Year: 1873

As by far the largest part of the chickens
supplying our markets are raised on large
farms, where they have ample liberty for a
free range, the amount of grass consumed


by them is not generally appreciated as


much as it should be. This is one reason


why so many persons fail in the attempt to
succeed with poultry in state of confine-
ment. Enclosures are often made without
a thought of the relations which grass or


green food has to success. Running at


large over many acres and helping them


selves to grass at any moment, the breeder


of ordinary observation falls to notice that


very large part of the fowls daily food


if not the largest part-consists of green


food. He feeds corn and oats, or scraps


and table refuse, and imagines that they


live on that almost exclusively, and teaches


that such food will also answer when fowls


are confined. A trial undeceves him.


In preparing an enclosure for breeding in
confinement, no hennery will be complete,
| or will be even worth attempting without
| 4 reservation of space for grass. In case
the fowls can be allowed a part of each day
for a range, say short time before night,


the matter is of less Importance. Still it is


far better to provide pasturage for them


when it can be done. Something may be
done on the 'tsoiling plan" also, if that is
deemed best. Vegetables, such as cab


bages and other green things which they


like, may be grown for them, and cut and


fed to them. Their sharpened appetites


will aid them to dispose of a large amount


in very short space of time, and in many


cases such plan will be more economical


in furnishing green food than to depend on


range or grass plat where they can help


themselves. No breed has vet oeen dis
covered or produced possessing so much
discretion as not to destroy utterly grass
plantation, without any regard for the
claims of tomorrow. For this reason it
will be of no use to sow grass seed in


hen-yard while the fowls have access to it.
If they do not scratch the seed out, they
will eat off the tender shoots the moment
they appear, and no matter how great a
range they have, they prefer young grass,
and will be sure to take it when the chance
Is offered. For this reason no amateur
need expect to raise grass or vegetables to
| maturity in an enclosure where fowls are


kept. In some cases, however, it may be


an excellent plan to SOW seeds in their


yards on purpose to give them employment.


Corn may be very advantageously used in


this way. If deeply planted or sown, all


the better-provided it is not too deep to
sprout-as it gives them more work too
scratch it out. The leaves furnish palata-
BILE article of green food, while the half-de-
composed kernels are peculiarly acceptable
to the poultry tribe. Any other grain, of
course, can be sown at the same time. The


man who furnishes an abundance of employ


ment to fowls in confinement masters at


once more than half the difficulties attend
ing it.


commodious scratching bed used in
| this way for seeds, or for burying refuse


meat, also to be scratched out, would in
| every case be an important and extremely


useful adjunct to poultry yard, even


where judicious foresight had provided, in


addition, requisite range for grass.
Country Gentleman