POULTRY. 277 



destroyed by their neighbor's fowls. I would recommend to 

 every family that likes good living, and has more land than is 

 needed for buildings, front yard and garden, to have a respecta- 

 ble hen-yard and house for the hens, with a supply of good 

 fowls. If your means are small, keep but a few hens. As the 

 hen fever has entirely subsided, no one can make himself inde- 

 pendently rich by keeping fowls. If you will keep good fowls, 

 and keep them well, they will pay well. 



Young hens will lay the best. It will be necessary to raise a 

 few chickens, and if you wish to raise good and healthy ones, 

 it is necessary to cross your breeding fowls every year. I have 

 a pullet which commenced laying in August, when she was 

 about four months old, and has laid ever since. She was a 

 cross between good sized fowls, while the pure blood, which 

 have been allowed to breed in-and-in for several years, will not 

 probably lay until they are twice as old. Breeding in-and-in, 

 is one of the most destructive things for good fowls, or any 

 thing else. 



I think it is more profitable to raise eggs for market than it 

 is chickens, at the present prices. If you wish chickens or eggs 

 for your own use, raise good sized ones, and keep them well, 

 but if you wish to sell your eggs by count, which is an unjust 

 way, you can keep small hens, probably, with less expense. 



I have killed, to-day, some chickens between five and six 

 months old, which weighed over five pounds each when dressed. 



At the present high prices of grain, it has cost about three 

 mills per day to keep each hen, and no more, this season. 



Statement of Frederick W. Clark. 



The first of April, 1857, 1 purchased ten hens and a cock, for $3. 

 Since that time I have sold twelve dozen eggs, also having what 

 we wanted for our own use. I have also raised 125 chickens : 

 one hen had twenty-five chickens. Some of my hens are part 

 common and part game, others Bolton Gray, and part Shanghai. 

 When a hen comes off with a brood, I put her in the coop, and 

 keep her there till the chicks are old enough to take care of 

 themselves, which is in about five weeks. When they first come 

 off, I feed them on Indian meal, mixed with a little warm 

 water ; but as they grow older, I mix it with cold water. When 



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