CHAPTER XXVI 



Feeding and Selecting Large Breeds Important 



I want to say a few words here to those who have a 

 love for certain large breeds and wish to keep them, even 

 if their profits are not so large. And many of you who 

 have read the preceding pages of this book may get an 

 impression there is no profit in any other breeds only the 

 ones I have strongly advised. I do not want you to 

 think this, for any one with push and advertising can 

 boom any breed to a certain extent, but this takes money. 

 I will here name some of the most important large breeds 

 which there is a good demand for and money in. Barred 

 and ^Vhite Plymouth Rocks, Buff Orpingtons ; also 

 White and Black Orpingtons ; Columbian Wyandottes, 

 Rhode Island Reds, the great winter layers, and for broil- 

 ers their eggs have a great sale. Two of the handsomest 

 of the large breeds, which are now much neglected, are 

 the Buff Wyandottes and Buff Plymouth Rocks. They 

 are great layers, and it remains for some good fancier to 

 again bring them to the front. There is money in any 

 of the breeds I have named as well as others. Now re- 

 member all large breeds need free range to do their best, 

 as they do not stand confinement near as well as the Leg- 

 horns. To those favorably located on farms and can 

 raise crops I will lay down here the ideal way of feeding- 

 all large breeds during winter for the most eggs, and 

 for yarded plants the year round. This same system can 

 be applied to Leghorns with wonderful results. This 

 method of feeding will produce the most fertile eggs of 

 any system in existence, no matter what any one tells you. 

 Now, instead of hopper feeding, you must raise a piece 

 of wheat, or barley, or oats, and when ripe cut it and 

 bind it in sheaves ami put it in your barn. Do not thrash 

 it, and in Nevember begin to give it to your hens in the 

 sheaf, and let them thrash it. Give a sheaf first thing in 

 the morning, and 9 or 10 a. m. give a feeding of pro- 

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