HIk. Stoddard s Plax for a Poultry- Fa R.ir. 105 



the peak. The sides consist chiefly of folding-doors, which can be opened to get the eggs and 

 afford air during tlie hot American summer, and tlie whole are built on stout sills so as to be 

 movable. These houses are put up on a ridge, raised by ploughing a few inches above the general 

 surface. During summer every house is moved its own width every few days, and the manure 

 made in that time ploughed in with a horse-hoe ; in winter every one is placed on a bin of pulverised 

 dry earth six inches deep ; and every year the whole are moved to a fresh piece of ground, and the 

 land they have occupied ploughed in and cropped. Thus a farm on this system requires twice the 

 ground really occupied by the fowls. All these operations, the feeding and watering, and the 

 collection of dry earth in summer for the winter's use, are to be carried on by the use of a team, 

 and with the aid of various appliances which are figured by Mr. Stoddard, but which we need not 

 here particularly describe. In winter some rough extra shelters are put up for the fowls, and covered 

 with brushwood, using the summer appliances for drying earth and other objects as framework so 

 far as possible. The fowls for sitting, and those for breeding or keeping up the young laying stock, 

 are provided for in separate permanent yards. The breeding of chickens specially for market 

 Mr. Stoddard does not consider at all necessary, as he says the cockerels, refuse pullets, and old 

 fowls to be killed, will always provide as many birds for killing as are desirable. He concludes 

 with a summary, from which we take the following remarks : — 



" A tract of land, one hundred rods by one hundred rods, equal to sixty-two and a half acres, 

 will contain ten rows of houses for the laying stock, arranged on the quincunx plan, ten in a row. 

 These 100 buildings will each contain fifty birds, or 5,000 in all. In addition there must be 500 of 

 the sitting stock, and 500 at the breeding and experimental yards, or a total of 6,000. The 

 5,000 layers comprise 3,000 yearlings, and the rest are two-year-olds. To replenish the laying stock 

 there must be raised 7,^00 chickens yearly (for three out of five are cocks and inferior pullets to 

 be rejected). To replenish the sitters and also the breeders — in the latter class much ' weeding 

 out ' being necessary — 2,500 chickens more must be raised ; that is, about 10,000 chickens must 

 be reared annually. 



" Now, when fowls are kept under the ordinary S}'stem pursued by the family living in a 

 village — by which we mean that there is a fowl-house and yard to accommodate a flock, and then, 

 if the number is to be increased, another yard is made, and so on — one man can take care of 600 

 fowls without the aid of a team. He can take off all the produce in the cars, and distribute to his 

 city customers from a basket carried upon his arm ; can spade up the ground in the yards, &c. &c. ; 

 and keep his stock young by raising enough chickens, so as to have on hand 400 pullets every 

 autumn, after killing the supernumerary cocks and inferior pullets. Eut one man cannot take care 

 of more than this, and do it well, under the ordinary domestic or small-scale plan. If he attempt 

 to manage 1,000 or 1,500, market their produce, raise the needful number of chickens, &c., he will 

 slight the work, and so sure as it is slighted there will be loss. He can keep 600 adult fowls, and 

 make 600 dollars,* and no more. 



" Now let it be remembered that the skill and incessant care and industry necessary to clear 

 600 dollars in the case supposed above would, employed at some other business, earn right or nine 

 hundred dollars (for a bungler cannot keep foivls as a business), and we see why it is that during the 

 past fifteen years so many persons who have tried to enlarge their poultry business on the ordinary 

 ' family fowl-house and yard ' plan have failed, and quit it in disgust. What is needed is the 

 reduction of the amount of labour. This must be accomplished by employing a team in every 

 operation where it can be done, and by using movable buildings. The movable houses and no 



• Tlie dollar may be taken as reprosentin^ 4s. 

 14 



