n6 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



hens are described as "especially bred and kept for egg- 

 production." The result of this is that whereas the first 

 year only gave about 115 eggs per bird, the second returns 

 130 per bird, and the profit is given as ^"109. The food, as 

 we again repeat, does not cost so much as would generally 

 be the case, but the effect of the increased egg-production 

 stands out clearly, and with an average of over 150 each, 

 would be still more apparent. 



We may next take a few facts respecting the rearing 

 and fattening of poultry for market in Sussex, from the 

 official report to the Royal Commission on Agriculture in 

 1894, by Mr. Henry Rew. It there appears that the Sussex 

 fatteners pay up to 33. 6d. each (these top figures only in 

 April and May) for fine well-grown chickens, but cannot get 

 enough, so that they are obliged to purchase a certain 

 number of inferior Irish ones as well. The vioar of Heath - 

 field states that three acres and a cow, or, better still, six 

 acres and two cows, plus poultry, provide a decent living ; 

 and Mr. Rew cites cases of men who began as labourers, 

 and had attained independence by working up rearing or 

 fattening, till they could get a bit of land. As a rule some 

 rear, and others fatten. The fattening alone we have 

 already relegated to another class of undertaking ; and as 

 regards a great portion of the chickens reared, the objection 

 may be made that they are only a bye-product, and belong 

 properly to operations dealt with in our last chapter, as 

 merely " poultry on the farm." 



But in regard to some of the instances given by 

 Mr. Rew there is more than this. We will take three. 

 One small farm of 19 acres is all in grass, and five cows are 

 kept. About 600 chickens are retired during the year, and 

 others are also purchased, and fattening also carried on. 

 The cream from the cows is made into butter, and the 

 skim-milk given to the chickens. Another holding of 



