Poultry Houses And Homes

Thcro is so inucli said in tlio papers ibout pimltry - its profi ts, advan taifes, etc, and so in-m - tino varietiei shown at the faire and sucli largo return liirure.l out of t!ic business - tliat a staid oíd furmor, even os I am, can't keep oft' the "forcr"' enlircly. Nor would it bo well to liohl it at arins' lonlh, for poultry-kecpiii-f is au umployment pretly wcll suited to tlio yoting t'olks aml llii: old uien OU tlio t'ann. It' [ can't labor iu the fiold, I can cure tbr tho chiekeiis au 1 turn au liouest p-'imy there ')v ; an.l, wh'it in boltor, have siiiiiciliin : i'j-i-i' ■::í' to cvnploy a porti. ui of my tiw.i als in. 1 tini'. I uu uut in tho poultry business yet - ouly c'Diiiiiin npon il. 'J'rue, wo havo i!iii-.v oi' tbrty i'owls ot' two or three breod.s, rumi.nj lome about tlio premisos, so.iK'i sciMtuhing uu ths garden, soinutiuies tourinij down tlio yrain in tlolds uoar the banu, aiul alwaya in lliischiof, or getting kille.1 by Iiivks, s.viink-, or soinn other vcnniii. öoaiotiinea w; got uleuty of egLi to eit, and tlien somotliiug else get tlicin. liut we sliouliln't bü sellish. ïlie clilckena are alwayd late, becauae tliny liatcii theuiriolvus out in tho grass, and sk:ilk arounl so lonf in thö tall wecda and bushos in tlie f'encc corners, tliat they can't #row, nnilnrJ, thcreibrc, late in bucoinin.; hens; intact, belnn.l time in evcrytUüig. Xow, this isirt kcci)in;,r uoultry; it is letting1 the fowls, and in a very poor way., keep thcinsclves. tam göiug to reform the practico on thl-9 farm, and merely write to tuü iny plaua and get sonio criticismo. First, I sliall makt' the poultrv dopartnieut di.st.inct trom tlio other farra opcratioua - just aa separate as tliouh the t'ann and tho fo.vls liad ditioreut ownors. Tiic buildings and yards sliall be arrnng-ed so ihat the fjvyls need not necossarily ranafo beyond their limite at any scasou, though, ii' at certain timos it aliould be of ad vantage to givo thom more liberty, it miy be allowed. The poultry departmeut must not be dependent upon the farm tbr support, as i herd of shortliorna would be, for instance, but a speeialty on ui iudepeudent basis. It must stand or fall on its own merite, paying for uil it consumes, aikl receivin crodit for all its pro Lucts. Th:) yard shall be just one acre in ex tent, and Luclosed witliatiht, hi-h fence, pickoled on the top, so as to bar out, as much as possible, all intruders. Fortuiuvtely thcro is a gpriug situated so I can uave fresh, running' water ia the yard. It is aiso now partly set with fruit trees, but about one-lhird of it in the center is open, aml thero I fancy 1 can groW sunllowers, wliicll will both shelter and feotl the poultry. Now, the buildiilgs puzzle me soniewhat. 1 imagine tlicre ouiit to bo kept two hundred stock Co wis on this ground, and not more than iifty should bc put in one house. Bupposo I put a house in cach corner to accommodate Iifty stock fowls; will it be crowdin them too much? Or would it be bettor to put a largo house in the center of tlie yard, and have somo chickeacoops.ia the corners? At any rato, the houses should be so made as not to ireoze in winter. As tho ground is naturally well drained, I shall drop the bottomof the house below the surfacc trom two to threo feet, and thon bank some against the wail on the outsido. Theu on the south side 1 shall put a low lean-to covcrod with sash. It will make a nice ï'unway in cold weatlier. Plenty of suiisiiine, plenty of earth, dryness and warmth, plenty and varied "food, and not overcrowded quarters. Well, 1 am growing a stock of Light Brahmas. i am goiug to liave no oilier variety. They are g-ood layers and xoil for tho murket. I will report prog-ress in the future ; but, meantiine, wou't soine of your experieueej poultry-keepers teil me whether uiy plans aro practical, and wliereia thoy caa be betturod?.