The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-26
Purvis' Poultry Chats.
Miller Purvis, in Home and Farm. ]

Miller Purvis, in Home and Farm.
The writer was glad to notice in the
american Farmer and Farm News for
the account of the Sebright bantam
hen. We have one that has been a
member Of our family for four years,
and she is the most intelligent bird we
ever owned. Like all bantams she
takes naturally to petting and comes
into the house to lay if given chance.
She matches brood each year after
laying large number of eggs. Hav-
ing no mate for her last year we put
five Leghorn eggs under her and she
Matched all of them, clucking to them
long after they were larger than she
was, and going to roost with them
regularly after they began to go into
the poultry house with the older fowls.
This year she has nine little Sebrights
and has taken care of them so well
that she has not lost single one.
Bantams should not be Matched until
late in the season, if they are intended
for showing, as they will not grow
above standard weights if Matched late
and neglected. We never think of
feeding our bantams as our object is
to keep them as small as possible
There are those who think there is no
money in these little fowls, but the one
who has good Sebright, Black Breasted
Red or Pekin bantams is certain to get
a good price for them, and for the
! amount of feed they consume they lay
as many eggs as any other breed.
The Sebright hen we have been offered
six dollars for, and five dollars many
! times, but she is worth more than that
to show, for we have won as high as
| twelve dollars in premiums on her in
| one winter. For those who have but
limited space and want eggs for their
| own use, a flock of bantams will do
better than almost any other breed,
| as they can be kept closely confined
and lay as we'll as if they had a farm
| to run over.
FEEDING FOR EGGS.
The namber Of eggs flock lays de-
| ponds more on the feed that is given
! them than on the breed. This matter
has been the subject of endless dispute
among poultrymen for years, and with
in few years number of poultrymen
who wanted to get at the truth of the
matter have been experimenting along
this line until now the facts are pretty
| we'll established. Last Spring we
began trying the effect of feeding for
eggs on a trio of Light Brahmas, and
the result has been very encouraging
! Though this variety like all others in
the Asiatic class are naturally persist
ent siters, we have fed the hens in
this trio SO carefully, and to such good
! purpose, that they have not yet July
| 2O,) gone to sitting but have laid right
through the season as we'll as our Leg
horns, and the prospect is that they
| will continue to lay, for their combs
| are as red now as when they first be-
gan to lay. 1t has been established
as truth that when hen is fed until
she becomes over fat she will become
broody, and we have Leghorn hens
that have set and Matched broods this
season. and one that is within three
days of Matching the second brood in
succession, having been reset when she
Matched the first clutch. We know
that our hens are pure blooded fer we
have bred them for more than twelve
years, using only the best new blood
when necessary, and at every show
that they have ever been exhibited at
they have won their share of the prizes
| and stock from our yards has been
awarded prizes in several States.
With careful feeding every day in
year it is possible to have eggs every
day, and hens that are we'll kept will
supply eggs almost as well in the dead
OF winter, as at any other season, and
the breeder who has eggs to sell when the
other fellows hens are resting is the
one who knows Of certainty that
poultry pays better than any other
kind Of stock.