302 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of Lucius Dunbar, of West Bridgewater. 



Without proper care no one can derive profit from raising 

 poultry. I keep my houses and coops dry and clean, scalding 

 the roosts frequently and whitewashing all parts of them ; keep 

 ashes, lime and sulphur sprinkled about ; allow no manure to 

 collect in the coops, and have no room in them for vermin. I 

 feed my chickens on cracked corn, keeping it by them constantly 

 till they are two jaonths old, giving them also scraps from the 

 table and fresh water two or three times a day. My older 

 chickens and hens are fed on corn, cracked corn and meal mixed 

 with sour milk or water. From March 1st to June 1st, I feed 

 meat and potatoes three times a week, on alternate days, always 

 keeping ground oyster shells and fresh water by them. The 

 chickens have a run of three acres in differeut directions, each 

 litter being kept as far as possible from all the others. The 

 hens are shut in a yard till the latter part of the day, when they 

 are allowed to run free. I submit the following account, which 

 does not include the expense of or income from any fancy breeds 

 of poultry : — 



DR. 



March 1, 1871. To 47 chickens on hand, at 10.25, 



u 



a 



23 hens 

 2 cocks 

 To 50 chickens'bought, 

 30 bushels cracked corn, 

 12 " meal, 

 22 " corn, . 

 114 pounds meat, at 3^ cents, 

 Scraps, . 

 1 bushel middlings, . 

 29 dozen eggs for setting, 

 Oyster shells, . 

 5 bushels potatoes, 



Total expenditure, 



Sept. 26, 1871. By 40 chickens on hand, at |0 



30 " " " 



21 " " " 



15 hens " " 1 



2 cocks " " 1 



1.25, 

 2.12, 



15, 

 .40, 



87, 

 00, 

 75, 



