96 



"For the pure-bred stock it is better to build ten or a dozen 

 comfortable pens close to the dwelling house, and to keep Game, Leg- 

 horns, Orpingtons and Minorcas. Those four varieties would be suffi- 

 cient to start with, and they should be of the very best and purest to 

 be got. From these pens breed all the laying hens, crossing them 

 when good or exceptional qualities are observed in individual members, 

 for it is a fair conclusion that certain points and qualities are not so 

 much confined to any special breed as to particular individuals in every 

 breed. Feather, of course, belongs to breed always, but laying quali- 

 ties, vitality. &c, may be found in any and in every breed in certain 

 birds, therefore it is those one wants to breed Iroin, to develop their 

 ] lowers. It is better to keep a tew pens with exceptional points, and 

 get a name in connection with them, than to have a large number of 

 second-class birds. 



" The pure-bred birds should pay for themselves by the sale of 

 their eggs for breeding purposes and the sale of stock birds. To secure 

 such sales, and to make their reputation and identify your name with 

 them, advantage must be taken of every show and exhibition of 

 poultry, public and private. If your birds do not take prizes say 

 nothing about it, but when they do take prizes be sure to advertise 

 and talk about the fact. Sell the roosters every year, and always 

 endeavour to get a better bird each time you buy ; and until you 

 thoroughly understand all the best points do not attempt to buy your- 

 self, but get someone who does know to choose a bird for you. The 

 fashion in poultry is constantly changing, and thus fanciers send their 

 old birds to the saleroom or market, and replace them with those of 

 newer points and style. 



" Never sell an egg, or a single bird from a pen till you have 

 secured one season's birds yourself; if you do, you may have to com- 

 pete with birds from your own stock. Get one season ahead, and you 

 are fairly safe — that is, if you go on the plan of improving each year. 



"The pullets only being used in the laying-yard, there will, 

 naturally, be a large number of pure-bred roosters. Those that can- 

 not be sold for other breeding-pens, or to improve other (lucks, should 

 be killed and sold in the form of dead poultry. You should always 

 have a few good customers to supply regularly with dressed poultry. 

 at a fixed price all the year round— give them your surplus pure-bred 

 birds. With eggs it is the same : you can only set a certain number, 

 and von can only sell a certain number at fancy prices; then you must 

 destroy the germ of life in the rest and put them in with those for 

 market. 



" To keep such a poultry yard going, incubators would be neces- 

 sary, and they would have to be al work all the year round, to keep 

 up the supply. The foster-mothers would have to be kept close to 

 the house too, for the convenience "I* feeding and attending to the 

 chickens. These should always have a certain proportion of chickens 

 running with hens, allowing them free range over the ground. 



POULTRY-HOUSES AND PENS TOE BREEDING BIRDS. 



"As regards the besl kind of house there is ^reat diversity of 

 opinion ; Some maintaining that close wooden houses are necessary, 



while others build principally of wire. It all depends on the 



