The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-02-08

L
the fascination hens may exert. Tt
is hard to tear ones self away from a
cage where hen stands blandly try
ing to stare one out Of couptenance
for while, then in supercilious man
ner ignores the presence Of strangers
and begins to preen her plumage or
gives an example of high bred, arts
tocratic hen IS table manners as
she pecks daintily at some tidbit
or raises her head gracefully skyward
after sip Of water.
Women Scarce as Hens Teeth.
Mrs. Benedict is showing several
coops of magnificent birds in at the
Coliseum this week. Hers are Buff
Orpingtons, great, splendid calm look
ing poultry that one can hardly re-
sist reaching into the coop to pet, and
SO wise looking that one could never
believe them to be less intelligent
than horse, though they are. Three
women only are showing among the
many men exhibitors. !.
Mrs. Benedict's words regarding
hens have weight for at the recent
Racine exhibition she showed thirteen
birds and came away with thirteen
prize ribbons an da silver loving cup.
Last year she had enough ribbons be-
fore the fair season was over to cover
one entire wall of her chicken house.
Already ribbons are futtering from the
coops under her number in the present
show and all the awards were
not made when Mrs. Benedict gave
her interview yesterday.
Bloodsucking Vampires.
"What are the disappointments of
chicken raising?' Mrs. Benedict was
asked
"Well there is the weather that is
apt to interfere sometimes. Then there
are the mink, the weasels and the
muskrat 1t is an exciting time when
the minks get after the poultry. We
had minks visit our coops and always
so silently and dexterously they work
ed that no cutlery was made. We
knew it was mink because none but
the mink does his work just that way.
Like the wicked vampire of the Ara
bian nights, he goes stealthily in the
dark and sucks the blood of his vic
Tins. Next morning all we find is a
hen lying dead with nothing to tell
the tale but tiny teeth marks in the
neck The carcass is never torn. The
mink works so dexterously that he
usually kills his bird without the other
poultry being awakened to give the
alarm. Then next night we set traps
and some seasons we have trapped
enough of the wicked little murderers
for set of furs.
Make Midni ght Visits.
''Other desperadoes in the shape Of
measels and muskrats are less skillful
in their depredations and work so
clumsily that the hens are awakened
and give the alarm and then we jump
into our clothes, snatch lanterns and
clubs and hurry to their rescue.
For seventeen years I have raised
chickens and have made enough money
from nv small activities in that di-
rection to have maintained me had I
had no other income, Had / stocked
a farm with several hundred birds and
gone into it there is no reason why
could not have made large profits ]
have only two hundred adult birds in
my permanent poultry family, but of
course this increases when the chicks
begin coming each spring.
Always Loved Hens.
Mrs. Benedict was raised in home
where there were chickens, down In
Indiana, so that she knew much of car
ing for them when she came to Wis
consin bride. Seventeen years ago
she decided to 90 in to chicken raising,
partly as a means of money making,
partly because she loved the care of
poultry, and partly because of the
luxury of plenty of fresh eggs and
tender spring chickens certain never
to have been in cold storage.
Two years ago she added a colony
of ducks and she has had equal sue
| cess and pleasure with these.
Urges Others to Enter Game.
Mrs. Benedict advises any amateur
going into the business to carefully
study treatises on poultry raising be
! fore they make the attempt and if pos
sible to get some practical experience
under the guidance of an expert be,
fore launching their enterprise.
She says that blooded stock, while il
costs a little more at the start, yields
many more money returns as well as a
better class of egg and meat, Deepen
dent upon the stock selected Some
! breeds make excellent mothers and YET
have not other qualities that are de
sirable, so some breeders keep two
varieties, one for the eggs and the
others to care for the chicks when they
come forth from the incubators. Blacl
/ Minorkas are nroyerhia1ly neglipe