120 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTl'AGE GARDENER. 



[ Pobruiry 10, 1876. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



OUR BREEDING PENS. 



Undoubtedly February ia a very important month to all 

 poultry fanciers. In tbis month wo have most of our choicest 

 birds penned-up for breeding. We collect with pleasure every 

 egg laid, and we set them and look for the broods from them as 

 our strength for another year. Most certainly, then, this is a 

 month of great importance to U3 all, and yet it is a time that is 

 not sufhcit utly valued by many. 



Some fanciers think that so long as they obtain the eggs and 

 are able to sit them, in these times of scarcity of broody hens, 

 all must be well ; but it is tot so, for very much depends, more 

 than is generally supposed to to the c.ise, upon the strength 

 and condition of the breeding pens when the eggs are formed 

 and laid. 



We can all remember, many of us sorrowfully, the dire 

 failure of the early IHi:) chickentide; and although we are, of 

 course, much at the mercy of the weather, still a few hints on 

 the management of our breeding pens at this time will be, per- 

 haps, acceptable. 



It is all very well to collect the eggs regularly and keep them 

 from the frost, to place them under good hens, and to keep them 

 damp and spriukled with water ; but none of these remedies 

 are of much use uuless the hens which laid the eggs and the 

 cocks with them in such breeding pons are active and in good 

 condition. 



We believe there is nothing so fatal to the chances of large 

 and strong chickens as to continually show the stock birds. 

 They cannot endure it, and in the heavier breeds more far- 

 tioularly, such as Dorkings, Cochins, and Brahmas, the less 

 often the breeding birds, especially the cocks, are shown the 

 better. 



We have asked many of our great breeders, and we learn from 

 nearly all that they have different birds for breeding from and 

 exhibiting, and hence thoy obtain their early chickens bo strong 

 and fine. Mr. Sedgwick, we think, would not have his early 

 Cochins so large and forward if he was to bo exhibiting his 

 stock birds all the winter. Of course this gentleman, to a great 

 extent, makes the summer shows his spccialUe. Still, many 

 can and do make all-the-year-round exhibiting, and breeding as 

 well, work successfully. This requires, however, a large stock 

 of birds and a large space. 



It is, moreover, at the bottom of much disappointment in the 

 egij-vendiug line, for the eggs laid by hens in a pen where the 

 male bird is being, or has been, overshown, are consequently 

 often clear. Confeqaently, in justice to an egg-buying public, 

 the birds in the yards which are looked for to supply sittings of 

 eggs for incubation should be strong and not weakened by over- 

 work, however good they may have been or are for the exhi- 

 bition pen. 



Shows have for the next few weeks, to a great extent, ceased ; 

 still there are some about, and it is never too late to be fore- 

 armed, for we have known birds taken from a run for one show 

 only made iiseless for two or three weeks' breeding. 



Then as to the feeding. At this time birds need to be very 

 plentifully supplied with good food. Because they are not 

 destined for the show pen for the present their usual fare should 

 not be leEBened, it should rather be increased, for there is 

 much more expected of the birds, and we must try to sustain 

 t lem by good and feaerouB diet. We think the hens also need 

 extra food now, and that good. As a rule, we are no advocates 

 for a'lowing birds to have pans of food ready to go to at pleasure 

 in their pens, but we do not object to it at this time of year, sc 

 have pans of soft food generally in our runs. The birds, espe- 

 cially the cocks, seem mostly hungry, more so than at Cher 

 times. Thus it would seem Nature points out that the male 

 birds do require plenty of nourishment at this time, fur it is 

 qniti unuBual for cocks, as they now do, to leave their harems 

 and feed quietly by themselves without even using those insinu- 

 ating powers they would seem to have of calling their ladies to 

 them. 



We have bad this point called to our attention by four or five 

 friends within the past two or three weeks : and so it would 

 seem that many have seen its importance, and are acting upon 

 it. The breeding pens at this time should be well housed. 

 They do not need artificially heated roosting places, but the 

 birds want to be in a sound building, well walled and warm, 

 and yet properly ventilated. Birds kept in exposed places 

 and where the houses are open to winds, and cold, and damp, 

 ought neither ba expected to lay well nor to produce good 

 chickens. 



There is plenty of lime to make the desirable arrangements 

 if commenced witbout delay, and the more care and attention 

 we pay to the stock birds in this and the next two months so 

 much larger a percentage of fertiia eggs and strong chickens 

 ehall we have as our reward. — W. 



GAME BANTAMS. 



No fowls will afford more pleasure to the keeper than these 

 little ptta. The clear merry crow of thn dck, his proud strut 

 and readiness to defend himself against all attacks are a continual 

 source of amusement ; while the nimble little hen ever on the 

 look-out and guarding her brood with the most unrelenting care, 

 cannot but be admired by anyone who will watch the graceful 

 movement of her stylish little form. Of the many varieties kept 

 at diiiereat times, none have given more pleasure and satisfac- 

 tion. On account of their diminutive size, many at once class 

 them as a delicate variety. This is, however, an error, which a 

 little time given to the rearing of them will soon dispel. From 

 q'iite a limited number cf old birds I have this <*ea8on raised a 

 large flock of very promising chicks, and my experience is that 

 they are quite as hardy and require as little attention as most 

 other varieties. They mature rapidly, and being good foragers 

 the young soon say good-bye to the old hen and look out for 

 themselves. 



Game Bantams may be divided into four principal classes — 

 Black-breasted, Brown-breasted, Duckwings, and Piles. White, 

 Black and Wheaten are also reared, but the first four are chiefly 

 bred and much superior to the others in all respects. My 

 ground being limited, I have confined myself to but two of the 

 varieties, Black-lreasted Reds and Yellow Duckwings. As 

 the grea^i points to be attained in these varieties are style, hard- 

 ness of feather, clearness and beauty of plumage, these proper- 

 ties should be carefully sought after in selecting your breeding 

 pens. The cock should be neatly built, hard in feather, hand- 

 somely marked, and as small as possible. When speaking of 

 size, I mean as he appears to the eye, not weight. A close 

 hard feathered bird often the very picture of symmetry and 

 neatness, will sometimes weigh, by several ounces, more than 

 another loose-feathered and apparently larger and less desirable 

 one. A cock, hoTrever, if he be in good healthy condition, and is 

 small to the eye, light in weight and of stylish build, is certainly 

 a desirable bird. He should have a long head, slim, graceful 

 neck, well-developed breast, finely tapered body, wings well 

 tucked up, tail tightly closed and only slightly elevated, legs 

 rather long, slender, and willow in colour. The hen should be 

 small and gracefully built, long slim neck, compact body, 

 wings well carried off, narrow tail, legs rather long, and match- 

 ing in colour with the legs of the cock. The plumage should 

 be bright, evenly pencilled, and as free from uneven spots on 

 the wings as possible. The birds should be mated and placed 

 in the pen early in March, but I would not advise setting any 

 eggs before the beginning of April in this latitude. Early in the 

 season nine eggs are plenty to give the hen, and later eleven or 

 twelve. 



Game Bantam hens make excellent mothers, but, when they 

 cannot be spared, a lightly built Game hen is the best substitute. 

 Moistened earth with a light covering of well-breken straw 

 makes the best and is the most natural nest, while a good dredg- 

 ing of flowers of sulphur over the nest before setting the hen 

 will keep it free from lice. In ordinary weather and with an 

 attentive ben the chicks may be looked for on the nineteenth 

 day, and if the hen is quiet leave the chicks with her until all 

 are hatched. Nothing will strengthen the young brood and give 

 them so good a start as the natural warmth of the mother. Tf 

 the eggs are given to the hen so that the nineteenth day will 

 end with the evening, the great majority of the breed will be 

 found to come out during the night when all is qaiet, and in 

 most cnses will be found to work well. Pen the'hen on a dry 

 piece of ground, in front of a good sod if possible, and where the 

 morning sun will strike the coop. For the first few days give 

 the chicks a mixture of hard-boiled eggs and fine bread crumbs 

 well mixed. Feed them after, five or six times a day, but no 

 more at a time than they will quickly pick up wiih a relish. 

 After the first week a mixture of ground oats and middlings 

 made with water into a crumbling mass will be found to be a 

 good, substantial, and safe food for them. This food should be 

 varied, however, by giving them every day some good sound 

 wheat, and occasionally a very little cracked corn may be 

 added. 



Nothing are they more fond of than cooked meat chopped 

 fine ; but while a little will help to keep them in good heart, too 

 much only tends to force them into that overgrowth which with 

 Bantams is particularly to be avoided. When the chicks have 

 free access to a good sod, and a patch of good earth to scratch in, 

 all such articles as old mortar, cracked bone, ground oyster 

 shells, &c., are not required. When, however, the ground is 

 limited they may be used to advantage, and a little finely ground 

 bone mixed with the soft food will greatly tend to strengthen 

 the fast-growing chick. 



When the chicks are five or six months old they and the old 

 birds should be fed principally iipon good sound wheat, now 

 and then a little cracked corn, and in cold weather have the 

 morning's meal of warm soft food. The scraps from the table 

 are always in demand, but see when given that none is left after 

 the meal to be trampled upon and become sour. The house for 

 these little birds should have a warm exposure, and so built 



