Poultry Management on a Farm. 



475 



hatched, are placed direct in the fields, in either foster- 

 mothers or coops. When two to three months old they are 

 taken from the coops and placed in lots of about twenty 

 in movable houses on the pastures, where for the first few 

 days a wire run is attached to each house. Two or three acres 

 of meadow are reserved each year for the foster-mothers and 

 coops. They must be kept near the farm buildings, so that 

 someone is continually at hand to keep away the rooks, 

 which are apparently a dreaded foe. Rats and weasels, how- 

 ever, give the most trouble, and have to be kept down by 

 continual ferreting. Foxes, although the farm is situated in 

 a hunting country, are more easily managed, and not a dozen 

 birds have been taken by them in four years. All fowls are 

 securely locked up at night, and the light from the foster- 

 mothers in the fields partly serves to frighten away 

 foxes. The best device, however, is that of running 

 a wire across the fields, along which a good watch dog 

 can slide his chain, and thus give the appearance of 

 freedom. The portable houses occupy during the spring and 

 summer about 35 acres. Each one is shifted a few yards in 

 position every week, partly to prevent any tainting of the 

 ground around it, and partly to prevent killing the grass 

 underneath it. In the winter time it is more convenient to 

 collect the houses somewhat nearer together, in proximity to 

 the homestead, which lessens the labour and enables the birds 

 to shelter under the ricks ; moreover, during this time of the 

 year the birds derive little benefit from being scattered. 

 Cattle and horses graze on the land with the poultry. After 

 harvest, for a month or two, most of the fowls are placed on 

 the stubbles. 



The subject of Feeding is dealt with at considerable length, 

 and the details are given under the respective heads of " Lay- 

 ing Hens," " Chickens," and " Table Birds." The following 

 extracts from this section ot the book may be quoted : — 



" Feeding of Laying Hens. — Commencing with the autumn, 

 the following is the routine generally followed. In the morn- 

 ing, when the hens are first of all liberated from their house, 

 they are given warm, soft food, consisting of vegetables, corn, 

 meat and meals. The following is the exact quantity of food 



