The Osceola times., 1885-04-11
POULTRY.
Creatures of Habit, But Capable Of q High
Degree of Training.

Creatures of Habit, But Capable of q High
Degree of Training.
Though l do not claim for them the
same understanding possessed by some
animals, experience has shown me that
fowls are capable of high degree Of
training. But ''love should be the
teacher" and judicious system of
feeding from your own hand is the sur
est way to their affections. Besides our
fine breeds, which we keep to them
selves in ''pens," we have about two
hundred common fowls which we allow
to run at will over the farm, only feed
ing twice a day--in the morning in
their coops, and in the evening we call
them home by sounding tin pan, and
it is really very amusing to see them
run or fly from all directions at the
first tap of the gong, gather around us,
jumping up on our laps and shoulders,
eating out of our hands. and singing in
most delighted and grateful manner.
| wish all the little boys and girls who
are fond of raising pets would try chick
ems. They can be trained to love you,
and you can, with perseverance, teach
them some very amusing tricks, and
meanwhile they are the source of some
profit. l knew a Bantam, named
LADY" owned by little girl, who
taught her to come when her name was
called just as any dog would. She will
sit in her little mistress's lap and very
contentedly allow her to stroke her
feathers. A neighbor even claims to
have rooster that will crow when
called upon to show off to visitors.
Like all of the animal kingdom, these
are creatures of habit, and when a bad
habit is formed it is hard to break.
When once accustomed to a roost-
ing-place it is very difficult to change
to new quarters. Occasionally we find
one that has mind enough of her own
to rebel in spite of our efforts to con-
troll. One of our hens for a whole win
ter persisted in roosting on wood
pile instead of nice warm coop with
the rest of the chickens, but this we
attributed to common blood. At one
time we owned the most provokingly
stubborn Leghorn rooster. When we
purchased him we assigned him his
quarters, presuming he would be per-
fectly contented with a fine lot of
Plymouth Rock hens, but it soon be-
came evident that his lordship was not
pleased. for we had but to turn our
backs and he would scale an eight-foot
picket fence between his yard and his
next door neighbor, the Langshangs.
After the most persistent efforts to
keep him at home we at length put
him in another pen, putting wire
around the fence. but even this would
not do, for about the time the work
men put the finishing touch to the job
imagine our disgust to see him give
one big crow and 60 over the fence,
wire and all. So we. then had to con-
quer by pulling out some of the
feathers in his right wing.
Charles Lamb said he would sit with
anything but hen or tailor. ! am
sure most hens would reciprocate his
reluctance. Some of them steal off to
an out-of-the way spot to make their
nest, and it takes the greatest vigilance
to discover their hiding place. When
they come home for their food they
seem to be aware that they are being
watched and take a roundabout course
of return, to escape detection. On the
other hand few are so tame as to
even come into the house to make their
nests. But this is familiarity have
never encouraged. Some hens move
the position of their eggs while sitting,
which keeps them all the same tenn
perature, but whether this is the rule
with all can not tell. | am sure no
employment can be more pleasant than
raising little chicks; one Is fully COM
pensated for the trouble by the pleasure
and amusement it affords in watching
their development and to see the old
hen teaching them habits Of industry
to scratch for themselves, oil their
feathers, take dust and sun baths; in
fact everything that makes we'll
~sised chicken can not fail to be inter-
sting. II you have never raised a
brood let me persuade you to make
your first trial this spring, and by all
means begin with eggs from some fine
ttock. NJ y Tribune.