Dec. IS 94.] POULTRY REARING AND FATTEN] NG IN SUSSEX. 191 



a little water ; but if this is not available, barleymeal or a 

 mixture of barleymeal and maizemeal would be the best substi- 

 tute. It is considered most important that the food should not be 

 wet and sloppy, but well mixed up and as dry as possible without 

 any of the meal appearing white and dusty. The afternoon 

 meal should consist of whole corn, such as maize, barley, buck- 

 wheat, &c., as this will last the fowls longer through the night 

 than the ground meal, but maize should be given much more 

 sparingly than other corn. Boiled vegetables and scraps of 

 meat are said to ])ush laying hens on wonderfully, especially 

 during winter. In the case of young chickens, it is recommended 

 that at least three or four meals a day should be provided, of 

 which the first should always consist of soft food and the last 

 of whole grain. No more food should be given than what the 

 fowls will clear up eagerly, and no food should be left on the 

 ground. 



To insure fertility in the eggs, Mr. Haviland thinks that not 

 more than eight hens should be allowed to each cock. The hens 

 apparently always do best when they sit away by themselves, and 

 it is said to be a good practice if it can be managed to let the 

 hen choose her own nest and sit away. Several sitting hens 

 should not be allowed to run together when feeding, as they are 

 very quarrelsome during the brooding period, and after fighting 

 will not return to their eggs for some time. 



As regards incubation, it seems that all that is necessary 

 for the hatching of a fertile fresh egg is that it should be kept 

 for 20 or 21 days in a damp temperature of from 103° to 104° 

 Fahrenheit, the egg being periodically turned ; artificial hatchers 

 or incubators can therefore be used with very fair success. 

 The operation requires knowledge and care, but with these it 

 can be made very successful. Rearing up chickens artificially 

 is said to involve so much labour and attention, except in very 

 favourable weather, and is so often attended with failure, that 

 it can hardly be recommended. 



It is regarded of the greatest importance with laying hens 

 that the eggs should be gathered every night, as not only are 

 the hens thus less likely to become broody, but by never selling 

 a stale egg the produce commands a much higher price in the 

 market. 



Statements have been made that a hen will lay on an average 

 5'. 00 eggs a year, and that some will lay as many as 250 ; but 

 Mr. Haviland thinks that unless one has a very excellent laying 

 strain, 140 will be as many as can be reckoned on all round 

 where many hens are kept. Estimating these 140 eggs at 

 Is. per dozen on the average, the gross receipts for each hen 

 would be lis. 8c/., against which must be placed the cost of 

 good housing, depreciation, and labour. A laying hen running 

 about free upon a farm, if the feeding be properly managed, 

 ought not, it is maintained, to cost in this respect more than 

 Id. a v^eek or 4s. 4d. a year, thus leaving 7s. 4d. per head to 



