table, aud the extra shiliings received for
stock birds always add To the balance at the
years end. This is all done without regard
10 mere fancy considerations. All that is
necessary is To give thought to the selection
and mating of the breeders.
The fowls are divided into families, and
spread all over the farm. This il 50 far done,
that ut the time OF my visit to Strattun, it was
necessary to walk between three and four
miles in order to see all the various tiocks.
Nearly every large field has a small poultry
house in Il, with pen Of fowls, and in some
of the largest fields there are a couple Of
these houses. OF course, they are put as
widely apart as ia possible, and where thcse
are two IN one field, these are placed at the
extreme limits. Thorc is no fencing or wire
netting used To form runs. and the birds
have the fullest liberty. The farm is studded
about with fine, large trees, principally clIns
and these give splendid shelter to the fowls
Cattle are kept in the fields, and the only at
tention the birds get or need, is to be Ted and
have their houses cleaned daily, and moved
occasionally. Each flock, generally a distinct
breed, appears to keep To its own company,
and was told at the time of my visit that II
was the rarest thing for a bird Of one lot to tie
found mixing with any of the others.
MOVABLE HOUSES THE BEST.
The houses arc movable Ones so made that
they can be lifted and carried by a couple of
men, handles being provided for the purpose.
These houses are of home erection, and
roughly put together but are we'll and sub
stantially made. They stand upon legs,
about two feet high, thus giving shelter to
the birds below. The inmates reach the
house by hen ladder. Every day the focks
are carefully looked over to see If any are
missing, or whether any show symptoms of
disease, but the latter is very rare indeed.
The hardy, natural way in which they are
kept and the common sense fashion Of feed,
ing, make disease more conspicuous by its
absence than its presence, In two or three
instances, permanent buildings are occupied
by pens of fowls; but throughout, in no case
are the poultry allowed to interfere with the
regular work of the farm, or to occupy that
which would otherwise be needed.
1t is only the adult birds or the older
chickens that are put in this way out on the
farm. The chickens are hatched either at
the residence of Mr.. Chick, or at farm
steading some two miles away, where lives
the man who has the poultry specially under
his care. In one or the other OF these places
the chicks are kept until old enough to be
put out Many of them, of COURSE are sold
or killed when quito young, either for table
or as stock fowls. The number OF eggs sold
OIL this farm every year il about l5,0O0, and
there are COO to 500 chickens hatched every
season. 1t is true that these numbers are not
very wonderful, but it is also true that il
every farmer who has the same acreage would
do the same, the number of eggs and poultry
produced would he increased several hun
dred per cent. This, however, is not what |
wish to point out, for figures applicable
to England are not relevant to the
United States My object is, in this
way, to exhibit what | regard rs the true
method of poultry keeping ON farms, namely,
planking movable houses out in the field,
each capable of holding score of chickens
or dozen adult fowls This can he done
very easily on pasture or feeding lands to a
very large extent, for there can lie no diff,
Guilty in having one house to every ten acres
of land like this, and, even on wheat or corn.
l.. Il
kept almost to the same extent | know u
farm where the crops are chiefly corn or
roots, and in the corner of nearly every field
stands a poultry house. Within yard ol
two of the house, the ground is barred, bu
that is all, aud though the birds wander in
and out among the grain and roots, they dc
no harm, bnt very great deal Of good, ma
nuring and cleaning the carth as well ~
finding nearly all the food they require. Thi'
year the house stands in one corner, next il
another and SO ON, ettectually preyentnl
any danger from foul earth.