The sun., 1908-12-13
pm HONEY FROM pEAFOVL
ONE YOUNG GIRLS EXPERT
ENCE WITH THE BIRDS.

NNoABb NtOI0 Iu9u S8NgO - hNeb ENOsN =
Flock which Started Five Yoars AgO
with Cock and Two Hens-Java
Birds M0st In Demand = AlbinOB.
Last year I made $50 on my peafowl,
and when all my birds are sold this year
l expect TO make about S25 more said q
young girl from the middle West who
recently visited New York Eve live
on farm and my father Allows each Of
us children to have some, money making
animal or fowl Of our own,
"Five years- ago I seiected peaiowl
beoause they are 90 pretty Ny father
invested s7s In Dock and two hens for
me. with the understanding that was TO
refund the money a. coon a. possible.
Unfortunately one Of the hens was a young
bird and only laid three eggs that year.
The other laid eight. which according
TO my calculations showed that abe was
In her fifth year. From the eieven eggs
/ raised nine birds which I so,d for SIS
. pair. keeping tho odd hen TO add to
my flock After paying my father
had Ss5 to draw on for food and other
expenses during the year. a.
~Perhaps should state that IL IL my
fathers rule to allow us ali the first years
food for our fowls or animals free Of
charge. After that year we are expected
TO pay every item Of expense. For
tunately for me peafowl are able and
willing to forage for living, and a. q
consequence need very little extra food.
During the warm months when they have
the fields and woods to roam In they
really need no feed beyond handful Of
corn night and morning to make them
know where home is.
My fret birds were the Indian pea
fowl. the kind you zoe most frequently
here In America. They are also the least
expensive and have the loudest voice.
Java peafowl being 80 much more in
demand and fetching better prices Of
course I was eager 10 invest It took all
that made during my third year to buy
two good birds. II good peafoWl have
ever sold for less than $3.50 here In America
have never been able 10 find the place.
That is one Of the things am hoping to
find; some family way of in the country
with fioois Of Java birds which they are
willing to sell cheap. / shail have one
pair to sell this year and shall keep the
other ave, four hens and one cock. that /
have raised.
mo. ] have not found the Java pea
fowl bit more difficult TO raise than
the India birds but last year all my Java
chicks were killed one way or another,
80 that had no increase. This year for
fear Of losing the stock my father insists
that I keep all but one pair. for which
took an order soon after buying the old
birds. The raising Of .peafowl Is not
more difficult than raising turkeys and
treatment Is very much the same. The
hens Of my Indian fowls have all proved
Themselves to be excellent mothers,
but j was 20 much 10 doubt about the ca
liability of the Java hen that afte- her
failure the first year experimental with
trusted barnyard fowl which I bought
chicks as easily and contenteily as though
they had been from he- ow eggs. II was
rather amusing TO watch her when they
rot strong enough to jump and fiv over
places that she couldn't even attempt
he young birds finally deserted her alto
ether and annexed themselves 10 the
flock OF Indian peachicks.
to raising peafowi with other poultry
there is one great advantage. Living
in the West We are often annoyed By
hawks and owls. III there is q better way
Of soaring on these pests we have never
found H. II is the habit Of these birds
to perch themselves on the ton OF the
tallest tree 70 be found after their morn
ing feeding Ind before they begin IN for
age in the afternoon. II is usually lust
at this time that the hawks annov us the
most. Let peacock catch sight cf
hawk and he let's out the most car srlit-
ting screech that anv one could imagine.
Instantly all the other fowl for miles
around seek cover. They know wbat it
means and the hawk knows that no has
heen discovered
- About the same thing happens az night
with owls. | have been told that res
cocks sleep with only one eye at tire
and am willing 10 believe il il true from
the number of times they have frightened
Oh owls. Since ! have been raising rsa-
fowl tuy mother and the little brother
who make their pin money by raising