OUR POULTRY.
We commenced stocking our poultry-yard in July, by purchasing
twenty-eight chickens and twenty ducks, for which we paid $16 58 in
the market. Some of them were too young for the table at the time we
purchased them, but were all consumed at the end of four months, with
the exception of seven hens and a cock, which we saved for "stock."
Thus in the time I have mentioned we killed ten couple of ducks, and
the same of fowls. These we entered in our housekeeping expenses at $1
37 a couple, though they were larger and better than could have been
purchased in a London shop for $1 75.
We must now proceed to reckon what they cost for food, and then see if
any balance remained in our favor. They consumed during the time they
were getting in order for the table, three bushels of barley, at $1 25
the bushel, one bushel of meal at the same price, and one hundred
weight of what is called "chicken rice," at $3 00.
The cost of the barley and meal was, . . . . $5 00
Rice, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 00
Cost of poultry, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 58
Making the total price, $24 58
Ten couple of ducks, and the same number
of chickens, would amount to, $27 50
Thus, at the first sight, it would appear that we gained but $2 92 by
four months' trouble in attending to our fowl-yard; but we have now to
take from the purchase money the value of the eight we saved for
stock, and likewise to deduct from the barley and rice the quantity
consumed by them in the four months. Now these eight were large fowls
when bought, and well worth 50 cents each. We must allow for their
food at least a fourth part of that consumed. We have then to take off
$4 00 from the first cost of the poultry, and $2 00 from the value of
the food, which will add $6 00 to the $2 92, leaving on the whole
transaction a profit of $8 92.
We have still another small item to add. One of the hens we saved
began to lay in the middle of September, and by the time the four
months were expired had given us two dozen eggs, which at that time of
year, even in the country, were not to be procured under 37½ cents the
dozen; so that we have to add 75 cents to $8 92, making a clear profit
in four months of $9 67.
It was a source of great amusement to ourselves, as well as to the
children, by whom it was always considered a treat to run in the
meadows, with barley in their little baskets, to the "coobiddies."
When we first had the poultry we kept them in the stable-yard; but we
soon found they did not thrive: they had been taken from a farm where
they had the free range of the fields, and drooped in confinement, and
from want of the grass and worms which they had been accustomed to
feed on. We had a house constructed for them in the meadow nearest the
house, and soon found that they throve much better, and did not
require so much food. We had no trouble with them, except in seeing
that the house was cleaned out daily. Through the fields flowed a
stream of clean water, consequently our ducks throve well. The bushel
of meal which figures in our accounts was for them; they used to have
a little mixed in hot water once a day. We soon left it off, for we
found the rice boiled in skim-milk was equally good for them, and much
cheaper.
Poultry of all kinds are very fond of "scraps;" the children were
always told to cut up pieces of potatoes, greens, or meat, which they
might leave on their plates at the nursery dinner; and when they were
removed to the kitchen, they were collected together and put into the
rice-bowl for the chickens. We always fed them three times daily: in
the morning with rice, in the middle of the day with "scraps," and in
the evening they had just as much barley thrown to them as they cared
to pick up eagerly.
We have heard some persons complain of the great expense attending a
poultry-yard, but this arises from the person who has the charge of
them throwing down just as much again grain as the fowls can consume.
We have ourselves often seen barley trodden into the ground, if
occasionally we left the task of feeding to the lad.
It must, of course, be impossible at all times for a lady to go into
the fields for the purpose of feeding her chickens; the only plan to
prevent waste is to have a meal-room in the house, and as much given
out daily as is considered necessary for the consumption of the
poultry. This is some little trouble, but will be well repaid by
having at all times cheap and wholesome fowls, etc.
We have hitherto only spoken of the profit which may be obtained from
a fowl-yard, when the stock is purchased. The farmer's wife, from whom
we bought _ours_, of course gained some money by their sale. When we
reared our own chickens from our own eggs, we received much more
emolument from our yard; but in this little volume it is my purpose to
show how a person should _commence_, who leaves London or any other
large town for a suburban residence.
It must always be borne in mind, that nothing will prosper if left
wholly to servants; the country proverb of "the master's eye fattens
the steed," is a very true one, and another is quite as good: "the
best manure you can put on the ground is the foot of the master." As a
proof of our assertion we will, in the next chapter, detail the
disasters we experienced when we left the charge of rabbits to the
superintendence of a servant.