Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1876 — Colonizing Fowls. [ARTICLE]

Colonizing Fowls.

Mci&b of itbe difficulty of poultry raising consists in .crowding too many fowls to- § ether. We ifcnow that mostfaranere have ut one house or roosting place for their poultry, and too many do Dot even pro TideAiamutk. —_ Something may be done to obviate the difficulty ot beeping too many inoingle flocks by colonizing the broods” when they are first put out with the hens In the coods. A chicken hastlie bump of “ inhabiliveness.” as the phrenologists say, pretty strongly developed. This characteristic is exemplified m the Spanish proverb, that “ young chickens alwavs come home to roost.” Every one who has had much experience in poultry raising, knows that chickens are apt to return to the place where they have been raised and fed whew they want to rest or loaf. If there are any attractions at all about the place. Tbcr,twill continue to do this until they are fUu . grown. j If, then, the coops axe set in quiet she.iered places, la the neighborhood of a tree , or fence upon which they can find a place to perch at night, they will nearly always make this place their headquarters, and if fed there, will habitually stay about it. In this way colonizing may practically be accomplished. We knew farmers who practice this method with considerable success. The coups ot one lot will be put in one place, and of another lot iu a different spot, probably in ah opposite direction fwm the first, and so on. Each colony may consist of half a dozen broods, and should always be fed and watered near the place where they are first located. A small, cheap, portable house made of boards should be turnished to each colony, If they are of a breed that eaenot ascend a tree or hush on which to roost. The Chickens may easily be taught to go into this house at night, and -can then be MCureJy abut up so »» to be protected

from enemies, like foxea, minks, etc. If snch houses are furnished, they should be large enough to easily accomodate all the chk-keui that will be put ioto them, and should be built only tight enough to keep out the “ varmints,” as there will be. little danger of too much ventilation in these summer houses. The fret is, fowls will do better routing on trees In summer than in houses, unless , tyre, fatter are thoroughly ventilated. The main advantage of riving them A house is to protect them From enemieS One-disadvantage of roosting in a treefta the difficulty of getting at the chickend when they are wanted, and to Induce them to go into winter quarters when the proper time comes for this. Still the advantages of thus colonizing lots.to different places, some distance apart, should not be overlooked. It is practical and will be found profitable where large numbers ore raised. Every farmer who keeps numbers of fowls, will have noticed that some of them stay about the house, or as near the house as they can get. Others will be found to prefer the orchard, and stay there most of the time, while others may prefer the barnyard, or the woods, etc., as the case may be. By observation it will be seen that these different lots seldom mix unless at feeding time, after which, they go to their favorite haunts.— A. M. Dickie , in Ohio Far.ner.