The Illustrated Book of Poultry 
i 1 2 
treatises. We cannot, however, follow those teachers who affirm it to be “ impossible.” Years ago 
the very same authorities were dead against artificial hatching, which is to-day a success in spite of 
them ; and as rent has declined 40 per cent., and corn 50 per cent., since they first taught us 
that poultry-farming “could” not pay, we fail to see any absolute “natural law” which should make 
it so in face of such changes in the figures. The most recent experience is rather the other way, 
In 1882, Mr. S. B. L. Druce, one of the Assistant-Commissioners of the Royal Commission on 
Agriculture, published an interesting account of an experiment by Mr. Carrington, of Kimbolton. 
who gave up his larger holding of 500 to 600 acres owing to the depression, and tried keeping a 
large number of poultry on one small holding of 100 acres alone. His stock in October, 1881, 
consisted of 1,800 head, but would be reduced in winter by 300 or more. He had nine yards near 
the homestead, and in the fields the fowls were divided into lots of about 150 each, all being Light 
Brahmas. A man and boy were employed, and their labour (£58) was all charged, also .£38 for 
rent, £18 10s. depreciation and renewal, and £15 interest on £300 capital. On the credit side was 
£a£>\ ns. eggs and poultry, for feathers, and £27 for manure, leaving a profit of £25. If the 
capital was taken as £400, then interest would be £20, and profit £20, altogether say 10 per cent. 
Another year gave about the same results, which are rightly described as not very satisfactory. But 
— 1. The fowls were not at all well selected in regard to breed. 2. They were fed three times a 
day — distinctly over-fed, in fact, with the result a previous correspondent has already pointed out. 
3. The case was not pure poultry-farming at all, the fowls being on an average 18 per acre for the 
whole holding, which was worked still on the four-course system — too many fowls for “ poultry on 
the farm,” far too few for profitable “ poultry-farming reaping the special advantages of neither 
plan, in fact. We see the result of the over-feeding and faulty choice of breed, in the fact that 
while a previous correspondent gets a gross return of ^130 and profit of ^30 from only 240 birds, 
Mr. Carrington only got a return of ^460 from 1,800 birds, which should have returned pro 
rata say ^750 at least. His flocks were also far too large. Bearing all these things in mind, the 
results are distinctly encouraging ; and even as it is, were more so than any other branch of farming. 
The most remarkable development recently has been that of so-called “broiler-farms” in the 
United States : viz., establishments where chickens are hatched and reared to be sold as “broilers” 
at eight weeks, weighing 1^ to if lb. each. Several of these establishments have failed; but one in 
particular — the “Howe Broiler Farm,” at Hammonton, N. J. — has been a success for eighteen months 
at the date we write these lines (October, 1887). From this concern about 2,800 chickens are 
turned out every ten weeks, on about one-eighth of an acre of ground ! All is done artificially, the 
houses also being warmed in cold weather; but the marvellous thing is that each lot of 100 chicks 
only has a pen or yard about as large as a small parlour ! This is carefully cleaned, and dug over 
with a spade repeatedly ; but we confess we cannot understand success on such a system, and 
prefer not to describe it more in detail until further experience has put it to the test. There are, 
however, other such farms at Hammonton, N.J., and a Poultry Association there, of whose 
secretary further details can be obtained. 
On the whole, we shall still expect success in poultry-farming to be obtained rather in the 
direction of adequate run, which wide experience has shown to be one acre for every hundred 
fowls. Less than this will not suffice, though it is best by far to run each flock upon half its run 
only, grazing and making hay on the other half, and so getting each run perfectly sweet every year. 
As with poultry on the farm, the cost of fencing is the main difficulty, and next to this, that of 
labour. These difficulties are undoubtedly great ; and they will certainly never be solved by 
joint-stock companies. With several correspondents already quoted, we think they might be solved 
by a really practical man, working up to it by experience ; but more than this we cannot say. 
