78 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
My experience in Chicken Culture 
A NEW-YORKER IN THE COUNTRY-BORROWING A 
CAPITAL TO START WITH—HOW POULTRY PAID, ETC. 
To tU* Editor of the American Agriculturist : 
On the first day of February, 1857, I was lawful 
owner of three hens eighteen months old, twelve 
(Millets from six to nine months old—all of mixed 
and undistinguishable parentage—and two fine 
chant icleers, one a black Spaniard of pure descent, 
and the other, a handsome grey quadroon Shang¬ 
hai, who proved to he “ Cock of the walk,” and 
Master of the Hen-house. 
For this stock, with the exception of my Spanish 
gentleman, I was indebted to the kindness of a 
neighbor, and my disbelief of General Jackson's 
famous assertion that, ‘‘ those who trade on 
borrowed capital ought to break,” for on my an¬ 
nual Summer migration from New-York to this 
place two or three seasons ago, I bought of my 
aforesaid neighbor, one dozen of eggs, and solicit¬ 
ed the loan of a sitting hen, which was not only 
accorded me, but I was gratuitpusly offered a se¬ 
cond dozen of eggs, on condition that I would bor¬ 
row another incubating matron—a condition that 
I found no difficulty in agreeing to. My success 
was complete, and the hens, after fulfilling their 
maternal duties for a reasonable period, were re¬ 
turned with many thanks to their benevolent own¬ 
er. From this novel beginning proceeded the 
stock, whose statistics I am about to record. 
The Winter of 185G-7, was the first cold season 
that 1 had ever spent in the country, and for 
amusement during the dull season, 1 noted daily 
the number of eggs produced by my hens, one of 
which I must mention died early in the season, 
two were brought to the spit in July, and two 
were otherwise disposed of, so that by the first of 
September,but ten remained. 
During the nine months from the first of Feb. 
to the the 31st of Oct. inclusive, I counted 1253 
eggs, and allowing the average number of hens 
during ibis period to be thirteen, each hen laid 90 
eggs and a fraction, besides bringing up each a 
brood of young chickens. The following is my 
monthly account of eggs during the whole year, 
including those laid by my Spring pullets, of which 
I kept a separate account for three months, when 
finding it troublesome to distinguish them, I 
merged both accounts into one: 
Eggs. Eggs. 
February.112. August.1 HI and 19 Pullet's 
eggs. 
March."6. September.. .Ill and 123 Pullet’s 
eggs. 
April.176. October.79 and 205 Pullet’s 
eggs. 
May.173. November...139. 
June.1H. December... 69. 
July.231. January. SO. 
making a grand total of eiiiteen iiundked and 
eighty-eight egos, which, from all I can learn is 
a much larger yield than any of my neighbors can 
boast, and so well distributed, that not a day has 
passed throughout the year without the accom¬ 
paniment of a fresh laid egg. 
Of the above, 156 were “ set” for hatching, and 
the result has been the rearing of 106 healthy 
chickens. Some of my setting hens met with the 
usual accidents ; one had eleven eggs taken from 
under her by rats or other vermin, leaving only 
two to be hatched, and some of the young broods 
were thinned by casualties unknown ; but during 
the whole season I had neither a sick hen, nor a 
sickly gaping chicken. 
As each hen came off with her brood, she was 
placed in a coop, tight on three sides, with slats 
in front, in a dry situation, but on bare ground, 
without straw. She was here confined about ten 
days, after which she was suffered to run at large 
with her chickens during the day, in clear wea¬ 
ther, that is, as soon as the dew was thoroughly 
dried. 1 believe no hen continued with her brood 
longer than six weeks, and several left them at 
the close of the fourth week, and in seme instances 
I noticed that the hen commenced laying again, 
while still running with her chickens. 
The food given to them was coarse Indian meal, 
mixed rather stiff, three times a day, and dur¬ 
ing the fourth week dry cracked corn was gener¬ 
ally substituted; and 1 had the flattering assurance 
from my friends that no farm yard ever presented 
a finer, healthier looking lot of chickens. 
One speckled hen, of a delicate, bluish grey 
color, has done remarkably well, having between 
the first of April, and the first of October, hatched 
three broods of chickens, and since that period 
laid two litters of eggs, neither of which (antici¬ 
pating a cold winter) I allowed her to sit upon. 
She has proved the most valuable hen on the pre¬ 
mises. 
The older fowls during the Spring and Summen 
were kept confined, with the exception of about 
an hour before roosting time, when they were 
privileged to range at large. The younger ones 
roosted in the open air until November, when 
they were comfortably housed, and from the fact 
of their having previously laid so freely, I antici¬ 
pated a larger supply of eggs during the Winter 
months, than I have received, particularly as they 
have been well fed with corn, buckwheat, potatoes, 
and a fair proportion of raw meat. Still I am 
satisfied that they have proved a profitable crop, 
although I am unable to state accurately what has 
been the cost of their feed. 
In this town during the past twelve months, 
eggs have ranged in price, from 18 to 30 cents per 
dozen—the greater part of the time commanding 
20 cents, while dressed chickens have brought 
from 12J cents to 16 cents per lb. 
We commenced using chickens for small broilers 
early in July, and up to the present date, have 
dispatched fifty-three, weighing in the aggregate, 
when dressed, 151 lbs.—seven killed at one time 
averaging over 4 lbs. each. I have still on hand 
the old fowls, and fifty-two chickens, which, as 
most of them are older than those first killed, 
will doubtless equal them in weight, so as to 
allow an estimate of at least 300 lbs. of chickens. 
Now deduct the eggs used for hatching from the 
whole number, and there will remain seventeen 
hundred and thirty-two, and the following shows 
the value of eggs and chickens calculated at the 
lowest market rate. 
300 lbs. chickens at 121 cents.$37 50 
1732 eggs, at 18 cents per doz. 25 98 
$63,48. 
being one year’s increase from 15 hens 1 
Suppose I have fed to them during the year, 40 
bushels of grain, at 80 cents the bushel, (which 
I am confident I have not done), there would still 
be a handsome remainder—proving to me that 
the rearing of chickens, if accompanied with or¬ 
dinary care and judgment, will not fail to yield a 
profitable return. 
I have never been troubled by fowls scaling my 
garden fence, and the few chickens that found 
their way between the pickets, were serviceable 
in destroying worms and insects. 
As to choice of breeds, those of mine that 
most markedly showed the presence of Shanghai 
blood, were, when cooked, coarser in texture and 
less delicate in flavor; while the pullets of half 
Spanish blood invariably commenced laying at an 
earlier age than their Spanish sisters, and gene¬ 
rally before they were five months old. Still, 
each distinct breed of fowls has its peculiar mer¬ 
its, and individual fancy alone will decide which 
is entitled to the preference. J. N. A. 
Pembroke Green, Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 1858. 
Poultry—In-and in Breeding—Guinea 
Hens. 
In the last volume of the Agriculturist , page 248, 
we gave our opinion of Guinea Hens and Pea¬ 
cocks, which was not very strongly in favor ol 
these ‘‘ugly, vain, vicious, pugnacious,noisy, rude, 
cowardly, birds,” which we still keep, however, 
for the “variety which they give to the poultry 
yard, and the luxurious plumage which decorates 
them.” A correspondent of an English journal. 
The Field and Country Gentleman’s Newspaper, 
comes to their rescue in an article that we copy 
more especially for the sensible suggestions he 
gives on the subject of breeding, which are appli¬ 
cable to all kinds of poultry, as well as other ani 
mals. The writer says : 
How rarely do we see any encouragement giv 
en to Guinea fowls at our poultry shows. The 
reason I am at a loss to determine, as they are a 
really useful sort of poultry, and number several 
varieties. If not bred too closely, the chicks are 
as hardy as most fowls ; they are very abundant 
layers, and their eggs and flesh are much esteem¬ 
ed ; they cost very little to keep, at least in the 
country, where they do good service by devouring 
an immense amount of insects, which would de¬ 
stroy far more produce than they themselves pos¬ 
sibly could. I do not consider them adapted tn 
confined poultry yards ; but I think no one who 
has convenience for them in the country should 
be without them. I am aware that they are usu¬ 
ally thought too delicate to rear, and such is cer¬ 
tainly too often the case; nor can it be wondered 
at, if we consider how they are propagated. For 
instance, a person procures a setting of eggs, and 
hatches them under a common hen; a brother and 
sister are reserved for stock ; these breed ; an ac¬ 
cident happens to one parent, and the other breeds 
again the next season with its own offspring. A 
neighbor obtains a setting of eggs from these, and 
the produce goes through a similar course of in- 
and-in-breeding ; and then the birds are at lastdis- 
cardedasso very delicate! The wonder, how¬ 
ever, is, that any are left at all to breed from. My 
plan, when I commenced, was to procure a cock 
and hen from widely different parts so as to avoid 
any relationship. From these I bred, saving four 
pullets, and again purchased two of the finest 
cocks I could procure from a different phice. For 
the years I had that stock the chickens were much 
hardier than the common fowls. I pursued the 
same practice with turkeys, and exceeded far be 
yond my expectations ; this plan of breeding I 
have adopted with all kinds of poultry, and I can 
confidently recommend it to others. 
The common color of Guinea fowls is a dark 
grey, the feathers having small rouml white spots 
on them. The varieties are pure while and ash- 
colored, that is to say, a pale, soft bluish grey, the 
feathers marked with white spots. Black are also 
to be obtained, but are not very common ; those 
having a deep black ground and clear while spots 
are the most difficult to obtain, and I think by far 
the handsomest. 
The Crested Guinea fowl is, I believe, a different 
species. It is rather smaller, of a grey plumage, 
the white spots not quite so distinct, the pinion 
feathers being reddish brown ; and, in place of the 
horny casque, it has a plume of feathers on the 
head. 
A smooth sea never made a skillful marinei 
Neither do uninterrupted prosperity and success 
qualify man for usefulness or happiness. The 
storms of adversity, like the storms of the ocean, 
rouse the faculties and excite the invention, pro 
dence, skill, and fortitude of the voyager. 
