CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 



Backyard 

 poultry 



Chickens as 

 scavengers 



Profit 



Keeping a 



single 



variety 



POULTRY KEEPING 



All climates agree with brave chanticleer. His health is ever good, his 

 lungs are sound, his spirits never flag. 



HENRY DAVID THOREAU 



THE Department of Agriculture has estimated that 

 seven hundred million dollars' worth of eggs and poultry 

 are produced in the United States each year. Com- 

 paratively little of this immense product comes from large 

 poultry farms. Most of it comes from the hundreds of 

 thousands of farms and town lots where a few chickens 

 or other fowls are kept in order that they may turn to 

 profit food materials that otherwise would be wasted 

 (Fig. 241). 



Except in large cities, every family is better off for 

 having a few chickens, provided they are kept out of 

 gardens and at a suitable distance from any house. 

 They work every day in the year, helping to reduce the 

 cost of living. Unlike most domestic animals, chickens 

 are omnivorous ; that is, they will eat all kinds of food. , 

 They are excellent scavengers, as they devour much 

 matter that might decay and become disagreeable about 

 a place. Like other birds, also, they do their share 

 in preventing the increase of insect pests. 



Not many years ago most people who kept chickens 

 were content with a mixed lot of various colors and sizes. 

 Careful breeding of some particular variety was un- 

 common. But now, whoever pretends to give much 

 attention to poultry keeping is sure to start with 

 a desirable stock and to prevent mixture with other 



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