Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1882 — Cocks and Hens. [ARTICLE]

Cocks and Hens.

Son of th« Soil. “And the cock crew* Who does not remember these memorable words' We might from this circumstance poetically Sh Peter’s ac-’ cnsiMangeL Christ Mmsdf noticed UMpßautfftfl bird, with tion. Yet some men are so dignified that they despise this brave ana generous bird, ana every one who fancies or admires him. In spite of this adverse circumstance, wo admire and breed chickens. We admire them because we have learned to judge and appreciate fine fowls; and we breed them because we know they are profitable. Our experience has taught us the truth of the statements of responsible breeders. We did not first properly credit these statements; but thought that nothing more was necessary than to make judicious selections from any fowls easily and cheaply obtained. The result of this opinion was a large, healthy, clean fowl: eight pound cocks and six pound hens. They were of course, mongrels. The only certain characteristics common to them, were determined setting.and alternate day laying. My hens would lay .thirteen eggs in twenty-six days, each, while laying ; and ip that time each hen could eat twenty-five cents worth of corn. But they did not average more than forty eggs apiece for the whole year; while their crops had to be filled three hundred and sixty-five times. Now, supposing the garden to have escaped their ravages,and regarding our attention to them as an amusement,our selected mongrels were not profitable. So we abandoned our first opinion, and consented to be taught. We now find our poultry profitable. Referring our readers to the teeogognized authorities on 1 the recognized varieties, we will make a sow statements and suggestions for both amateur and professional breeders. We give four rules for the guidance of amateurs: 1. Keep only one variety in the same yard. 2. The largest are not necessarily tho best 3. Sitters cannot be expected to lay as many eggs as non-sitters; for the ’.alter have nothing else to do. 4. There is great advantage in uniformity of color'; as the hens become step-mothers more readily, and wi.l not so quickly detect and fight another hen’s chickens. Let us now teach the amateur how to judge a fine fowl: The body must be long; the breast broad; tiie legs *hort and smooth, feeling like a kid. glove, with a clean appearance; the neck short; the eyes bright; and the feathers true to variety, and glossy, which is the appearance of natural health. If your gardens are valuable and. your i'cuce low, by all means keep the Asiatics; as they can uot fiy like the lighter birds. Fowls entirely free from Asiatic blood lay best. In these remarks wc make no claim to originality. We write to promote tho poultry interest; and chiefly for 'he benefit of the ladies, to whom we would say much concerning the management of their fowls, if we knew .hey would heed our instruction. The age of fowls claims notice. Too often do breeders kill a fine, sturdy cock, to give the range to a scarcely matured one. Breeding from very young birds cannot prove successful. We have a hen dqing/wb duty, that is more than eleven years old. Some suggestions will now bo made to the “professionals:” Gentlemen! You breed fine fowls to sell to “fanciers’’ in ,the city and farmers in the country. The variety you recommend most is the Plymouth Rock —a systematically bred mongrel. We, of the farm, require birds to lay and set well, aud to grow rapidly and be of fine size. Hence your recommendation of the Plymouth®. Manifestly, the strict non sitters are not tho birds for us; and we do not all of as fancy the Asiatics.