33 



until they were old enough to be colonized in fields distant from the 

 house. 



On a Massachusetts farm where several thousand chicks are grown 

 annually, and hatched and reared with hens, the farmer's wife, a physi- 

 cally strong woman who cannot stand constant indoor life, takes a 

 large part of the care and practically all responsibility of the setting 

 hens and young chickens, while a daughter does most of the house- 

 work and takes her "outings" driving to the village, sometimes sev- 

 eral times daily, and looking after the flowers about the house. Both 

 women are better for this sort of occupation, and their work, of direct 

 assistance to the men, is more than equal to the services of a good man. 



On many farms where less stock is kept one or more boys, under 

 paternal supervision, take care of quite a flock of poultry, earn some- 

 thing for themselves and at the same time add to the family income. 

 One house I happen to know of has an arrangement of this kind. The 

 boy owns and takes care of the poultry. His father furnishes every- 

 thing, house, fence, feed. When the boy is at school or has other 

 engagement his mother (usually) looks after the poultry for him. He 

 has to supply the house a certain number of dozens of eggs per week. 

 Anything over this the house has to buy as any other customer would. 

 Poultry consumed in the family is not counted. On poultry and eggs 

 sold the boy divides the receipts with his mother. 



The few instances described illustrate the point of utilization of 

 "all hands" in poultry work. Such arrangements are not always 

 practicable, but they might be made to the advantage of all concerned 

 very much oftener than they are. 



Taking up now the other phase of the subject, let us consider some 

 of the ways of saving labor in handling poultry on the farm that apply, 

 no matter who does the work. 



First, and on general principles, make the poultry of all kinds do as 

 much as possible for itself. Why cut cabbage or roots in liifcie pieces 

 for birds which can pick it to pieces themselves? This applies, too, in 

 the feeding of little chickens. The usual directions for feeding little 

 chickens make the preparation of "first foods" for chicks as much 

 work as the preparation of an elaborate dish for the table. For nearly 

 twenty years the writer has feci little chickens from the start the same 

 mash he gave to hens (and, when he had them, to ducks and geese), 

 and has fed them from the start whole wheat and cracked corn. 

 Chickens on this diet will not grow as fast at the start as those that 

 get more concentrated foods and more variety, but losses will be light, 

 and they will develop rugged little bodies that later will stand heavy 

 feeding and make better and more rapid growth. 



For exercise for adult fowls on the farm leaves on the floors of the 

 houses save labor for the poultryman and utilize in the best way a 

 waste product. Straw in Massachusetts is worth more for other pur- 

 poses than it is for scratching litter. A good many poultrymen buy it 

 and use it, but at prevailing prices it is questionable whether they can 

 afford to do so. Almost every farmer can get leaves enough either 

 from trees on the farm or from woods near by to provide scratching 

 litter for his hens, and use the leaves liberally. The advantage of 

 leaves over straw is that by frequently adding a few fresh leaves, 

 which are immediately scattered quite evenly over the floor, grain 

 thrown in the ltter is at once concealed, and does not have to be cov- 

 ered with a fork or raked in. The cleanings of the house when leaves 

 are used as litter are also in much more satisfactory shape to apply 

 to land for fertilizing purposes. 



With regard to cleanliness in poultry houses. The labor of cleaning 



