42 



SUCCESS WITH POULTRY 



point against us. Furthermore, tlie nervous temperament 

 of this cross (taken from the Leghorn) keeps them from 

 making flesh, where other varieties would take on fat. 



I-have run this cross where at fifteen weeks 1 could not 

 force at least twenty-five per cent of them to weigh more 

 than from one and one-half to one and three-quarters 

 pounds. i^ I > j 



The Wyandotte-Brahma cross is almost ideal, being 

 hardy, low-combed and not getting "stagy" at an early 

 age, as with the Leghorn cross; but, my dear reader, do you 

 know there is something to the feathered leg that is not 

 inviting to the buyer? To see a neat, yellow breasted 

 broiler with a mess of feathers on the legs and f«et wjlj 

 detract xrom their appearance more than one would think ^ 

 unless he has had the very fastidious market of Boston to _ 

 cater to. The carcass of this cross is plump and yellow, 

 only a small proportion coming so dark as to have black 

 pin feathers enough to injure the looks. 



To leave the~Asiatics, we will touch on the Barred and 

 White Plymouth -Rocks. The rich yellow legs and bodies of 

 these justly popular fowls, the quick growth, with not 

 enough comb to hurt, gives us a brpiler hard to beat — one 

 of the worst faults being dark pin-feathers in the Barred, 

 which are alv/ays somewhat objectionable in a broiler, for 

 the reason that they are piit on the market at an age when 

 it is impossible to get them all out. 



I can not go through all the breeds, but will only take 

 up those I have honestly tried. This brings me to the last, 

 the White Wyandottes. To be frank, I will state that I 

 once thought of .discarding this breed as not fitted for my 

 business purposes, but after "summering and wintering" 

 them, I now feel -that I would drop all other breeds before 

 1 would the reliable White Wyandottes. 



Let us note their faults. The first is that in some birds, 

 more especially those bred for extreme whiteness,' you will 

 find they arc not yellow-meated. At the same time I have 

 seen the whitest jilumage birds have rich, yellow skin, beak 

 and legs. In buying stock look for yellow beak, and as 

 yellow a leg as you .could naturally expect at the time of 

 year you are buying; that is, make allowance for a bird 

 hived up in a yard, with sand to dust in, as it will surely 

 bleach the legs to a flesh color. 



Another trouble you may have with the Wyandotte, as 

 perhaps you would have with no other breed, is, when con- 

 fining a largo number in a small pen, they easily take up 

 feather pulling. I think this is due to the peculiar way in 

 which they feather. Some will grow to weigh one and one- 

 half pounds before they have any but neck and wing feath- 

 ers. Then the pin feathers start all at once, making the 

 habit easily formed by the "chicken act" of striking one 

 another, or picking off any soft food that may adhere to the 

 feathers. But plenty of green food will obviate that to a 

 great extent, especially should that food be freshly- cut 

 clover. Of course it tan not be obtained, in winter, but 

 well-cured clover rowen can. With care after this warning, 

 you need have no trouble in this direction. 



Eegaraiug white skin, I will tell you in my next paper 

 how to overcome that by the use of the right kind of food, 

 making it yellow enough to suit any one. Now that we 

 have seen the faults of the White Wyandottes in their 

 worst light, let me extol their virtues, as broilers, for they 

 have many. ' 



The eggs being reasonably thin-shelled hatch as well 

 as any you can get. 



They mature as laying pullets a full month earlier than 

 pij^motttb Bocks, thus giving jow eggs foy early l^^tebing. 



Their clean, yellow legs, low combs, white pin feathers, 

 and quick growing qualities, render them the best broilers I 

 can put out. 



I sold hundreds to dress' eight ounces (one-half pound) 

 this year and they were as round as a '.'butter ball"; this 

 being one of their most important merits, that when prop- 

 erly fed they are at all tinfes ready for market. 



Again, they will stand all the forcing any chick can. If 

 you try to raise Bocks and Wyandottes in the same pen, the 

 experiment will prove to you this fact: Your Eocks will go 

 "ofE their legs," while the deep-breasted, plump-bodied, 

 smooth-skinned, active little Wyandottes will take their 

 medicine five times a day and stand as straight as matches. 

 Remember, it is generally the bird that can stand the great- 

 est amount of food that makes the quickest grown broilej, 

 and must be the bird you should adopt, as every additional 

 day means additional cost from labor, coal and feed. 



I have written this article from the market point of 

 view, that is, the sales-counter, as that is where our returns 

 for broilers come from. 



Now, for one moment let us look at the matter as epi- 

 cures. Take any one of the varieties mentioned above, and 

 the Wyandotte, besides having the extra flesh on breast, as 

 I stated before, caused by the great depth of breast-bone, 

 is as juicy and delicious as any, and, in the opinion of "oiir 

 folks," more so, a dish luscious enough for a king. 



This is just my experience briefly set before your read- 

 ers. If I have written anything that will in any way aid my 

 brother poultrymen, I am satisfied. 



One word in closing. Do not be in a hurry to cross your 

 stock, as no one can make me believe again that there is 

 anything gained by crossing, for there is no place that a 

 thoroughbred of some variety will not fill the bill, and 

 once you start to cross where can you stop? The labor and 

 6H.nl of years come to naught when you destroy the integ- 

 I'-'ty of a breed or. strain by crossing. 



We herewith show illustrations of a few articles that are 

 needed on an up-to-date poultry farm; Some of these articles 

 especially needed where thoroughbred poultry, or high class 

 stock is raised. We give some illustrations as to how and 

 why they are used. 



Pedigree Nest Boxes. 



How many farmers or poultry raisers is there that knows 

 whether or hot they have any drones in their flocks? And 

 when you take into oonaideration that there are two, three, 

 or four, possibly more, hona in your flock that are aot prolifia 



