RAISING FOR THE MARKET, &c.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 31, 11 February 1875, Page 3

RAISING FOR THE MARKET, &c.

I As much has" peeri written on the (subject * of l 'aHvant|^e6usly : brieeding, keeping, and fatening poultry and proOT : t% $? } ifiar^rapd many:, suggestions and numerous theories haye 1 been:, presented • tO'_ the. public on this." theme y aud much of the information and. aj^lce/^thui'p.rbmulgiaiea. has-been* ofa visionary and impractiicabie charab--ter, though j at the same time, no inconsiderable ' hmouht of valuable iriforniation has been elicited, from- actual experience; yet, as- a rule, the farmers of this colony have not entered into. -'the spirit of the ..trade, as if they, believed ' that " the money was in it," w& propose, to present theresults of a long practical experience in tbis" department, and to pfler for the benefit of the - farmer, th/ 3 breeder, and the' amateur certain facts and hints, acquired .by a long experience, and careful observations of the habits, wants, and characteristics of domestic fowls, and point out the probable profits attainable by breeding poultry, and raising eggs for the market. ' | The common (fowls of the country are ,at tjiis time, of course, in great excess pf numbers, oyer any .and all of the " fancy " breeds of late - introduced amqng us from. abroad.. ' Yet, it -is a noticeable fact that, by means of the importation of foreign blood, and especially through the introduction of the large Chinese variety amongst "our farmers, 'the extinctive characteristics of this race. of birds', aije now very widely disseminated, among the domestic fowls, and it wpiilbV be unusual at the present day to:meet'with She flock where the marked features bf he 'Chinese race are not to a greater or ess extent visible. That the mixing of this foreign blood with that ofthe hatiyei racei hafc proved of great advantage', : no one who has bred poultry extensively, will deny; and .whether/we' consider the item of increase in size and weight, at a given dge, attainable with'certaintythrqugh crosslng^bf stronger foreign biood : upon Qur"Jiative;breeds, or /that of tl^e •«rell-decided advantage thus obtained in th6' "Enlargement and of height ' and ' number of eg-gs 'obtained . form the pro-duct of; thus crossing, tbe general ; by the;' process is most clearly in our favor, ; | It is, therefore, \biit, truthful, to premise .that this; mixture has proved of great benefit, and . that the continuance df-the practice will be of corresponding' Value in raising poultry for the market,* inasmucb. as the product ipf the crossing: ma.tUrei ' liuch barlier' than r: dpe's : the ' did native stock, .thus giving^ ■wWhin a shorter period, more pounds of .flesh in , good season ; whije, for; the producing' of eggs, the half broods are .known, : almost uniformly to commence' laying ; at a 'much '.earlier age' than the ! cotonaon * fowl, thus affording us eggs abundantly - : at, from, four .and a ha^fj month's bid, and j afterwards. ' "For thes& 'reasons the J *' -flrriter* fully agrees* with, a - 14te .English ■ author. ofVeliability and experience) that : the introduction of the fiew; ratfes of fowls jn late year^" has re'su^edin the din*usrng'over the coiih'try 5 ini|>roved lireeds 'iJi" ttt& usydl^kHd of five stock; and that our/markets by this meaus will henceforth bemore; fully supplied irVithchoth .egges^nd fowls of a vastly superior quality." -- ?• ' '^ATtostqclrforbfe^ihg piirposesV a i selection 'ik best c i4iaa^ MA? th^^bt-t;! . legged China /Shanghai) ; niale birds, to be introduced to the common native, iemale ' stpb^. \" Ff o^' . jthei'r. cHcltens, 1 selected birds' only •sh'bufd!' De kept, tor future breeding,. and.the cross. thus obtained are:besVbre^^ck4b„tfie'C^ ' foaje again, 'rVservihg from" Reason to Reason 5 'bhly'th'd short-lihibed yad^w'^ll^ iihap&i subsequent use. - la this way the better Characteristics .of . the foreigij blood are -hioTe uniformly returned, though it will .be necessary constantly, as' above tk J , ' most prbmising-ibwls iasiiapej'size,-<Sc.V ' ' *(or 'breeding 'pdrpdseS $ fdr- it is a* WelK^ [ L known, fact that -all ..crosses jdeteriprater^ r *4fter the. first one. . -.--.,-- --' ■ For obtaining the greatest amount -■ *$f-.^gp*-i\iill&M^ '■ best riayerage : quantity: of ; should never be kept beyond the age ofi jtwo years. It is Ye!l slaetftledj^that5 laetftledj^that durin^tfie first^*year;of her.rli|s-feaj^l-i^edhen will lay more^eggsxhihlffi/er afterwards. r cJfxou}^ tl%o. r .ead :v pC.^er sj^e- begins, to fail "as a tireea«r-I a n^ cKictens 1 ' usuailV 'Mled from pr&^ff&fe* igfet r kk"'' *Bf eif ° W< A?0ml dWOWJF !ii *xP offi^rw^so promising .ag.Mejhpie%atche^rromM^ those from onje to, two yeara ci age. : »' J Male, birds r-w*-, in ts^zipk*& 957 r ' down to* the end of the Sflcoatl y«ir v and t^ufd^of ;■ > beyond that perld^lffA^m'ofdMary ■ s breeding pifi^kJsr6aC:i|l ;tigor«m^ young twelve or fifteen h/em.— rthe former, lumber being prefer£tM WkVbS? 8 W -ihMfl'sHWuW fo i&H&lll%&fe6tetyr season ifro^^on«* ,r fiockf'of^feii^le3.'to-; anot^r-c sjnd i^o m^o#4 g -sfeo^4J¥;B?ffll^t; ijontn with tho same hens more tnan.au sk^k'fiea&on itoderfhny ci^nms^nceei T for the prodnctipn of osg^onjj, »o^ j itjbe layiwff heos j ano during the seasoa^- : ;for monltyig x it wi»l^;feu?itf *oi*dyan? fiage tafse^fi^'tiM^cwks from the

•offered fori the consideration ,:of those jWhls3PttS^Pbg^a^<^^ and tqjth^esfc sdyantagejin; -^derate quantities, as thoifarm@r ; should; large breeders^ and t those _ v who keep up thepurity oi , races,.! heej) other^ < and 5 .more ;l particular attention, for the .every -day purposes of the farmer, who is satis'fipd' j-vijh fair profits^ and who- breeds forordinary markets, the hints prrip'osed* will'be found generally advantageous? ; I The cost bf fojvl ; teeping/ first and' last, J if all the necessary food is purchased;at ordinary market prices, will | average not far from 4d in this colony per nionth, for each fowL With the run. of a farmyard, however, and only a moderate number of fowls'/ the cost is • much less. '. The additional expense of Care, and interest upon investihent for iost of buildings and fixtures, land Occupied, &c, is not included; but ■-jvhen; we see the families of the farmers with nothing to do but raise food, and attend tp such profitable work, we wonder that it is not more practised than it is at the present time. If we take 4d per month as the cost of food for a laying * hen, and she produces in 1 that time two dozen eggs, the price in winter .'and summer* being oh an average l£d each, we see tli9 profit will amount to '2s Bd. : . Any farmer, however small his holding, could keep fifty hens, .and if. his family attend to them properly each' hen will lay .on ah average 200 eggs per year, which " at i|d would amount to Ll 5s and the fifty L 62 10s, independent of some home consumption. I Where fowls are kept for-profit, and especially where a farmer keeps a large number, attention should be -directed to saving, the feathers of tho^e .killed for ihe house, or*, sold .piekepV. tb ,',the poulterers, but more -especially, still to. the inanuje from the : houses— no inconsiderable advantage to those who require manure. 0 ' Wilson, in his •' British Farming/ says that where 100 common fowls, and a. dozen geese or ducks are kept, the quantity and value': of the. mariiire produced by thenr (but little inferior to guano), if kept by itself,' arid secured from' tiie weather, will surprise those who have not made the trial. When 500 or 1000 are kept, the importance Of ' this item will'be worth remembering. — ■— *— — — — — —