41(3 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



themselves the general differences in results by the two sys- 

 tems, is apt to be more nearly correct than the conclusions 

 of experimenters. Experiments have generally indicated no 

 noteworthy advantage from exercise, when comparison was 

 made of results of keeping similar lots of fowls under such 

 conditions that one lot got its food without exercise, and, 

 being confined, took no exercise worth speaking of, and 

 another lot worked l)usily all da}^ long for what food the 

 fowls in it got. But in some of these experiments it would 

 appear that perhaps the exercised hens had to take too much 

 exercise for their good. Experience has roughly demon- 

 strated that exercise (compulsory, when it would not other- 

 wise be taken) is a practical if not an absolute necessity. I 

 know a poultry farmer who keeps fowls through the winter 

 without exercise enough to keep them in good condition. 

 He almost always has eggs in fair supply in early winter and 

 in abundance through mid-winter, but his hens are very apt 

 toward spring to get too fat, to their detriment both as layers 

 and breeders ; and, though that is not the only cause of his 

 troubles in growing chickens, it is one reason why he is less 

 successful in that branch of his work than in o-ettino- esrcrs 

 and finds it harder to produce layers than to get eggs after 

 he has got the layers. 



To keep hens in good productive condition throughout 

 their natural lives of usefulness, which in the laying hen 

 should be two seasons and in the breedino; hen three or four, 

 regular easy exercise is essential. To give it to hens in con- 

 finement, the keeper must provide litter of suitable material, 

 leaves, straw and coarse hay being most commonly used ; 

 and, removino- the worn-out and adding new litter as re- 

 (|uired, must give no little time to that item of work the 

 year round. In most parts of this State all fowls are con- 

 fined to the houses nmch of the time during winter, and 

 are better off if made to take some exercise. But fowls 

 which have good range get all the exercise they need, for- 

 aging over it through eight or nine months every year, and 

 during those months the keeper does not need to make 

 special provision for exercise for them. 



Besides the things just mentioned which must be done 



