24 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Poultry and Dairying 



BY E. D. BONE, MALTA. 



Dairying and poultry keeping was to be my subject, but I know so 

 little about dairying that I have Iropped that m.uch of the subject and 

 will, at the risk of being tiresome, confine my remarks to poultry keeping, 

 and try to impress on all my hearers the importance of constant atten- 

 tion to the needs of our hens. 



My experience has been in the direction of breeding for color, typi- 

 cal shape, and the fancy points demanded by those who follow the poul- 

 try shows, but the same care, feed, and management is required to keep 

 a farm flock productive and healthy. 



The first thing required in a person who would keep hens is a love 

 for pets, and a willingness to work — and it requires lots of work to keep 

 their surroundings clean — and all their little but many wants supplied. 

 Having found the right sort of poison, I would advise that a visit to a 

 poultry show be the next step; look the birds over; talk with the ex- 

 hibitors, and read the poultry journals. Make up your mind which 

 breed or variety Avill suit your requirements best, and then buy full- 

 blooded stock. If you can't afford to start with a flock, buy a trio an»i 

 so begin right. 



Next, you will want a house. Any old' thing will not do for a house, 

 but it must have a tight roof, be wind proof, and have a reasonable number 

 of windows. Face it to the south, and have the floor four (4) to twelve 

 (12) inches above the outside ground. The floor must be dry and cov- 

 ered with straw or other rough stuff. Be sure that the house is large 

 enough; ten square feet of floor space for each hen is not too much, and 

 it is perfectly safe to build as big as you can pay for. But in case you 

 intend to keep a large number, I would recommend dividing them into 

 flocks of 50 to 75, and furnish a house for each flock, as it will lessen the 



