474 



Poultry Management on a Farm. 



" Poultry, like cattle," says Mr. Palmer, " must be more or 

 less selected in accordance with soil," and consequently he 

 experimented with about twenty varieties before he was satis- 

 fied which was best suited to his circumstances. Eventually 

 he selected for table birds Indian Game crossed with Buff 

 Orpington, and, for general purposes and egg production, 

 Brown Leghorn crossed with Buff Orpington. Each of these 

 breeds has consequently to be maintained pure for stock, and 

 in order to meet demands for sittings of eggs, a. certain num- 

 ber of pure-bred Plymouth Rocks, Faverolles, Minorcas, 

 Golden Wyandottes and Anconas are also kept. 



The question of labour is obviously important, and Mr. 

 Palmer refers to the difficulty experienced in finding cap- 

 able men — a difficulty which he thinks will be partly over- 

 come by the efforts of County Councils to teach poultry 

 management. In his case the poultryman is assisted by 

 another man, who devotes the whole of his time to feeding 

 and to general work, and a boy also assists on Sundays and 

 after school hours. The plucking is done by the poultryman's 

 wife. The maximum number of fowls is reached in July, after 

 which, until November, the stock is diminished as table birds 

 are killed. In July, 1901, the total number was 2,700, the 

 attendance on which, with the making of houses, coops, and 

 appliances, fully occupied the present staff. 



After a description of the houses and appliances used, the 

 general arrangement of the poultry is detailed. Hatching 

 commences at the end of October, so as to provide spring 

 chickens for March and April. Incubators and foster- 

 mothers are used during the winter, but in the spring and 

 summer hens are preferred. Hens are sold off in August and 

 September at two and a half years old, and realise about 

 is. 6d. each. Chickens hatched in the autumn and early spring 

 are placed in the chicken-rearing shed, and when two to thi ee 

 months old are removed to some warm house in a dry, shel- 

 tered spot facing south, to which is attached a covered run. 

 When young chickens are thus moved a foster-mother 

 is placed inside the house ; but for older chickens a lantern 

 suspended in the house provides any additional warmth 

 that may be necessary. In March the chickens, when 



