Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-12-03
Keeping Poultry Next to Nature.

Keeping Poultry Next to Nature.
While it is true that results have beer
conditions far in advance of results
where nature has received no assistance
from the hand of man,it 10 still true that
the closer they are kept to nature, nm
der those artificial conditions, the better
will be the result. Under natural con.
ditions the average hen would perheps
lay 100 eggs in year, though the aver
age was probably far below this figure.
This has been modified by careful breed
ing for eggs, selection of heavy layers
aud male birds whose mothers were
heavy layers for breeders, and combin'
ing the best qualities and avoiding as far
as possible the less desirable ones, until
birds that will lay $50 eggs In q year are
not very rare. Much careful, painstak.
ing labor has been necessary to pro-
duce this result, and only by the exer.
else of much care and good judgment
In the care of the birds and In future
matings can the present high standard
of the best fiocks of the best breeds be
maintained.
In their wild state, probably not many
hens laid so eggs in . year. What Q
change must have taken place In the con-
stitutiou, habits and charscteristics of
the birds in the production Of $50 egg
strain! In their wild state, the weak
birds never survived, because OF their in
ability TO defend themselves from their
natural enemies, so that the parent birds
were sure to be possessed Of those char
scteristics necessary to the production
of healthy young stock. In confinement
the same causes that brought this about
do not exist, and II is necessary to weed
out all the weak aud undesirable stock
and send it to market. That this is not
always done is the cause of occasional
deterioration in once strong hocks.
While artificial conditions must be
followed to a certain extent, many fiocks
might be kept much closer to nature
than they are, and be greatly benefited
Selection of soil upon which
to raise flock of chickens or to house
and yard the hocks is often not matter
of care. to the great detriment Of birds,
and corresponding disappointment in re-
suits. Soft, sandy soil not as dry az
moist, is the soil most necessary to
either poultry or waterfowl, neither OF
which may be expected to do their best
on hard, dry, powdery, rocky or clayey
soil. The ground should not be too
low, should not be so situated as to be
from severe winds, or shut
off from sunlight much, II any, OF the
time. A sloping ground, with q good
sloping toward the south and
east, with full exposure to the sun on
the slope, and with patch of woods in
the rear, to the north and west, makes
an ideal condition for poultry raising.
There should be a. wide range as pos
sible, and If the birds must be confined
within yards, the yards should DO made
as large as possible, and there should be
no overcro wding either indoors or out.
Every hen should have at least i've
square feet of space indoors, and 100
square feet in the yard is none too much,
though it is not well to set that as the
minimum limit under all circumstances.
The houses must be built right, or
conditions will not be wholly satisfac-
tory. They should face the south and
east, and should be at least partially
open in all suitable weather, on the front
Of the building to admit air and sunlight.
The openings may we'll be closed dur
ing the coolest nights and on stormy
days, but should not be at other times,
other means being taken to keep the
birds from chilling when necessary.
There should be no openings Of any kind
on the north and westerly sides Of the
buildings that cannot be made absolute
" tight, else there will be drafts and
illness among the birds. 1t
Is best IL the drainage is such that moist
nre can be prevented, TO have floors OF
earth, which should be removed and re-
placed by fresh earth each spring. The
birds like to dig, and they should have
plenty of opportunity to scratch up
iresh soil at all seasons of the year, and
Il they cannot do it in the open air, they
should have q chance to do it inside;
md it is not difficult, when proper To-
cation is selected, to do 1t. Even if some
iificulties are encountered, the results
make the effort worth while. l have
learned from experience that chickens
will mature weeks earlier where soil
conditions are perfect, than where they
have the same liberties and the same
care under imperfect soil conditions.
Furth than that, they will never, un-
der poor conditions, reach the same
tate OF efficiency and good health that
they will quickly reach where every
hing is arranged to their advantage
By 81. L, Goodwin, Pennington, in
Maine Farmer.