38 



except in very exceptional cases. What investigations and obser- 

 vations I have been able to make have convinced me that the 

 general reason for poor results from large flocks is underfeeding. 

 Certain it is that all those I know (altogether there are a good 

 many of them) who get good results from large flocks are liberal 

 feeders, — almost extravagantly liberal, quite a number of them 

 keeping food by the hens all the time. 



Much less time is required to care for 200 hens in two flocks of 

 100 each than to care for the same number in flocks of 12 to 30 

 each. One of the most successful small poultry farmers I know 

 keeps 600 to 700 hens in flocks of about 100 each, each lot occu- 

 pying its own house, but all running in the same field. One 

 of the men who is most successful in getting winter eggs keeps 

 as high as 500 hens in a single flock, and in the same house. 

 Such facts as these effectually disprove the theory that there is 

 something in the nature of the hen which prevents good egg pro- 

 duction from large flocks, and puts the responsibility where it 

 belongs, — with the keeper. He must learn to get eggs from the 

 large flocks if he wishes to work to best advantage. It is simply 

 a question of feeding the large flock right, — of seeing that they 

 get enough to eat. 



Close confinement is irksome to most fowls.. They fret under 

 it, because their movements are too restricted. Hence fowls in 

 close confinement, in small yards, require a great deal of attention, 

 with special provision to keep them occupied and busy. Give the 

 same fowls room enough, so that the restraints placed on them are 

 not oppressive, and they are contented, keep healthy, and produce 

 well without so much attention from the keeper. 



An objection often made to large yards is the cost of fencing. 

 This objection loses much of its force when applied to large 

 flocks and large yards, for the larger the yard the lower the fence 

 needed, and thus the relative cost of fencing is much less for 

 hens in large than for hens in small flocks. 



When hens have abundant room, feeding is a much easier mat- 

 ter than when they are closely confined. "Little and often" is 

 the feeding rule of most intensive poultry keepers. Hens that 

 have room in which to be contented, — room to roam about with- 

 out coming to a fence every few steps, and perhaps opportunity to 

 pick a small part of their living, can be fed, and fed right, by 

 giving food only twice a day ; and if it is necessary to do so, it is 

 possible in such cases to arrange so that all the feeding can be 

 done at one time, the soft food to be eaten at once and the grain 

 through the day as the hens want it. 



In feeding young chickens the same thing is true. With abun- 



