THE ORPINGTONS 



.51) 



twenty years ago in an English poultry journal. It was 

 written by an old experienced breeder and exliibitcir who 

 practiced what he preached and believed in his methods 

 of feeding and preparing white fowl for exhibition. 



After dwelling on the importance and necessity of 

 natural shade and grass runs in the summer months for 

 growing .stock, he describes in detail the methods of rais- 

 in white poultry in conlined runs as follows: — 



"But, supposing that shade cannot be procured nat- 

 urally, then we must seek for it artificially, as undoubtedly 

 white birds enclosed in yards or grass runs without trees 

 should have it. We have known artichokes, sunflowers, 

 dahlias, even stinging nettles and coarse docks, make ad- 

 mirable shelter from the sun, for we are convinced that 

 whenever possible shade should be living shade. Were 

 we to keep one growing white cockerel in a run planted 

 with artichokes, and a duplicate in a run of the same size, 

 walled in, and roofed in by iron or wood, or even calico, 

 then we should readily see in two months' time which 

 would be the victor. 



"When the chickens are three months old we like to 

 have them placed in such shade as can be got, and there 

 kept. Two runs (we are writing now for those who can 

 not give their birds their liberty) side by side, as large 

 as can be spared, are very suitable for a flock of white 

 cockerels or pullets. In the one have the dahlias or arti- 

 chokes, or such like (which, we need not mention, must 

 have a certain growth before the chickens are turned in, 

 or the plants will be trampled down and become worth- 

 less), and let the other be one-half short grass and one- 

 half arable, the latter being dug over once a week. The 

 chickens can then be shifted from run to run by drawing 

 up a slide between them, according to the state of the 

 ' weather or season. When these herbaceous plants have 

 died down the sun will have, to a great extent, lost its 

 power, and the birds may then be left more exposed. 



"We have known, too, a troop of White Cochin pul- 

 lets do grandly in a well-earthed potato plot, getting both 

 shade and insect food. White Dorkings or Leghorns 

 would, however, do too much damage to the tubers to al- 

 low of their being turned in. Again, when the artichokes 

 or sunflowers, etc., cannot be got, the next best substitute 

 that we know of is to plant the runs with boughs of 

 spruce fir. These soon turn brown, we know, but they 



WHITE ORPINGTON COCK— AMERICAN TYPE 



A PULLET OP GREAT SIZE 



hold their spines a long time and really afiford capital 

 shade. When the biras have got their growth, then sheds 

 with wire fronts or covered in with newly invented wire- 

 woven roofing gauze can be used, and the birds, with 

 plenty of good food, should do well, but while they are 

 growing, until they attain their matured plumage, we can- 

 not too strongly advise that their runs should be airy and' 

 sheltered from the sun's rays by a living growth of vege- 

 tation, 



"Thus much for the chickens. Now let us turn to the 

 moulting out of white poultry. We like the hens to sit in. 

 June or July. Sometimes we let them sit on dummy eggs 

 for four or five weeks and then turn them down in a good' 

 grass run. At another we give them half a dozen eggs to 

 hatch if they like — not for the chickens they mav rear so 

 much as for the rest it will afiford the mothers. Hens so. 

 treated moult out quickly and early; their feathers all 

 come off together and not in patches, and the new plum- 

 age grows quickly, the feathers coming strong and firm. 

 These birds should not, however, have a cock running 

 with them until they are taken to the breeding pen. 

 Cocks should be put in small warm runs in July with, 

 plenty of dust and road grit. They, too, will then moult 

 out early and well — far better than if they had their lib- 

 erty. Care only must be taken to see that they feed 

 heartily, for occasionally they seem at first to pine for 

 their freedom if they have been accustomed to it and get 

 below par when their moulting out becomes tedious and 

 the new plumage patchy. Green food, especially lettuces, we 

 like to see given ungrudgingly, and sods of grass cut two 

 or three inches thick are much appreciated, which when 

 done with and allowed to dry make excellent mould for 

 potting flowers or material for dust baths. 



"Many think that white poultry can ue easily moulted, 

 that their feathers are bound to come white and that the 

 process is consequently an easy one, but this is far from- 

 the truth of the case, for as much care and attention is 

 wanted to get a white bird through its moult as ever is 

 needed for a colored one and perhaps more, for while 

 slight stains or tinges would not show probably in the 



