414 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 9, 1876. 



Most fowls know enough to go in themselves ; but there is, 

 and always will be, of fowls (as of other two-legged creatures), 

 some so simple as not to know how to take care of themselves. — 

 (Bural New Yorker.) 



CAN A POULTBY FARM PAT? -No. 2. 



In my former article (page 293) I gave my reasons why I 

 thought a poultry farm Bhould pay in Great Britain. In the 

 present sketch I purpose explaining how my friend and self 

 intend managing our poultry farm. 



1st, We are seeking for thirty acres of land at a moderate 

 rental to commence operations. "We have two good markets 

 «asy of access, besides a good chance of local sales. 



2nd, We intend to take up both branches — viz., egg-producing 

 and meat-producing, our breeding stock consisting of two hun- 

 dred hens, all hardy good layers and good table birds, supple- 

 mented by fifty sitting hens, divided as under — sixty Houdans, 

 sixty Brahmas, eighty Eedcaps (and fifty Cochin hens for 

 mothers). All these are good layers — the Cochins are the best 

 of mothers and sitters, the Houdans are nearly equal to Dorkings, 

 and the Brahma cross with Houdans give fine birds for table. 

 The Redcaps, again (not generally known), are considered in 

 Yorkshire among the best layers, as well as plump good table 

 birds, very hardy, and easily reared. 



3rd, The system to be adopted is in the main the Bellair 

 (French) one — namely, houses 16 feet by 15 feet, only instead of 

 putting 330 hens into one house (which we Bhall do in the case 

 of our young birds waiting for market), in our two producing- 

 houses we shall put one hundred hens a-piece, divided as follows : 

 — House 1, Twenty Brahma heDs, twenty Houdans, and sixty 

 Redcaps, with Brahma cocks. House 2, Twenty Redcap hens, 

 forty Houdans, and forty Brahmas, with Hondan cocks. The 

 fifty Cochin hens (mated when required with Houdans), will be 

 kept in a spare shed, their duty being hatching young broods; 

 still at other times they could be doing ordinary duty. 



In this department, the hatching, the Brahmas could do good 

 service also, leaving the egg-laying chiefly to the Houdans and 

 Redcaps. It will be seen from this that we shall save com- 

 plication of breeds and general arrangements, requiring only 

 two large runs besides the breeding one for young cbickens. 



Next to a cottage opening from the kitchen is the breeding 

 house, arranged much as the Bellair one, 16 feet by 15 feet. 

 Houses 1, 2, stock houseB, and same size. House 4 same size, 

 with a supplementary house No. 5, 14 feet by 15, for young 

 ■stock waiting for market. The supplementary house could 

 hold 250 birds ; say 580 in the two. On the other Bide of the 

 yard will be a second breeding house, a house for Geese, one 

 for Ducka, each as above, 15 by 16 feet, and a larger spare hoose 

 24 feet by 15 ; to this must be added store-room and packing 

 room, each 16 feet by 15. 



Between the chickens and the Waterfowl is a courtyard 

 45 feet by 28, open, if required, to both departments. The 

 whole area, exclusive of cottage and store-rooms, is 60 feet 

 square. We purpose keeping twenty Ducks — viz., ten Rouen 

 and ten Aylesbury, as well as six Geese (Toulouse). Such, then, 

 is our proposed stock, buildings, arrangements, and general plan 

 of work; now forBome of the minutite. 



First, I would call your attention to a proposed improvement 

 of my own in the arrangement of nests, &c , in the fowl houses. 

 According to the Bellair system the nests are placed in tiers one 

 above another at each end of the houses, with roosting perches 

 covering the centre area. According to my plan all the nests 

 are on the ground, with board and perches as recommended by 

 The Canada Farmer. These nests g > all round the Beveral 

 houses; but as this would not give sufficient nests I multiply 

 two double rows up the centre of each house, with boards and 

 perches all the same height from the ground. These centre 

 eows of nests are portable. 



We do not expect to do all this producing power at once ; we 

 may begin with a half or a quarter of the stock as may here- 

 after be determined on. Again, we do not intend to keep our 

 young stock on hand longer than to fit them for the market. 

 We hope to arrange to send to the markets weekly or fortnightly 

 all birds fit for table, and bo to keep down the stock, thus having 

 about five hundred birds fitting for market, a sufficient supply 

 of young (snicks in the breeding ground, and the breeding stock 

 as above enumerated, thus having at most a thousand birds at 

 one time throughout the year. In our estimates in the appendix 

 a larger number is allowed for in calculating supply of food, Sea. 

 By the arrangement of our two producing-houses that while 

 we get the double cross of Houdans and Brahmas, we have 

 in each Brahma hens mated with Brahma cocks, and Houdan 

 hens with Houdan cocks, so that the Beveral breeds can with 

 care and attention be kept pure, and enable us for some few 

 years to renew the stock of pure-bred ones of each class. 



In the house-arrangement and accommodation simplicity and 

 economy have been duly cared for; the same may be Baid 

 of the outside arrangement. We only require three divisions 

 of runs — viz., one for breeding young chicks, one for the Houdan 



cross, and one for the Brahma cross. The outside bounds of 

 these runs to be constantly changed to suit rotation of crops ; 

 in fact, the several flocks, if I may so call them, would have 

 to be regularly herded out and in from their houses to their 

 runs, thus giving extent aDd change. 



Twelve acres out of the thirty round the yard are to be used for 

 the poultry and their runs, leaving eighteen acres for cultivation. 

 We could thus be nearly Belf-supporting, producing the crops 

 required for our use — namely, barley and oats for our grain crop 

 and straw ; cabbages, lettuces — green crop ; potatoes, turnips — 

 root crop ; and grass for hay and pasturage, giving a proper suc- 

 cession in rotation of crops in batohes of six acres, roots and 

 green crop forming one batch. 



Finally, seeing what a limited amount of space and accom- 

 modation under this system is really required, and that every 

 small holding we might take would necessarily have some sort 

 of outbuildings and sheds, the building capital required need 

 not be over £200, as elegant workmanship in Bhed-bnilding is 

 not required. 



In time, of course, as the breeds become too much crossed we 

 should have to erect a few pens for rearing an annual Bupply of 

 pure-bred birds to work with. As good eggs and good table 

 birds can only be had by breeding from good stocks, our aim 

 must be ever to keep good breeds to work upon. All further 

 information in the appendix. — G. R. Harriott, Kill-more. 



APPENDIX I. 



ESTIMATE OF EGGS OF 250 HENS. 



SO Redcaps ) 



60 Hoadaas \ in all 200 hens at 150 each per annum. . 30,000 eggs. 



60 Brahmas ) 



50 Cochins, sitting hens, allowed 100 each per annum. . 5,000 



35,000 

 Allow 4000 eggs for breeding from \ 



„ 4000 eggs for household pur- - 8,000 

 poses, two families ) 



27,000 

 Deduct losses, 1000 1,000 



26,000 eggs for market 



20 Ducks at 70 eggs each per annum, 1,400. These all to be bred from. 



PROFIT ACCOUNT. 



£ s. d. 



Say, then, 26,000 eggs at average Id. each 108 6 8 



3,500 chickens at Is. each 175 d 



S3 cartloads of manure at 20s. per cart.. S3 



1,000 Ducks at 2s. each 100 



50 Geese at 5s. each 12 10 



Add prolit on spring chicks and ducklings 17 10 

 For own use, two families — 



£ s. d. 



4000 e»gs at Id. each 16 13 4 



500 chickens at Is. each 25 



8 Geese at 5s. each 2 



100 Ducka at 2s. each 10 



53 13 4 

 ■€50O 



EXPENDITURE. 



£ s. d. 



268 hens and cocks at 3s. per annam (food) 40 4 



Man and wife to take charge, between them 60 



Rent of 30 acres at 30s. each per annum 45 



Taxes,&o 7 10 



Interest on capital, say £200 at 5 per cent 10 fl 



Fuel, &c, for servants 12 10 



Keep of, say on an average, 1000 chiokens at 3s. each per an. 150 



£825 4 



Add to the above the produce of eggs from stock hens, also 

 the value of stock hens and cocks at say 2s. each for 268 

 = £28 16s. : also 25 Ducks and drakes at 2s. Gd. and 7 Geese at 5s. 

 =- £i 17s. 6d. ; = £31 13s. Gd. 



It remains to be seen whether there may not be extra refuse 

 to feed pigs, also surplus crops off the eighteen acres under 

 cultivation to send to market, Buch as hay and corn. Many of 

 these sup poBed items may not turn out facts, but I think enough 

 has been shown to infer that there is fair ground to expect that 

 with due care and supervision there should be a fair profifi. — 

 G. R. H. 



Crystal Palace Poultry Show. — We understand the entries 

 amount to nearly four thousand. A slight diminution has taken 

 place in the Dark Brahma entries, the Lights are as large as 

 ever, the Dorking elates are also very good. Pigeons show an 

 increase. To expedite the judging Mr. P. H. Jones's name has 

 been added to the present advertised list. The dinner is ar- 

 ranged to take place on Tuesday, the first day of the Show, at 

 five o'clock, and it is anticipated that it will assume the same 

 leviathan proportions the Show has done. J. K. Fowler, Esq., 



