io8 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



" poultry-farming," but too many decidedly for that poultry 

 on a farm which we are here considering. 3. The fowls 

 were fed thrice daily, or distinctly overfed ; and light 

 Brahmas were just the breed to suffer from this, and not a 

 judicious choice anyway. 4. The flocks were far too large. 

 5. The direct results of these mistakes, all evident a priori 

 to any practical poultry-keeper, are seen on comparing 

 these figures with Mr. Lyall's above. The latter got a gross 

 receipt of ^130 and profit of ,30 from only 240 birds, 

 while Mr. Carrington got only a gross receipt of ^460 from 

 i, 800 birds, which ought pro rata to have returned at least 

 ^750. Bearing all these things in mind, and that not- 

 withstanding the fowls paid best after all, the results are 

 distinctly encouraging, though specially worth citing for 

 the lessons which they convey. 



The case of vermin and thieves we have not felt called 

 upon to deal with. In some places one or the other 

 literally make the profitable keeping of poultry upon a farm 

 impossible. This especially applies to the preservation of 

 foxes, which in not a few localities absolutely prevents any 

 attempt at what would otherwise be a productive industry. 

 Whether this ought to be so under present agricultural 

 circumstances, is a grave question, but one we do not feel 

 called upon to discuss. 



CHAPTER VII. 



POULTRY FARMING. 



THERE is no doubt that poultry kept to a much larger 

 extent than usual as part of farm stock, in the manner 

 described in our last chapter, have paid and will pay well 

 when so managed ; but the question whether " poultry 

 farming," as generally understood, can be made profitable, 

 is not one to be answered with similar certainty. The most 



