16 



JOTJENAl OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 3, 1865. 



to Brahmas. Tliey will there see that the word " hybrid "'is 

 used by " our Editor " in reference to the Brahma, closely 

 following suggestions as to the probable crosses of Malay, 

 Dorking, and Cochin which might make a Brahma. In those 

 remarks the word "hybrid" has no reference to the Brahma 

 being derived fi-om a ci'oss between a Pigeon and a Pheasant, 

 or a Galena and a common hen, or any such cross of ditt'erent 

 genera, but to its production iiom vai-ious known breeds of 

 fowls. I cannot see then, as I was quoting fi-om the " Poultry 

 Book," and arguing from its words that I was in error thus far. 



I would bow to any ornithologist who had Brahmas and. 

 Cochins to decide upon, only I would place this before him — 

 given a Buff, Partridge, Cinnamon, Black and White Cochin 

 cock, and a Brahma cock — if they are the same breed, why 

 is it that the Brahma cock differs from all the other varie- 

 ties of Cochin in the form of the back, brows, and tail ? T 

 have read again all that the "Poulti'y Book," says about 

 Brahmas, and I cannot find there any admission on the part 

 of Dr. Bennett, as to the cross in the origin, and our ex- 

 perience of Tankeedom is not in favour of theii' truth, 

 especially where money is to be made. 



I may add further, that I hatched two chickens last year, 

 the produce of a Brahma cock and Black Cochin hen, that 

 one oftheso was a correctly marked Brahma cockerel with a 

 single comb, the other a black hen with silvery hackle and 

 pea-comb ; that, I should say, these birds partook more of 

 the Brahma than Cochin, and that if the Brahma is already 

 partly Cochin, this result ought not to have been arrived at. 



Another question arises out of this discussion. Are not 

 all our known breeds of poultry more or less manufactured ? 

 If I am forced to say the Brahma is, my judgment wottld be 

 that all are, and if so. Why this raid against the Brahma 

 only ? Why, if it is conceded to other breeds, that by theii- 

 breeding true to feather, &o., they have established them- 

 selves, is it not also allo\7ed to Brahmas ? It savoiu-s some- 

 what of jealousy. The progress of the Brahma in public 

 favour the last two or thi'ee years has been so rapidly up- 

 wards that we can read, that at Brighton the "great feature" 

 of the Show was — Cochins? No ! they only mustered for all 

 •varieties of colour eight pens ! Dorkings ? no, again ! but 

 Brahmas, which mustered twenty-eight pens against the 

 small entry of Cochins !— T. B. A. Z. 



[There is no "jealousy" actuating us, we merely wish to 

 arrive at the truth on all subjects within our province. Dr. 

 Bennett's statement that the parents of the Brahma Pootra 

 were a Cochin-China and a Chitagong is in a work published 

 by himself. There is no force in the result of the cross be- 

 tween a Brahma Pootra and Cochin-China, for the same 

 would happen and does happen often when other related 

 varieties are crossed. It is quite probable that many of our 

 breeds of poultry are mere vai-ieties, the results of crossing, 

 but the difficulty is to discover which are the original species. 

 If the Brahma Pootra is a bird of superior merits, it will 

 matter nothing that it is a variety of the Coohin-China.] 



Fig. 12.— Section of 

 roostins-place for 

 young chickens. 



POULTEY-KEEPLSfG FEOM A COMMEECIAL 



POINT OF VIEW. 



{Continued frcym jiagc 520, Vol. VII.) 



GENERAL KULEB TO BE OBSERVED IN POULTRY BREEDING. 

 THE BEEEDINO-STOCK. 



Ist. The hens selected to breed from should be kept apart 

 from the cock until they aie at least twelve months old, and 

 the cock should not be less than eighteen months old before 

 he is put with hens, aB a too early call on nature degene- 

 rates the breed. 



2nd. Whatever races are selected they should be the most 

 perfect specimens that can be obtained, as the first outlay 

 will well repay iteelf. 



3rd. That the distinct races be kept strictly separate, 

 except where it is intended to oVjtain a cross breed, and for 

 this the finest specimens of both races and sexes must be 

 selected. 



4th. Not more than alx hens should be allotted to a cock. 



6th. After the third breeding year it is advisable either to 

 sell the stock or to fatten them for tho market, as they bo- 

 eomo less prolific, and their progeny are apt to degenerate. 



6th. The eggs shoold be collected at least tiiree times 



a-day, as when a fecundated egg has been sat upon for a few 

 hours the germ very soon becomes developed, and the egg 

 is al'tcrwni'ds unfit for hatching. 



7th. The stock must be fed regulai-ly at sunrise, and in 

 the afternoon an hour before going to roost. 



THE LATINO-STOCK. 



1st. When it is intended to sell the eggs for consumption, 

 it is advisable to pen hens up without a cock, to prevent 

 the eggs being fecundated, as they will then keep fresh 

 much longer. This system of keeping hens by themselves 

 has another great advantage, as they will lay a great many 

 more eggs during the year. 



2nd. From twelve to eighteen hens can be kept together 

 in a home as shown in. figs. 7 and 8. 



3rd. The eggs should be collected tvrice a-day. 



4th. For feeding tho same rule applies as above ; and the 

 reason for selecting sutrrise and afternoon for feeding is, that 

 it is before and after the laying- time, during which tho hens 

 on their nest would receive no food. 



THE CHICKENS. 



1st. From the day thoy are hatched to the time when 

 they begin to roost, not more than twelve 

 chickens ought to bekept in one compart- 

 ment, as they wiU huddle together, and 

 the weak ones either be crushed or suffo- 

 cated. 



2nd. The place to which the young 

 chickens retire ought to have a dry floor, 

 and be kept scrupulously clean; and as 

 the floor is the coldest part of a room, 

 theu- roosting-box ought not to be more 

 than 12 inches high, and the top to be 

 slanting, which wOl keep the warm air in the roost, heefig. 12. 



3rd. As soon as they begin to roost on perches they should 

 be removed to the poultry-home — say about thirty to each 

 home. 



4th. AVhen the cockerels can be distinguished from the 

 pullets, they should be penned separately. From this stock 

 the breeding and laying stock wiU be selected to replace old 

 ones. 



5th. The feeding of chickens ought to take place not less 

 than three times a-day, and be of a liberal kind, with plenty 

 of finely-chopped green vegetables, and an occasional supply 

 from the vermin nursery, but no meat should be given. 



Gth. Occasionally a little flowers of sulphur and oxide of 

 iron mixed with their food will keep them in good health. 

 Sulphate of iron and lime water are likewise given with 

 great advantage in their drink ; this applies also to all kind 

 of poultry. 



THE LATINO OF EGGS 



Takes place in the morning during the summer months, 

 and gradually later in the day as winter approaches, until 

 moulting time arrives, when the hens cease laying till they 

 have their new feathers, or for about two months. Although 

 a hen can only lay a certain nunilier of eggs during her life, 

 yet her laying may bo stimulated by an appropriate diet (see 

 "Food for Laying-fowls"), as also by a genial temperature 

 kept up in the poulti-y-home. It has been satisfactorily 

 proved, that under such circumstances a hen will lay at least 

 thirty eggs more during the winter months, a time when 

 they are most valuable, both for artificial batching and con- 

 sumption ; and taking an establishment with two thousand 

 laying, and one thousand breeding-hens, the extra profit will 

 be as follows : — 



EXTBA BEVENUE. 

 3000 IIcn8at30citiai;Bg8i=90,000; ut li«. per 100 £615 



EXTRA EXPENSES. 

 Fuel, wcur and tear, during four moniliB 60 



Or a not', extra profit ot 625 0» 



to be ascribed solely to a warm temperature and appropriate 

 diet, iiut this is not the only advantage derived from a 

 genial temperature during the winter months — it may save, 

 perhaps, hundreds of pounds in the loss of poultry, from 

 diseases caused by exposure to damp and cold. 



Just as the laying can be forced by artificial means, so 

 can it also be retarded. When it is intended to keep some 



• Wc muRt warn our rcailcrH anainHt, our corrcsiiontinnt'rt profit and lOBB 

 calculations, lie makcp no allowuncu for (iiutlin, uiul other large dedaotlons. 

 £ui. 



i 



