1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



141 



A CHAPTER ON FOWLS. 



Wb never had much faith in the laying- qualities of 

 the large breeds of fowls. In a wild state, the larger 

 birds lay but few eggs compared with the smaller 

 ones. The Polands were always our favorites, and 

 we still think they are unsurpassed for laying ; and 

 for beauty, to our fancy, they are unequalled. Their 

 graceful form, their jet black pulmage, shaded with a 

 beautiful metallic green, and their snowy top-knots, 

 make them, to our notion, the beau-ideal. But they 

 must be pure ; for if crossed, they are a miserable 

 fowl. In order to test the matter for ourselves, about 

 a month since wo procured a pair uf the Shanghiie 

 fowls. Dr. Bknnktt, author of the " Poultry Book," 

 says — "this variety of domestic fowl is, in my esti- 

 mation, one of the very best known in America." 

 They are scarcely six months old, and the cock weighs 

 8 lbs. 7 oz., the pullet 6 lbs. 5 oz. To our surprise 

 and satisfaction the pullet has laid nearly every day 

 since she came in our possession. They resemble in 

 almost every respect the Cochin China, an engraving 

 of which we give from Broivne's American Poultry 

 Yard, except that they are feathered on the legs. 

 These fowls were imported from Shanghae in China, 

 and coming from the extreme north of that country, 

 they will undoubtedly prove hardy in our climate. 

 We shall have their portraits taken as soon as they 

 get a little older. They are extremely docile, and 

 the cock shows quite a disposition to become a pet. 



COCHIN CHINA FOWL. 



We have also eggs of the Cochin China, that will 

 be hatched in a few days. Dr. Bennett says, "tHey 

 are no more expensive to keep than the common 

 hens, w'hile they are about twice as large, belter 

 layers, less destructive to gardens, more docile and 

 tractable, and very tender of their young. Their 

 meat is fine and highly flavored. They usually com- 

 mence laying at from six to seven months old. 

 Their eggs are of a reddish or mahogany color, and 

 of delicious flavor." 



In contrast with these monsters we give the uni- 

 versal favorite, the little Bantam — ^mall, to be sure, 

 but important and consequential as the largest of the 



feathered tribe. He disdains to acknowledge as 

 superior those whose only claim to superiority is a 

 more portly frame — 

 proclaims his equality, 

 at least, in every mo- 

 tion, and declares in 

 unmistakable langui, 

 that " the soul 's i 

 standard of ths man 

 These little fellou 

 originated in Bantam, a 

 town and kingdom in 

 Java, famous for its 

 pepper trade. They are 

 of small size, lively and 

 vigorous, exhibiting in 

 their movements both statelineso an 1 grd( e. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have just been reading a very able 

 work, entitled "The American Poultry Yard," by D. J. 

 Browne, in an appendix to whirii (wrilien by Samdel 

 Allen,) the aver.nge weight of Cocliiu China, Malay, and 

 Dorking cocks, is stated to be seren poim/ls. As I have been 

 extrerfiely anxious to procure some of these celebrated vari- 

 eties, on occount of their great size, this statement surprised 

 me not a little, inasmuch as I am already the lucky owner 

 of eleven fowls, the weights of which are as follows : 



lbs 



8 months eld, 9 



3 years " -. 7 



7 " " 7 



pullet, 8 J months " 6 



A cock, 

 hen, 



9i 



lot 



2t 



* Some of these will outweigh the old bens before a great while. 



i Thepo two were hatched late and of course are not near grown. 



1 was induced lo weigh them by the statement of Mr. 

 -Ai.LEN, and to send you a brief description of thcni, because 

 they so greatly exceed in size the famous chickens named 

 by hira. Is not Mr. A. mistaken in limiting the weight of 

 ]\ialay and Cochin China cocks to seven pounds ? 



I purchased my two old hens and cock that weighed 8| 

 ll)s. last year, from an old man who brought them from 

 Northampton county, in this State. I can trace them no 

 further. From their appearance and character I judge them 

 to belong either to tiie "Bucks County Breed," or tlie 

 " Boobies," mentioned by Dr. Kittridge. Their general 

 color is black, dotted with white ; sometimes entirely black 

 and sometimes grey. When first hatched, they are never 

 black or even dark, but invariably light colored — much 

 resembling young Creoles. Unlike any other large fowls I 

 have ever seen, thei/ feather earhj, being completely covered 

 at six weeks old. Their legs are dark, combs double or 

 single, combs and wattles usually large, some with small 

 " top-knots" or crests, but mostly without them. They do 

 not breed evenly, some growing considerably larger than 

 otliers. They lay well. Last year the youngest of my two 

 hens, then two years old. laid 109 eggs ; the older, then sir 

 years old, laid 78. Of course pullets would have laid much 

 better. All my hens are laying now, except three — the 

 two old ones and the youngest. I have no doubt if well 

 fed, warmly housed in winter, and their nests frequently 

 broken up to prevent their becoming broody, they could be 

 made to yield each 150 eggs a year. They are said to sit 

 well, but do not cover their young as often as good mothers 

 should. Wiiat is their name ? D. T. — Northumberland, 

 Pa., Feb'y. 1850. 



We are unable to give your chickens a name ; but 

 they are undoubtedly a cross between one of the large 

 breeds and some smaller variety, perhaps the com- 

 mon fowl. The fact that they "do not breed evenlx/^ 

 indicates this. Nothing goes farther to establish 

 the distinctness of a race than uniformity in size of 

 chickens of the same age. They are certainly very 

 respectable for size and for their laying qualities. 



