The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-06
Southern Poultry Raising,

A few rules observed, and the requisite
personal attention given to a few details
of daily management, and poultry keeping
is a very pleasant and prof table feature of
farm life. Through the lack of proper
care, it is not always made even one-half
as profitable as it should be. Not that we
would attempt to make a money crop"
of it. but its value to the domestic for
supply of the household should be very
greatly increased. Situated as favorably
for the purpose as most of our southern
farmers are, their poultry could be made
TO supply very large proportion of the
animal food necessary for family use, and
food, too, SO much better adapted to the
use of wife and children than the salt
bacon that usually is the chief, if not the
main, reliance of the country home for
al least eight months of the year. Eggs
and chickens are about as great a va
liety on the table of many of our small
farmers as upon the tables of many city
mechanics. And many of these farmers
or their wives will allot their egg or
chicken money to some special purposes,
as for instance, to provide coffee, to-
nacco, sugar. cloth of some kind, and deny
themselves and their children the whole
some, strengthening food that they ought
TO have. The surplus of eggs and chickens
for home use is frequently very small.
This is all wrong. They should have eggs
and plenty of them, chickens and plenty
of them, and, if, after constant use of
them, they become "tiresome as food,
then will it be time to have surplus for
market, and invest the proceeds in beef,
mutton or other wholesome food.
With no view to realizing cash from it,
but principally as a source of domestic
food supply, every small farmer could
well afford to give the necessary atten-
tn 10 HIGHEST
from flock of twenty-five hens. Apply
ing the intensive system to this number
of poultry, there is no telling how far the
product may be made TO go towards sup
plying meat for the average size
family of five persons. From a flock OF
this number, two-thirds of which are pure
brown.
Leghorns and the remainder good COM
mon stock, a fair average result from good
care would be 200 chickens and 1900 eggs.
This is easy of attainment. Few small
farmers would care to raise more chickens
than this number, as II requires more
house room and more attention than their
farm duties will permit. They would pre-
fer the chief return in eggs-a food so nu-
tritious so handy to prepare and so tuly
taking the place of meat, of which farm
er's kitchen should never lack.
In a nutshell, the rules essential TO sue
cess are a clean roosting place, regular
pure water supplied in iron vessels, green
food of some kind barley, wheat cab
bag e or .collard leaves-anything that the
fowls will eat In setting The hens put
under them only what they will cover
easily-twelve to fourteen-and make the
nest on earthly matter, and use sulphur to
prevent insects, sprinkling it occasionally
on the nests. Provide also a large, shall
low box nearly full of dry ashes under
shelter, where the fowls can dust them
selves AS to food, if fed no more than
they really need, its value is fully re-
turned in the manure afforded by them,
if properly saved. Have water and food
convenient for the settlers, and when the
young chickens are Matched out do not
feed them for twenty-four hours, and
from the very start feed with some small
grain, German millet and african" or
Ivory" wheat being the very best food
for them. Never feed dough. Supply
them with water in shallow iron vessels.
Connne the hen and brood 20 small coops
until the chicks get strong-at least one
week.
Have one cock to six or eight hens, so
as to insure fertility of all eggs.
These rules observed, there is no reason
why poultry keeping should not be a pleas
ure and profit AS everything else-poor
care, poor results; good care, good re-
suits