72 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



advantages or opportunities than are to be found in many 

 other places, though higher prices are paid there than here. 



As we have already stated,, any breed can be kept on a 

 dry, sandy, chalk, or gravel soil, and those who have these 

 advantages are unlimited in their choice. But on the clay 

 this choice becomes at once restricted, and we should advise 

 that in such a place the following breeds be altogether 

 avoided : — Dorkings, Spanish, Polish, Creves, and La Fleche; 

 and, we may add, that it will be found Minorcas, Leghorns, 

 Houdans, Brahmas, Langshans, Game, Andalusians, Ply- 

 mouth Rocks, Scotch Greys, and Cochins will be best able to 

 stand such a soil. 



The next point to be settled is whether the birds are to 

 be kept in confinement or given their liberty, because this is 

 a very important consideration, as there are some breeds 

 which never thrive unless they can have a large amount of 

 space given to them. The worst of all in this respect is the 

 Hamburgh, which scarcely ever does well in a confined 

 space, and after it we must place the lighter varieties of the 

 Spanish tribe. The hardier of these, such as Minorcas and 

 Leghorns, are often successfully kept in small runs, but of 

 course thrive better when they can have a reasonable 

 amount of liberty. We need hardly say that every breed 

 does much better when it has freedom than when cooped 

 up, and it is a mistake to expect eggs to be very plentiful 

 without liberty, except by very great care and attention ; 

 and hardy chickens are scarcely to be hoped for in the small 

 miserable pens so often devoted to breeding stock. Those 

 who wish to keep about half-a-dozen fowls, simply to supply 

 eggs for their own tables, may do so in a small run, but they 

 must not feed them too well, or internal fat will ensue, and 

 this will stop the laying as well as bring on disease. The 

 birds so confined should never be bred from, and it will be 

 found advisable to kill them off when about twenty-seven 



