Xhf Country Gentleman's Magazine 



153 



%\\t ^airg anil P0iiltrB-^arii, 



THREE YEARS OF POULTRY KEEPING. 



THE following are some poultry statistics 

 recently given before the New Bruns- 

 wick, N. J., Farmers' Club, by one of the 

 members, Mr F. S. Hart : — 



In 1869 we first commenced keeping an 

 account with our poultry. We had about 

 sixty fowls — forty hens and twenty cocks ; 

 some of the latter being small were soon sold, 

 leaving about fifty for breeding. Every egg 

 laid and every lb. of poultry sold or used 

 were credited to them at market prices ; 

 every egg set, and the food consumed, were 

 charged at ruling prices. At the end of the 

 year they stood as follows : — 



Br. Dol. Dol. 



To sixty fowls, at 50 cents 30. 00 



„ feed, and eggs set 84.64 



114.64 



Cr. 



By 115 fowls, at 50 cents 57- 5° 



,, eggs laid, 2784 (about 70 each), and 



poultry . . 1 26. 49 



183.96 



Balance 69.35 



Average per fowl, i dol. 38 cents. 



The fowls occupied a plum orchard of 

 about ^ acre — room enough for 100 fowls 

 or more — and a small building for laying, 

 roosting, &c. 



lu 1870 we tried again, starting on a larger 

 .scale, 115 head in all — 85 hens and 30 cocks. 

 Killed off some cocks, leaving about 100 for 

 breeding. Ilept them as last year. At the 

 end of the year they stood as follows : — 



Dr. Dol. Dol. 



To 115 head, at 50 cents 57- 5° 



,, feed, and eggs set 126.27 



183.77 



Cr. 



By 215 head at 50 cents 107.50 



,, eggs laid, 7458 (about 88 each), and 



poultry sold 243.57 



351-07 



Balance 167.30 



Average profit per fowl, l dol. 67 cents. 



In 187 1 we tried it on a still larger scale, 

 having three yards to confine our poultry in. 

 Started wath 215 old fowls — 190 hens and 25 

 cocks. We ran mostly on chickens, not 

 trying to get eggs ; consequently the average 

 number of eggs to the hen is smaller. We 

 set in all 3200 eggs, mostly Dunghills, some 

 pure stocks, and a few ducks and turkeys. 

 We hatched about 2000 chicks and will 

 probably raise about 1000 head in all; at 

 one time 59 hens were sitting on 767 eggs, 

 and 25 or 30 hens were hovering several 

 hundred chickens. The season was very 

 poor for raising poultry — so many heavy 

 storms; in one storm we lost over 70 birds. 

 We also find that crows are very fond of 

 chickens, over 300 being charged to them. 

 Our nine months' account is as follows ; — 



Dr. Dol. Dol. 



215 hens and cocks, at 50 cents 107.50 



Feed 201.59 



2920 set (common) 48-83 



250 duck eggs 6.00 



Guelder, \V. Cochin and Houdan eggs 15.00 



Pepper and alum 5-00 



383-92 



Cr. Dol. Dol. 



9573 eggs at (about 50 each), ig;^ cents 187.01 



Old fowls sold 22.10 



Young fowls sold (137) 80.74 



194 chicks at 8 cents 15-52 



35 ducks 22.04 



Ducks' feathers i-50 



STOCK ON HAND. 



146 chickens, fattening, at 60 cents. ... 87.60 



100 pure Brahmas 150.00 



Two pairs lloudans, at 10 dol 20.00 



Two pairs Cochins, at 10 dol 20.00 



400 chickens (Dunghills) 200.00 



150 old fowls, at 50 cents TS-°° 



35 ducks, at 50 cents i7-5o 



15 turkeys lO-O^ 



909.01 



Balance 525-09 



Average per fowl, 2.50 cents. 



