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venienee, knowing that they can get good green grass whenever 

 they choose to pick it, and will not suffer if I find other things of 

 more importance to do, and neglect giving them special feeds of 

 vegetable for a long time. Quite a number of farmers I know 

 handle fowls by methods very similar to those I use, the essential 

 thing being to avoid conditions, a ration, or a routine that keeps 

 the attendant constantly at the beck and call of some feature of 

 the system. 



In growing young chickens I cannot now make as satisfactory 

 an application of the ideas described, because I have to guard 

 against city cats, and keep chicks in coops while small ; but a few 

 years ago, when located where cats were no trouble, we gave the 

 chicks the run of a small orchard, fed them a mash in the morning, 

 kept cracked corn standing before them all the time, and gave 

 other feed or not through the day, as happened to be convenient. 



Given the right conditions, one can do this with both old and 

 young fowls. The suitable conditions are found on almost all 

 small farms, when either the fowls kept are given ample yard 

 room, or the land which can be utilized for fowls is not stocked so 

 heavily that its natural facilities fail, 



I think we have disposed of the problem of feeding and water- 

 ing, indicating how it can be done and the farmer left free to give 

 the whole day between chore times to other farm and field work. 

 Another problem that causes some trouble is keeping houses and 

 yards clean. When the fowls are given large yards, the work of 

 caring for them is very much reduced. The large yard on soil of 

 the sandy character common throughout New England does not 

 become foul. The droppings are well distributed over it, and the 

 rains disintegrate them and leach them down into the soil, where 

 they nourish the roots of the grass and trees. With the large 

 yards, too, it is easier to take care of the houses, for the hens are 

 in them less, droppings do not accumulate so rapidly, and it is not 

 so necessary that there should be regular and frequent cleanings. 



I use no droppings boards, and, b}^ keeping the floors of the 

 houses well littered with dry leaves, which absorb all the moisture 

 in the droppings, find that I can let the droppings remain for 

 weeks and yet leave the house free from bad smells, and, as the 

 droppings are hidden in the leaves, cleaner to look at than half 

 the houses I see that are cleaned daily. In winter I have let my 

 houses go without removing the droppings for several months. I 

 don't advise others either to do without droppings boards or to 

 let their houses go so long uncleaned, unless they are sure they 

 can control the situation. If there is much looseness among the 

 fowls, it will not do at all to let droppings accumulate. With 



