66 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OP POULTRY. 



loss which they are on many farms. But we are here more 

 especially considering the cases in which it is determined to 

 make them a part of the regular business of the establishment. 



The needful separation will generally be easily managed on a 

 farm. Fowls have a strong sense of locality, and in the main 

 will keep to their own field ; and as a rule the simplest plan 

 will be to put the hedges and fences in fair repair, and then let 

 each field have its own small flock. The house can go any- 

 where convenient probably in a corner, where the fencing is 

 good. Some practical men prefer movable houses on wheels, the 

 locality of which is moved occasionally; and one or two of these 

 should always be used on arable farms, as they can be moved 

 out to the stubbles after harvest. One farmer we knev/ made a 

 hard concrete floor for each house, and kept it in one place ; this 

 is least trouble as regards the manure. On many farms there 

 are buildings here and there, opening out to different parts of 

 the farm, which can be utilised. The great thing is, in the 

 cheapest but some effectual way to break up the system of 

 letting all mix indiscriminately in the farmyard. 



The fowls will, be it remembered, absolutely benefit the 

 land. In some cases it may be well to keep them off shallow- 

 sown seeds for a fortnight ; but as a rule, if the seed is properly 

 drilled, and the fowls duly fed, they will not touch it, but con- 

 fine their ravages to insects and larvae. They may crop a little 

 green food ; but even this may be almost prevented by letting 

 a strip of grass grow aro\md their house, and in any case the 

 damage will be infinitesimal, unless the farm, or that part of 

 it, is what we should call "over-stocked" with them. A dozen 

 per acre are enough kept in this way ; and the largest field 

 must have no more than fifty in one flock, unless in any case a 

 flock of fifty is kept solely upon, say, half an acre or less, for 

 breeding. Generally a few yards of netting used judiciously 

 here and there, to eke out other fencing, will keep the flocks 

 separate. 



