Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-04-27

few years ago, when contem plating TO
raise several hundred chickens with only
fifteen sitting hens, | devised plan
which L termed my "Orphan Asylum"
ard which proved perfect success
Most of theschickens were brought up in
brooders, while the hens We're given more
eggs to hatch. The asylum was moved
Tito outdoor quarters about the middle
of May, and there was a frame made OF
broad boards standing on their edges and
pegged together at their ends. 1t stood
on the grass plot in the vegetable garden,
and every few days was moved little
way, so as not to in ure the grass. The
lower edges of the boards must be so
closely fastened down that even the small
est chickens cannot get out. When the
birds are Old enough to fly over, they can
also fiud their way back. At three weeks
old they will begin to do mischief in the
garden and to the smaller chickens in the
brooders, and must be moved to another
yard. 1t is beat to have these yards OBJ
long, and one end rooted and floored, and
provided with a movable wire screen
with which to shut in all the chickens in
wet weather. That year there was a ter
rible three days storm, but not one of
the orphans died during it, though they
complained bitterly of being des perately
bored in their prison.
One of the advantages of raising chick
ems without the assistance of hens be-
comes apparent on rainy days. Hens
will trample on the small, draggIed for
lOrnities, or, if they are ali kept shut up
together, they will trample On the rest
less little leases, as they then regard their
children. After the middle of May no
artificial heat is needed in the breeders,
except in those for the new matches. |
kept one warm box especially for the
babies until they were four days old. At
first | used a tiny night lamp to heat a
zinc sheet in the box, but that made it too
hot, and then l found that a great tin pail
of not water, filled twice a day and kept
thickly wrapped, warmed my bro0der to
ninety degrees, and that was heat enough
in summer. | had a shelf over the pail
and rug tackled on the inside of the top
of the box, and hanging down in front.
An easy ladder led up to the shelf, so that
the chicks might come out and lie in the
sunshine. As soon as they were strong
and active they were put into breeders
made of a slanting board, lined with some
bright-colored tleecy rugs condemned as
too shady for hhe parlor.
1t is said that there is no profit in late
Matched chickens, but l find them always
profitable. Many boys and girls would
be glad if they had raised two hundred
chickens in the way I speak of, and had
sold them in the fall, even if they made
on each only ten cents clear gain. If
you try it, do not let any one persuade
you not TO go out to care for your asylum
as often as usual on stormy days. The
no A.
orphans need their five or seven meals a
day; aud no matter how pretty dress
you have on, or what a delightful com
pany there is on the piazza, don't fail to
tasten in the chickens, safe from rats.
every night. Beware of clucking hens
near your broooerS. One evening | found
the babies had deserted the asylum and
had crowded into the coop of an old
hen who had twenty chickens of her own,
but was delighted to get thirty fresh
ones. This shows the yearning of some
chickens for other than human care. The
rest prefer women's attentions, and grow
absurdly tame, running under ones dress
till walking Is impossible. One loving
creature used to stand on the piazza and
wall till | came to it-with it's dinner.
To clean every crumb of food away af-
ter each meal seems to me the best way,
although very high authorities advise
keeping dry food always near the chick
ems. good quality of the ground meal
sometimes called "horse-feed" is capital
for chickens, especially if there is in it a
large proportion of buckwheat. In sum
mer 1t Is good plan to bake bread of
it twice week and crumble it freshly for
each meal. Milk is almost necessary, and
if any way supply can be had cheaply
secure it. A writer, calling himself cur
iously enough Chicken Idiot" once OBJ
jected to it, saying that he never knew hen
to give milk. Neither do hens give wheat,
bat chickens flourish on wheat. Indeed,
on that basis they would be limited Gu
tirely to a diet of eggs. See that they
have every day, besides their regular
meals, proper animal food, greer food,
bone meal or oyster shells, and clean
water or milk.
was accused of cruelty in making the
hens sit the second or third terms, but
it is not really cruel. Most of them. af-
ter the chickens have been taken away. |
think that they have merely had a delic-
ious dream OF little soft creatures and
sweet voices, and settle contentedly on
the new eggs. And if there is one mother
who makes your heart ache too much by
calling for the children that are gone,
you can give them bach again, and put
her, commonplace hen, in common
place coop.