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■dishes to take as they please, is one of the best incentives to vigorous growth that 

 can be given. If not milk, then pure water should be regularly furnished and put into 

 shallow pans. The water should not be allowed to get hot from exposure to the sun. 

 The first chickens to be placed in the coops outside were Plymouth Eocks, White 

 Leghorns and Houdans. They were exposed for the first two or three weeks of their 

 ■existence to the bitterly cold north-west winds which marked the last week of April 

 and the first two weeks of May, Being well fed and cared for, they not only stood 

 the trying ordeal well, but made good growth. Had they not been generously and 

 frequently fed they would have been " dwarfed," or if they had been left to shift for 

 themselves, as the majority of early chicks are, they would have quickly succumbed. 

 Where effort ©f any kind has been made to secure a brood, or broods of chickens, it 

 will pay well to see to their future growth. 



The progress of the chickens, although satisfactory, was not equal to that of 

 the year previous. Three reasons may be assigned for this, the absence of the large 

 quantities of sour milk supplied the year before, limited quarters and ground used 

 the year before. Some of the weights, as compared with those of the previous 

 season, are given as follows : — 



Plymouth Bocks. — Again led the other breeds in making weight. A cockerel 

 five months and two weeks, after being hatched, attained a weight of 6 lbs. 2 ozs. as 

 compared with 5 lbs. 2 oz. of a Houdan, hatched a week later but weighed on the 

 same day. At the same age, as the one above, a Plymouth Rock cockerel, the 

 season previous weighed 8 lbs. 4 ozs. 



Brahmas. — Were hatched from imported eggs at the end of May. Eather late 

 to give them a fair chance as they had to stand the brunt of midsummer heat before 

 attaining any size. They showed an average development of 12 ozs. per month as 

 ■compared with 15 ozs. per month of the season previous, 



Houdans. — Hatched at the end of April weighed, on Ist of October, 5 lbs, 2 ozs. 

 averaging a development of 1 lb. per month. 



Wyandottes. — At first made slow and almost discouraging progress. This was 

 no doubt owing to their being crowded. The pullets, however, picked up in the fall, 

 turned out to be very fine ones and were laying by end of December. 



Langshans. This breed was tried for the first time. Two settings of eggs were 

 purchased in Ottawa and 22 chickens were hatched. Of this number 18 grew up 

 to maturity. They proved hardy chickens, gi-ew well and the pullets began to lay 

 by middle of December. In their growth they displayed the characteristics of the 

 Asiatic family as to large frame and slowness to put on flesh, until maturity. 



Black Minorcas. — Two sittings of eggs were purchased, from which 18 

 chickens were hatched. Their progress was very satisfactory, the chickens prov- 

 ing hardy and vigorous growers. 



Crosses. — Chickens of a cross between a B. B. E. Game cock and White Plymouth 

 Eock hens were hatched on the 9th August, Their progress was not satisfactory, 

 probably owing to their late hartching. Many of them succumbed to the cold of the 

 first winter month. 



A good deal of space has been given to the care and management of chickens, 

 for the reason that a frequent cause of complaint is the great mortality among the 

 young stock. In the majority of cases, want of care and proper food have 

 undoubtedly been the cause of death. In the case of many farmers, inbreeding 

 has resulted in weak chicks, and weaklings as a rule seldom last long. Perhaps it 

 is as well they do not, for they would never, in the event of their maturing, make 

 stock fit to breed from. It may be added to the general instructions given above, 

 that as the chickens grow large, they should be removed from the smaller ones. Il 

 they are not, they will not allow the little chicks to have the proper quantity of 



