KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



239 



the subject of Poultry are more fitted for the 

 amateur and fancier, who have plenty to 

 spend, and do not care for profits, than for 

 tenant farmers. Being doubtful upon the 

 subject, I determined to try whether they 

 were profitable, and which were the most 

 useful kinds. I found that they most 

 certainly are profitable, and that the black 

 Spanish fowl, upon the whole, was to be 

 preferred. My objections to the other kinds ! 

 I will state in order, before going further into 

 the subject. First come the — 



Cochin- China fowls. They are difficult to 

 get pure, and the crosses are indifferent eating. 

 They are most voracious eaters, consuming 

 more than their under-sized eggs are worth. 

 It is said that they lay a large quantity of eggs; 

 but I never found the number exceed, or even 

 equal, that of the Spanish hen. The Dork- 

 ings are a good kind of fowl, but well known 

 to be bad layers. Game fowls are inad- 

 missible into the farm-yard, on account of 

 their pugnacious habits. The Dutch and Ham- 

 burg fowls lay a large number of eggs ; but 

 they are small, and the fowls are not to be 

 easily got pure. There are many other kinds 

 of fowls, but I think they are little known 

 save by bird fanciers and amateurs. 



The good points of the Spanish fowl are 

 these : — It is a decidedly handsome bird. It 

 is sufficiently numerous to be easily obtainable. 

 A cross in the breed is easily detected. It 

 is as easily kept as any kind of fowl, and lays 

 a large, well shaped egg ; and when put upon 

 the table, it is not to be surpassed by any for 

 the quantity and delicacy of the flesh. As 

 table birds they hold a place of the first ranfc; 

 their flesh being particularly white, tender 

 and juicy, and the skin possessing that beauti- 

 ful clear white hue, so essentially requisite for 

 birds designed for the consumption of the 

 gourmand. The flavor of their eggs is also 

 very good. They have one great drawback, 

 which is, that they are notoriously bad 

 sitters and nurses ; in fact they can hardly 

 be found in a sitting mood. 



Having now staled what I have found to 

 be the most profitable kind of fowl, I will 

 describe what I consider the most profitable 

 management. As to the number of fowls to 

 be kept upon a farm, I think about 40 or 50 

 to the 100 acres sufficient : if more are kept, 

 the extra food they require will soon tell 

 upon the profits, except near a town where 

 the profits are high. The number I have 

 mentioned, if allowed their liberty (except 

 during harvest), will pick up sufficient food 

 to keep them in good condition with but little 

 extra keep. But they should not be left 

 entirely to chance for their food ; they should 

 be fed regularly twice a day. The food I 

 have found most profitable is light oats, 

 about a horse-feed to fifty hens. Besides 

 which, I had always a box (made so that they 



could not get into it with their feet) which 



was filled every morning with boiled turnips 



and waste potatoes mixed with oat-dust or 



bran. With this keep they will lay well,and 



always be in good condition for the table. 



In the neighborhood of a large town, where 



large prices are to be got, it would perhaps 



pay to give them extra food ; such as inferior 



or spoilt wheat or rice, &c. I may mention 



that I kept forty Spanish hens for 15d. a 



week, giving them only boiled turnips and 



potatoes mixed with oat-dust. The profits 



stood thus : — 



£ s. d. 



40 hens at 15d. a-week 3 5 a-year. 



Sold 120 eggs a-week, at 6d. a doz., ) 

 for ten months ) 10 



Profit £6 15 



We had always sufficient eggs for the house, 

 besides the chickens, which were not sold for 

 want of a market. 



In the number of fowls I have mentioned, 

 40 for 100 acres, there should be four cocks. 

 In addition to these, there ought to be half 

 a dozen pure Dorking hens to do the hatching 

 part. As nurses they are not surpassed by 

 any breed ; and the cross between them and 

 the Spanish fowl is very good. About thirty 

 or forty should be reared, and never more 

 than 100, as the extra feeding of so many 

 chickens becomes a serious business on a 

 farm. The crosses will be first ready for 

 killing, and they should all be killed during 

 the first season ; then the extra cocks, and 

 lastly the pullets which are not required to 

 recruit the stock. The old hens should be 

 killed before they are three years old, as 

 after that they are almost worthless. I need 

 not mention the rearing of the chickens, as 

 every good housewife has a way of her own. 

 With the management I have mentioned, the 

 owner of a few dozens of Spanish layers and 

 a few Dorking nurses will always have plenty 

 of eggs to sell, and no scarcity of good 

 chickens. 



As to turkeys, I would recommend the 

 Black Norfolk variety, being most easily 

 reared, large, and well-flavored. 



Ducks are very profitable, being easily 

 kept, if there are not too many : from 

 six to a dozen is plenty about a farm. The 

 finest kind I know is the White Aylesbury 

 duck. 



Geese are also profitable in localities suited 

 to them ; but I know little of their habits and 

 management. 



Pea-fowls, guinea-fowls, and such like, are 

 troublesome and useless pests about a farm. 

 And here let me state, that no kind of fowl 

 will be found profitable, unless they are well 

 cared for. The hen-house should be airy, 

 warm, and as clean as hands can make it. 



G. B. B. 



