Poultry for profit

By R. A. Power

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Title: Poultry for profit

Author: R. A. Power

Release date: February 19, 2025 [eBook #75419]

Language: English

Original publication: Girard: Haldeman-Julius Company, 1923

Credits: Bob Taylor, Tim Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POULTRY FOR PROFIT ***





  TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 430
  Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius

  Poultry for Profit

  R. A. Power
  B. S. in Agriculture


  HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY
  GIRARD, KANSAS




  Copyright, 1923,
  Haldeman-Julius Company.




POULTRY FOR PROFIT




CHAPTER I.

THE OUTLOOK


When a business reaches the billion dollar mark per year, it is
generally looked into by thinking people who like to know the facts of
the case, and who want to know just why the business has reached such
large proportions. In this little booklet I will endeavor to explain
not only why the poultry business has grown so rapidly, but will also
reveal the most important secrets that have contributed largely to
its rapid growth, so that whether the reader is a farmer, a town lot
fancier, or a student of economics, he or she will gain much by the
reading and the studying of the principles involved.

The high cost of living has forced many people to economize to the
limit, and reduce the family budget to the minimum. People in the small
towns and villages, especially, have sought various ways of increasing
their earnings, and one of the most popular methods resorted to has
been to raise a few chickens, thus utilizing the table scraps, and odds
and ends, so that there will be no waste. It has been proved beyond a
shadow of a doubt that chickens can be raised profitably by the person
living in town, as well as by the farmer with his vast acres, providing
the townsman knows a few essential principles in regard to the proper
handling of the birds.

Poultry products are becoming popular more than ever before. This
is due in part to the increased price of beef and pork. Eggs are an
established part of the nation’s menu, while the meat of the chicken is
now within the means of most American families. Since these facts are
recognized, there has been a revolution in the poultry industry itself
to cope with the increased demand for eggs, meat, and breeding stock.

Many city people have taken advantage of the opportunity of raising
chickens, and many an old packing box, or piano box has been relieved
of its original purpose of encasing furniture, or other articles, and
has done its bit to act as part of a shelter for housing some back-yard
lot of chickens. What has been done, can be done, and inasmuch as the
value of the egg, or the carcass of the bird still maintains its high
standard on the market, it stands to reason that the poultry industry
is still in its infancy. Much more will be done in the future than has
been done in the past.

Consequently, there is still one industry that is not overcrowded,
despite the great number who have taken it up, either as a vocation, or
as an avocation. When it is considered that New York City alone cannot
get enough eggs to supply the demand during the fall and winter months,
and is willing to pay, and pay dearly for breakfast eggs, and that the
vicinity of Pataluma, Cal., finds it profitable to ship its eggs across
the continent to put them on the New York market, it can be seen quite
clearly that there are excellent possibilities in poultry, even in just
a small back yard flock.

The remainder of this booklet will be devoted to showing the ordinary
layman, who has had no previous knowledge or experience, how he can
take a small flock, or a large flock, and turn it into pleasure and
profit. However, one word of caution is necessary. Let no one attempt
to venture upon a poultry enterprise on a big scale at first. History
has shown countless failures in such attempts, and history has a way of
repeating itself. It is always wiser to start moderately, and work into
it gradually. This method always proves successful if common sense and
moderation are exhibited.




CHAPTER II.

THE POULTRY BREEDS


Before attempting to discuss the methods of raising poultry it is
deemed advisable to first take up a discussion of the different breeds
and their characteristics. Outside of a few fancy breeds, that are
raised more for curiosity or show purposes, we usually think of the
breeds of poultry as three distinct classes.

The first of these three classes that we will take up for discussion
is what is termed the egg breed. This breed is usually represented by
such birds as the Leghorn, Ancona, Campine, Minorca, or the Houdan.
Of these five breeds, the Leghorn and the Minorca are by far the most
popular. There are different varieties of all these breeds, but the
White Leghorn, and the Black Minorca are much more popular in their
respective breeds than are any other variety. The other breeds are
found scattered here and there, but the Leghorn and Minorca are easily
the leading egg breeds. Both of these breeds have many birds with
yearly records of over 300 eggs per year. Next let us consider a few of
the important characteristics of these egg breeds.

These breeds are small, light of weight, very active, and very hard to
confine in a small inclosure. The average adult bird of these breeds
weighs about four pounds. They are neat and attractive in appearance,
have clean shanks, and have large head parts, which are much more
susceptible to being frosted in cold weather, than the other breeds.

The egg production of the egg breed is of the best. As has been stated,
there are a great number of birds in this class that have records of
over 300 eggs per year. Their eggs are white shelled, of good size,
and rather long. However the meat of these birds, especially when
matured, is very tough, and the active disposition of the egg breeds
do not allow them to put on surplus flesh as with the other class of
birds. Quick maturity is characteristic of the egg breeds, however, and
because of this fact, they make excellent small broilers when but a few
months old. But it is useless to put them on the market for meat when
mature, as they will not fatten like the heavier breeds.

The disposition of these breeds, as has been said, is active, nervous,
and hard to confine. Therefore, for the person with a small lot on
which to raise chickens, it would be well to choose a heavier breed
that stands confinement better than these breeds. These birds are
active in the house in winter, or on the range in summer, and owing to
their natural tendency to roam, they are always uneasy when confined
to a small yard. They also have excellent powers of flight, and can
usually fly over a fence unless the fence is about eight feet high.

The egg breed, owing to the activity so characteristic to such breeds,
makes poor sitters and mothers. It is very seldom that a fowl of these
breeds can content herself to sit on a nest of eggs three weeks, which
is the time required to hatch the eggs. Their eggs are usually hatched
under a general purpose hen, or with an incubator. They make poor
mothers, because they usually like to roam too far to properly look
after their young.

Another point in favor of the egg breeds, however, is their early
maturity. Usually these birds will mature in close to four months. This
allows them plenty of time to get into laying condition in the fall,
before cold weather starts, and birds that can lay eggs during the
months of November and December are certainly an asset, as eggs always
bring the highest prices on the market during these two months.

These birds will live on less feed than any other class because of
their small size, and their great foraging ability. However, these
breeds are not as hardy as the heavier breeds, and will not stand
the cold as well, because of their lack of feathers, and large combs
and wattles. These large head parts are easily frost bitten in cold
weather, and when this happens the birds generally stop laying until
they have recovered from the setback. With these few words on the egg
breed characteristics, let us next consider the general purpose breed.

When we speak of general purpose breeds, we usually mean one of four
different breeds. The Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Orpington, and
the Wyandotte are the four leading breeds of this class. Then there
are quite a few different varieties of each of these four breeds, such
as the Barred Rock, the White Rock, the Buff Rock, etc. These breeds
are very good both as egg birds, and for meat purposes, and find favor
where ever they go. I will attempt to analyze their characteristics,
bringing out their strong points and their weak points, as I have
already done with the egg breeds.

These breeds have been developed for egg production, and as a result,
have many birds in the 300 egg class, as well as the strictly egg
breeds. If any are to be disposed of, they have the ability to put
on flesh and to bring a good price on the market for meat. When one
realizes that usually one half of a hatch of chickens are males, and
the other half females, it can be easily seen that the general purpose
bird has an advantage, in the sale of the male birds, and of the
surplus females, as they can be fed fattening feeds, and a good profit
made from this source.

The general purpose birds make excellent mothers and sitters. They
have a broody disposition, and will set on the nest the required three
weeks to hatch the chickens. They will also take care of their young as
a parent should. In fact, one of the criticisms of this class of birds
is that they are too broody, and are a nuisance in this particular.
They are far more quiet than the egg breeds, and stand confinement with
no apparent discomforture. They make an ideal bird for the back lot.

These birds are fairly good foragers, but take a little more feed to
maintain their upkeep than do the egg breeds. They have smaller head
parts than the egg breeds, and a heavier coating of flesh and feathers
thus enabling them to withstand cold weather much better than the egg
breeds.

These breeds, in most cases, have yellow shanks, long well rounded
bodies, and weigh about six pounds at maturity. They are not as nervous
or as active as the egg breeds, but require a month or two longer to
mature and to get into laying condition, than the egg breeds.

We will close this discussion on breed characteristics with a few words
on the meat breeds. There are four generally recognized meat breeds.
These are the Brahams, Cochins, Langshans, and the Cornish Game, with
their several varieties. The adult meat bird usually weighs about
eight pounds, but the male birds weigh even more than this, sometimes
reaching twelve pounds or more. These birds are rather awkward and
clumsy, in fact, so much so that they make poor sitters, as their
awkwardness often causes them to break the eggs in the nest. They have
an abundance of feathers and meat on their body, which makes them easy
to winter. Generally speaking, the heavier the bird, the poorer the
laying ability, and this is true with the meat breeds. They do not lay
a very large number of eggs during the year, being raised mostly for
their flesh, which is unsurpassed for table purposes. As is the custom
with heavy animals, the meat birds are lazy and sluggish, do not roam
far for their food, and consume a comparatively large amount of grain
for this reason. The meat breeds take a longer period of time to gain
maturity than any other class, the average time being about eight
months. As has been said, they are primarily a meat breed, and it is
for this purpose that they are mostly used. They do lay eggs, however,
and about 100 eggs per year is a good average. They, like the general
purpose breed, lay a brown shelled egg, while the egg breeds lay a
white shelled egg, which brings a higher price on every market in the
country but the Boston market. The brown shelled egg brings the higher
price on the Boston market.




CHAPTER III.

GETTING A START


We have now discussed quite minutely the good and bad points of the
three main classes of birds. Each class, and each breed has its merits
and demerits. The one who wants to make a start in raising poultry
should choose the breed that appeals to his likes the most, and the
one that he can realize the most success with, under the conditions
that he will have to raise them. There is no best breed, whether it is
chickens, cows, or hogs. They all have their good points, and their
weak ones. It is up to each individual to pick the breed that appeals
to him the most.

Granted that you have pretty near decided the breed that you want to
use, let us see how we can secure our first birds, if we have none as
yet to start with. There are generally three different ways in which
we can secure our foundation stock. The first way is by buying adult
birds and mating them, and raising the resulting chicks. Another way is
by purchasing hatching eggs, either from a neighbor or from a regular
breeder or hatchery. The third way is by buying day-old chicks from
the various hatcheries, and raising these to maturity. Let us consider
each of these methods separately, and thereby inform ourselves on the
advantages and disadvantages of each method.

In selecting adult birds for breeding purposes, and thus relying on
these birds to produce the hatching eggs, a few points are necessary
to bear in mind, if one wants the best results. As these birds are to
be the foundation of your future flock, don’t buy them too hastily,
and also do not try to buy the cheapest birds that you can find on the
market, as you usually get just what you pay for. Therefore, the first
thing to do is to look through poultry papers, farm weeklies, etc., or
to inquire locally from some neighboring breeder, and find out just
what it will cost you for adult females. Having the desired breed in
mind, it would be advisable to post yourself on the qualifications,
and the disqualifications of this particular breed. Standard weight
for the breed is an important consideration in this connection. If the
standard weight for an adult female is five pounds, try to get females
that weigh around six pounds. These qualifications can be found for
every breed in the American Standard of Perfection, a book published by
the American Poultry Association, and found in most libraries. Another
very important factor is the health of the birds. No birds should
be used for breeding purposes that have ever had any of the common
poultry diseases, such as roup, chicken pox, etc., as their resulting
chicks will also have a tendency toward this disease. Select nothing
but healthy, vigorous birds, of standard weight and color, free from
disease, of good body conformation, and not less than one year old.
When pullets, or birds of less than a year old, are used for breeding,
the result is a small egg, which hatches out a small, under-sized
chick.

If you can get in touch with your State College of Agriculture, they
can usually inform you of some reliable breeder who can furnish you
with the kind of birds you want. In selecting the cockerels, or male
birds, one very good way is to buy them from an unrelated flock, and
buy some that are especially strong where the females are weak. For
instance, if the females that you have purchased are a little light in
color, it would be advisable to secure males that are a little darker
in color than the standard calls for. It is never advisable to mate
more than ten females with one male, because if more are mated, the
fertility of the eggs will suffer. Many successful breeders even use
two male birds with a pen of ten females, alternating one male in the
breeding pen every other day. Thus the fertility of the hatching egg is
doubly assured.

A cheaper method of securing the foundation stock is in buying the
hatching eggs, but not quite as satisfactory as the first method.
These eggs are usually sold by the sitting, amounting to fifteen
eggs, or by the hundred. When buying by the sitting, one buys from a
regular breeder, and pays anywhere from $1.50 up to as high as $50 per
sitting. It is not advisable for the beginner to pay either of these
extremes, but to plan to buy eggs not over $5 per setting. Then as you
progress in the business, you can purchase males to mate with your
females to gradually improve your flock. This method necessitates the
use of an incubator, unless you can arrange with some friend who will
loan you the use of his incubator. Of course, if you already have some
mature birds, even of a different breed, you can set these eggs under
these birds, when they become broody in the spring, and secure even a
larger hatch than you can from the use of an incubator. Generally, a
mature bird can set on about fifteen eggs, and hatch every fertile egg
in the sitting. A more detailed discussion on incubation will be given
in the next chapter.

The third way that one can secure a start in the poultry business, is
by buying day-old chicks. This is an industry that has grown by leaps
and bounds in the last few years. The price generally charged for these
day-old chicks is twice as much as is charged for the hatching eggs. A
fair price for 100 day-old chicks is from $15 to $20. Of course, the
quality of these chicks is inferior to the higher priced sittings of
eggs, but if one is not so particular as to type and show purposes,
this method is very satisfactory. The day-old chick business is
founded upon the principle that it is not advisable to feed the chick
for the first forty-eight hours of its life, because just before the
chick emerges from the shell, it absorbs the remainder of the yolk of
the egg, and it is exceedingly dangerous to feed the chick any food
during that period, as the chick will be sure to experience digestive
troubles, if any thing besides water and grit is given to the chicks
for the first two days. Therefore, these chicks are placed in a well
ventilated box and sent by parcel post often as far as a thousand
miles, with no loss in mortality. For one that has no incubator or
mature hens, this offers a very satisfactory method of starting out
in the chicken business. There are commercial hatcheries all over the
country that make a business of purchasing hatching eggs from raisers
of purebred poultry, and hatching these eggs in mammoth incubators,
selling the chicks as soon as hatched, in the manner described.

Thus, the one interested in getting a start in poultry has an option
on either of these three ways. The local circumstances of the purchaser
will largely determine which method will be the best. But which ever
method is used, let me caution you that too much care can not be given
in finding a source that is perfectly honorable in their business
dealings, as there has been in the past a considerable amount of unfair
dealing on the part of some dealers in the poultry business, but I
am glad to say that these people are fast being weeded out, and the
tendency is now for honest, upright dealings in all three branches of
the industry, as the dishonest people have found that their methods
forced them out of the business. Not everybody will be independent of
the incubator, however, so we will next discuss something in regard
to the commercial incubator, also including and comparing the natural
incubation of the egg.




CHAPTER IV.

INCUBATION


In order to get a better idea of artificial incubation, let us first
examine a few facts concerning the way in which the hen hatches her
eggs in the natural process. The fertile egg is hatched when the egg
is subjected to a heat over 100 degrees, F., for a period of about
twenty-one days. The mother hen, by setting on the eggs for this
period, will bring off her hatch on the twenty-first day, if she has
been given ordinary care. Let us see what are the principles involved
in this natural incubation, that we may the better understand the
artificial method of incubation.

When the hen first becomes broody, and wants to sit, she might try to
“steal her nest.” This is another way of saying that she will try to
locate some secluded spot, and after she has succeeded in laying a
dozen or fifteen eggs, she will then spend nearly her entire time on
the nest, until she proudly marches back to her old haunts with a small
clutch of chickens.

It is a natural instinct of most hens to become broody in the spring
of the year, to reproduce their kind. A constant desire to sit on the
nest is a sure sign of broodiness. When one has the eggs to put under
the hen to hatch, it is best first to try to secure a general purpose
bird for this method, as they have been found the best, for reasons
previously stated.

Now let us prepare a nest for the bird, so that she will have a good
opportunity to do her best work. We can either partition off a part
of the chicken house, or we can fix up a nest in another building
entirely, such as a garage, barn, or any other building that we may
have on the premises. Next let us take some soil, and make a round
nest, over a foot in diameter, and four or five inches deep. Then we
will dig out the center of the nest, so as to make it hollow in the
middle, leaving at least two inches depth in the center. Then we will
cover this earth with a few inches of cut straw, shavings, or leaves,
and press this covering down to conform to the shape of the soil
foundation. We can now place our eggs for hatching in the nest, and put
the bird on them. However, best results will be obtained if we wait
until towards evening before we place the bird on the nest, as she will
be more contented then. Take the bird that you have chosen and place
her gently upon the nest of eggs. If she is at all broody, she will be
quite contented when she feels the eggs underneath her, and settle down
to business at once. The hen should spend practically all of the next
three weeks upon the nest, the only time that she should be allowed to
leave being the short time that she takes food and water twice a day.
Having a quiet place, and giving her nourishment twice a day, she will
be quite contented. The hen does not need any special ration during
this time, other than one that is fairly heating. Corn is excellent
during this period, supplemented with a few other grains, such as oats,
wheat, etc. A sufficient amount of fresh water should be available,
together with some kind of green food, if possible, such as cabbage or
mangoes. The hatch will not be endangered by the hen leaving the nest
to eat. In fact, it is beneficial to the eggs to be temporarily cooled,
at least once a day, while the hen is off the nest for a while.

The hen has a habit of turning the eggs under her every day, not only
removing their position from the center to the outside, and vice
versa, but also turning them over, so that perhaps the part of the egg
that was in contact with the nest one day, will be in contact with
the hen’s body the next day. Or, in other words, she turns it half
way around. These are all peculiarities that we have to imitate in
artificial incubation, if we would be successful. Now that we have seen
the process of the natural method of incubation, let us see how the
ingenuity of man has successfully imitated the mother hen, and made
possible the hatching of a far greater number of chicks than the hen
can naturally hatch.

In the first place, there are a great many incubators on the market,
some being made to sell, and others being made to use. How shall we
determine the make to buy? That is not the easiest question in the
world, if one has had no previous experience with incubators. Do not
necessarily buy the incubator that is advertised the most. Sometimes
incubator companies have to advertise extensively to do a sufficient
volume of business. The safest way to choose an incubator, if you
really intend to purchase one, is to get the advice of some one
who is using one, and has had success with the machine that he has
used. Some of the cheaper makes have the trouble of too varying a
temperature, especially during the night. If one has to arise five or
six times a night for three weeks to regulate the lamp to maintain a
constant temperature, then the incubator is more bother than it is
worth. Therefore, find out the makes of incubators that are giving
satisfaction in your own community, if you are intending to purchase
one, and then send for one of a similar make. However, if you have not
enough eggs to warrant purchasing one, then try to arrange with someone
to loan you one, or to put your eggs in with some of theirs, so as to
eliminate this expense.

There are in general two types of incubators, the hot water and the
hot air, the latter being quite the more popular of the two. There
are several different sizes of incubators, ranging from a fifty egg
capacity up to a thousand egg capacity machine. An incubator with a
hundred egg capacity is usually sufficiently large enough for the
small poultry keeper. By running three or four hatches during the same
season, a good number of chicks can be hatched.

There are a few requirements that must be fulfilled to realize the
best results from an incubator. First and foremost, always follow the
instructions that come with the incubator. The manufacturers of the
incubator know more about their incubator than you do. Another thing
that should be borne in mind is that you must not expect every egg
that is placed in the incubator to produce a chick. A very good hatch
is about 75 per cent. Of course, this varies considerably, ranging all
the way from nothing to as high as sometimes 100 per cent. Usually one
can reasonably expect as high as a 60 per cent hatch, at least, and
very often it goes considerably higher, according to the conditions
under which it is run.

Moisture is a prime essential for the proper running of an incubator,
and this should be provided for. If possible, arrange to run the
incubator in a cellar, or some damp place. This can be aided, by
sprinkling water on the floor, etc. Care must be exercised in running
the incubator that fire is guarded against, and some insurance
companies make special provisions in their policies for such occasions,
and make a slightly higher charge for their policies, because of the
danger.

Another essential condition for a successful hatch with the incubator
is proper ventilation. Most machines are provided with something
for the admission of fresh air. It is also necessary that the room
containing the incubator be aired frequently to admit fresh air, but
not in such a manner that the eggs will become chilled, or that
too much air will be admitted so as to carry off the moisture. Most
incubators carry proper directions so as to provide against this danger.

The third condition necessary for proper running of the incubator is
the maintenance of a constant temperature. It is usually advisable to
have the temperature about 102 degrees F. the first week, 103 degrees
the second week, and 104 degrees the third week. Any serious deviation
from 103 degrees will result in a poor hatch.

Now, then we will conclude this chapter with a few pointers on running
the incubator during the hatching period. It is always well to run the
incubator a day or two empty, so as to get the idea of how to best
maintain the required temperature. Clean the lamp thoroughly before
running, and then during the hatch, always tend to the lamp after the
eggs have been turned, and never before, because if the hands are
smeared with kerosene, some of this is bound to be left on the shells,
which will result in a poor hatch. Do not allow the lamp to be in a
draft, and clean the wick every day, so as to prevent the lamp from
smoking.

After the first few days, the eggs should be turned at least once a
day, and even better, twice a day. This is to imitate the mother hen,
who does this on the nest. If the eggs are not turned, then the embryo
of the chick will adhere to the shell of the egg, and either die, or be
crippled beyond hope.

We must imitate the mother hen again in the artificial incubation of
chicks, in regard to cooling. We saw in the previous chapter, how the
hen leaves her nest occasionally to take food and water, with no ill
effects on the hatch. Likewise we must cool the eggs in the incubator.
This can usually best be accomplished while turning the eggs. Five or
ten minutes a day are usually sufficient for the proper cooling, unless
it is near the end of the hatch, when twenty or thirty minutes can be
used for this purpose with safety.

On the seventh and the fourteenth day, it is a good plan to test the
eggs in the incubator, so that the infertile eggs may be removed. This
is done by a process known as candling. Hold each egg up in front of a
light and note the appearance of the interior of the egg. This can be
done by making a hole in a box, that will fit over a light or lamp, and
then holding the eggs up to the light, showing through the hole, which
should be in line with the flame. If the egg appears clear, free from
any dark spots, then the egg can be taken out of the incubator, as it
is not fertile, and will not hatch. However, if the egg shows a dark
spot, about the size of a bean, and you can detect small blood vessels
running from it, then you may be assured that the egg is coming along
in good shape, and will hatch out in due time.

With these points well in mind, one will have little difficulty in
properly running an incubator, providing he has a reliable machine to
begin with. Of the matters considered in this chapter, probably the
most important factor of all is the constant maintenance of a uniform
temperature. Now, then, let us consider that the chicks are pipping the
shells and are ready to start out in life. We will therefore consider
the care of the chicks in the next chapter, until they are able to care
for themselves.




CHAPTER V.

BROODING


Whether we hatched the eggs by means of an incubator, or bought the
day-old chicks, if we have no mother hen to care for the chicks after
they are hatched, we must take care of them ourselves. This is called
the brooding period. Unless the hatch is quite late, which, by the way,
is not desirable, we will have to arrange to supply some cheap, simple
form of artificial heat, to prevent the young chickens from getting
chilled. This is accomplished in several different ways, but we will
only discuss the more common ways here.

There are several different makes of readymade brooders on the market,
but one can in a few hours spare time, construct a brooder that will
answer the purpose. The chief part of the brooder is the source of
heat. Usually these heaters can be bought for a few dollars, and placed
in a good box supplied with a little litter on the bottom.

A common arrangement with brooder equipments is to have two
compartments, one where a hover is placed, and the rest of the
brooder constituting a run for the chicks. The two compartments are
usually partitioned off from each other, allowing just enough room
at the bottom of the partition to allow the chicks to pass from one
compartment to the other. In the hover compartment is placed the
heater, and a metal canopy, so that the heat will be held down close to
the floor, where the chicks are located. At first, the chicks should be
confined to this hover entirely, because they are liable to get lost if
they wander away from the hover, and consequently die from chilling.
The temperature of the hover compartment during the first week should
be about 96 degrees F., and each succeeding week it should be lowered
by at least two degrees. This can be done by controlling the lamp,
or what ever heater is used, or by gradually raising or lowering the
canopy over the chicks. This method gradually toughens the chicks up,
so that they can soon be let out doors. After the first week or so,
they should be encouraged to get out into the other compartment for
exercise, as this will aid in making them hardy. After the first few
weeks of the life of the chicks are past, they will need less care and
attention. These first few weeks are the critical weeks of the bird’s
life. After the chicks get accustomed to the temperature out in the
run of the brooder, it is advisable to cut a small hole at the run end
of the brooder box, so that on pleasant days they can run outside on
the ground around the brooder. In this case, however, they must not be
allowed to run very far at first, and only for a short while until they
gradually become accustomed to the practice.

Another important consideration in raising the young chick to maturity
is the matter of food. Probably no other thing is responsible for such
a high mortality in young chicks, as is improper feeding. We have
learned in a previous chapter that it is exceedingly dangerous to feed
the chick anything in the line of food for the first two days of its
life. Many people are afraid the chicks will die if not fed immediately
after hatching, and hasten to feed the chick all that it will eat.
Unless the chick is endowed with a wonderful digestive system, it
will succumb to this over-feeding through digestive disorders. It
is permissible to put a little grit before the chick at this time,
because the chick has no teeth, and never will have, so they eat the
grit, and this grit passes down to the gizzard, which grinds the food
in place of grinding with the teeth, as with other animals. Fresh
water is also good for the chick during this period, as the water
quenches their thirst, and makes them livelier. Towards the end of the
second day, it is well to feed the chick a little sour skim milk, or
buttermilk. Sour milk is superior to the sweet milk for two reasons.
First, the sour skim milk has bacteria that aid in digestion, and
secondly, it will be found that it will be hard to keep the milk sweet
all the time, and by feeding sweet milk part of the time, and then
letting it become sour, digestive troubles are liable to develop.
Hence, by having it sour all the time, no danger from this source will
be experienced.

Now, we are ready to consider what kind of grain we shall feed the
chick. On the third day we can start to feed a little grain. What is
known as pinhead oatmeal is very good to start the young chick out on.
Some feed hard boiled eggs and dried bread for the first feeding with
good results. It is important to note that only enough of this first
solid food should be fed that they can clean up in a short time. Keep
them hungry, and remember that it is much safer to under feed than to
over feed.

For the next week, or so, a scratch ration, composed of cracked corn,
pinhead oatmeal, cracked wheat, together with a little grit, and finely
ground oyster shells can be fed. This can be fed in the litter, so that
the chicks have to exercise to get it. In fact, that is just what we
mean by a scratching ration; one composed of whole or cracked grains,
mixed in with the litter, so that the chicks will have to scratch for
their feed, and thereby obtain the exercise necessary to their health.
If a little green feed of any kind can be added, so much the better.
Green grass is excellent to throw into the chicks.

After two weeks or more of this kind of feed, it is well to supplement
this ration with a dry mash. A dry mash is a feed composed of ground
feeds, that require no work on the part of the bird to grind. Feeds
like wheat bran, ground oats, corn meal, etc., are good examples of
such feeds. Wheat bran is especially well liked by these young birds,
and it is recommended that they be allowed to have this as a large
part of their dry mash. This feed should not be fed in the litter, as
the cracked grains, but placed in some such container as a pan, or
better still, in a regular feed hopper. It can readily be seen that
if this finely ground grain was scattered in the litter, it would be
largely lost and wasted. Also, if put in a pan, the pan must be low
enough to be accessible to the birds, and covered over in such a manner
that the chicks will not get in and walk around in it. A homemade
hopper can be easily built, so that the chicks can just get their heads
in, and no more. Do not forget that the sour skim milk or buttermilk
must be fed all this time. In fact, this part of the feed should be fed
right through the bird’s life, as it supplies the animal protein, which
is so necessary to the proper development of the bird’s growth.

Now, then, just a few more words in closing this chapter on brooding.
We should aim to toughen the birds up as quickly as possible, so
that when they are about two months old, no artificial heat will
be necessary, and if the birds are of a late hatch, this can be
accomplished much sooner. Encourage them to get out of doors as
quickly as possible, and to get green feed.

A very serious cause of death among young chickens is from disease.
White diarrhoea is probably one of the most common of these diseases,
and unfortunately, one of the most fatal. If the droppings are of a
white, watery nature, with an offensive odor, you may well believe
that this disease is present, and the thing to do is to get the birds
thus affected out of the way at once, and disinfect with some good
disinfectant. However, if the precautions are taken that are set forth
in this booklet, no danger of this dreaded disease can be anticipated.

Now that we have got the chicks along through the brooding period, let
us next consider just how we shall raise these chicks to maturity, so
as to get them ready to lay eggs, or to make a good meat carcass.




CHAPTER VI.

REARING CHICKS TO MATURITY.


One of the chief things to remember in raising young chicks to maturity
is that we must keep them growing at all times. A check in their
growth will retard their growth severely, and this must be avoided
by the one that wants his chicks to get into winter laying condition
before the cold weather comes. We will now consider a few important
factors that are necessary to bring our chicks along to rapid growth.

Of course, where free, unrestricted range is possible, the chicks
will progress faster than when cooped up in a small yard. If no free
range is possible, it will be found advantageous to at least let
the chicks run about the yard of the lot. In this manner, they can
pick up considerable food in the shape of worms, insects, etc., that
will furnish valuable growing food for them. Let me repeat again the
necessity of having milk in some form as a constituent of the chicks’
food. Any food that comes from an animal, whether it be milk or a part
of the animal itself, is highly essential to the growth of the chick.
Such foods contain an element known as vitamines, which scientists have
recently discovered contribute greatly to the growth and upkeep of a
growing animal. Vitamines are also found to some extent in green feeds,
such as carrots, cabbages, mangoes, etc. Even well cured alfalfa hay
contains this important element. It is quite obvious, therefore, that
if the chicks are out roaming around the yard or range, they not only
secure the exercise that is necessary for their proper development,
but they also pick up insects, as has been mentioned, and considerable
green feed, such as grass, weeds, and various other odds and ends.

If a fair sized lot or range is to be had, then it will be found a
great aid to make a little house for the chicks to live in during the
nights on the range, although care must be exercised that they be
protected from enemies, such as rats, crows, skunks, weasels, owls,
etc. Such a house need not be expensive at all if it be made out of an
old packing box that will protect the chicks from rain and enemies.

Another quite essential feature for the promotion of the maximum growth
of the chicks during the warm summer months is the provision for shade.
If there are some trees about the yard or range, this will answer the
purpose satisfactorily, but if there are no trees where the chicks
roam, then some artificial shade is advised. Some people plant corn
for this purpose, allowing the chicks to range among the corn plants
when the corn has grown sufficiently high. The chicks will not harm the
corn, so two ends can be accomplished by this means. Others provide
this shade by gathering old brush together and making an artificial
shade in this manner. During the hot days of summer, the chicks will
suffer from the heat to a marked degree if exposed to the hot rays of
the sun. An ideal method used on many farms is to place the chicks in
the orchard, where there is an orchard, and let the chicks roam in the
shade of the orchard trees.

Where birds are necessarily confined to a small yard, one method that
has been worked out satisfactorily, is to fence the yard off into two
or more divisions, and to plow up the land. Then various crops can be
sown at different intervals, so that when one range, or division, is
consumed by the chicks, they can be turned into another division where
the forage crop is up and ready to be consumed. As soon as the chicks
are turned out of the first lot, this lot can be immediately plowed up
again, and some more seeds planted, so that this range will be ready
for the chicks when the second lot furnishes no more nourishment for
them. It might be added here that many town flocks of full grown
birds are maintained, by this very system, and it has worked out very
nicely. Such grains as buckwheat, rye, oats, peas, and soy beans are
all excellent crops to sow in this manner, using oats and peas for the
first crop, because they mature quicker than the other crops mentioned.

If the chicks have access to a fair amount of range they will not need
a great deal of grain as a ration. However, it is always advisable
to feed some grains to keep the birds continually growing as fast as
possible. It has been proved conclusively that the first gains made by
the growing chicks are the cheapest, in regard to the cost of feed, so
let us keep this in mind during the time when we have them on range.
To accomplish this end, it is well to have a dry mash of the kind of
grains that are fairly rich in the substance called protein always
available in the hopper. The reason for this need of protein feed is
simply that the growing bird uses this element largely in the growth
of its body. Protein goes to make up the bony framework of the body,
and the muscles, tendons, etc. Therefore, feeds containing protein,
or a fair amount of it at least, should be ground up, and kept before
the birds. Oats, bran, or middlings, wheat and barley, are all fairly
rich in protein, and some of these feeds, in a finely ground condition,
should be included. It is also well to add some corn meal, although
this feed is not high in protein, it supplies a great amount of energy
for the bird to move around with. As soon as the birds are old enough
commence to feed cracked grains. As has been said in a previous
chapter, the bird has no teeth, so must rely upon grit to grind this
feed in the gizzard.

Therefore, unless the birds have a wide range, this grit must be
artificially supplied. Then the birds can help themselves to their
needs, and suffer no digestive troubles. Fresh water must be before
the birds at all times, and if no natural source is available, such
as a running stream or brook, then fresh water must be placed in some
sanitary container out in the yard or range.

From four to six months from the time the chick is hatched, it should
be ready to start laying eggs. The chick first has to get its growth
and maturity, and then there is an apparent resting period for a few
weeks, to allow the organs of the bird to get ready for egg production.
We will next consider how we shall feed these birds, granting that we
now have them ready to produce the eggs.




CHAPTER VII.

FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION


As has been said in an earlier chapter, to get the maximum egg
production, three things are essential. They are: good foundation
stock, proper housing, and proper feeding. We may have the best chicken
house in the world, and the highest priced stock obtainable, but if we
do not feed our birds the right kind of food, all our other efforts are
in vain. Let us consider first a few facts concerning the composition
of the egg, and then we will be able to understand more intelligently
why we should feed the laying bird these certain feeds.

About 14 per cent of the composition of the egg is protein, 10 per
cent fat, and the remainder, except the shell, is water. Now it must
be remembered that the ordinary protein supply of most food materials
is relatively low. Corn contains about 7 per cent digestible protein,
oats and barley about 9 per cent, and bran about 12 per cent. The
roughages are considerably lower, while green feeds carry about one or
two per cent protein. From this we can get an idea about the necessity
of watching the feeding to the extent that this valuable constituent
is sufficiently supplied. Furthermore, the hen that is producing these
eggs needs a fair amount of this protein for further growth and body
upkeep. Another point worth remembering is the fact that the bird, or
any other animal, through natural instinct, always sees to it that the
first requirement, that of bodily growth and upkeep are maintained
first with the food they are given, so that to get the most from the
birds, let us not hold them down to just a maintenance ration, but give
them enough in addition so that they can not only maintain their body
requirements properly, but also have enough food material to yield a
product.

The ration for the laying hen should consist of the two forms of grain;
first, the whole or cracked grains that comprise the scratch ration,
and which should always be thrown in the litter, so that they will
have to exercise to get it, and second, the dry mash, or a mixture
of various grains that are ground up and fed in hoppers. As has been
stated before, this grinding of the feed is simply to make it easily
digestible. Furthermore, such finely ground grains usually contain a
higher percentage of protein than the other grains. By this is meant
that feeds like bran, oilmeal, etc., are quite a bit higher in protein
than are grains like corn, wheat, barley, etc.

The next important feed requirement for the laying hen should be
a mineral feed of some kind. With many farm and city flocks this
important consideration is entirely ignored. Many times the reason
for poor egg production rests solely in the lack of proper mineral
foods. When it is considered that about 12 percent of the entire egg is
composed of shell material, it can readily be seen that the feeding of
this material is important, and worthy of attention. We can give the
laying bird all the rich feeds that we can buy, but if we withhold from
her the material that goes to form the shell, then the bird will be
unable to lay her eggs because she has no shell to cover the egg. There
are different sources of mineral food, but all authorities are agreed
that oyster shells form the most economical source of shell material.
These oyster shells can be bought at grocery stores, or poultry supply
houses. This material should be placed in a box or, better still, a
hopper, where it will be accessible to the birds at all times. Clam
shells, lime rock grit, and dry bone in small sizes are other sources
of mineral matter, and possibly even better results can be obtained by
adding a small quantity of these other feeds to the oyster shells, but
plan to have oyster shells as the basis of the mineral supply. Charcoal
is sometimes fed to chickens with good results. Some birds eat this,
while others will not. It is claimed that charcoal aids in regulating
the digestive system of the fowl. One can try this out to satisfy his
own ideas in this regard.

Animal feed is the next class of feeds that we will consider in the
feeding of our laying flock. It is the testimony of poultrymen that
when they hang up a fresh piece of meat in the poultry house, such as
a part of a calf, an old horse, rabbit, or any other such carcass,
the birds always respond with a much higher yield in egg production.
This simply reinforces the statement made in a previous chapter, that
animal protein of some kind is needed by the birds if they are to do
their best. If meat is supplied, care must be exercised that it does
not spoil before it is consumed. It is better to put in small pieces at
a time, so that the birds will eat it up quickly. If this meat can be
run through a grinder of some kind, it will be eaten much more readily
than if it has to be torn to pieces by the birds. Milk of some kind is
also an animal protein, as has been repeated here several times. Meat
meal or tankage contains a high percentage of protein, and as this is
an animal product, it is an economical feed.

Water is our last class of feeds for the laying hen. This can be
supplied in two ways. The first way is from the water direct, placed
in some kind of a pan that is covered so that the birds can not soil
the water, by perching on the edge of the pan, etc. Fresh water should
be before the birds at all times, as we have just learned a few pages
back that about 65 per cent of the egg is composed of water. Besides
this, the birds need water for their body requirements. In the winter
when the birds spend practically all of their time in the poultry
house, and can not have the opportunity of picking up grass, and other
green feeds, we can supply water to them in the form of some kind of
green feeds, such as sprouted oats, cabbages, mangoes, or any other
vegetables to be had. All these feeds are to be recommended highly,
as they not only are composed largely of water, but add bulk to the
ration, and aid in keeping the bird laxative. Sprouted oats can be
raised in shallow pans, and given to the birds in small quantities
at a time. It is usually advisable to have several pans of sprouting
oats say, for instance, one for every day in the week, so that a fresh
supply can be given to the birds every morning. Nearly every supply
house has patent oat sprouters to sell at reasonable prices. Cabbages
and mangoes are also fed extensively to the laying birds during the
winter months, but provision must be made before hand to raise them in
the summer, and to properly store them in the fall, so that they will
be fresh when taken out of storage for feeding. One very good way to do
this is to pile them together in a basement and cover them with sand.

Let us next consider a few practical grain rations, that have been
tried out by successful poultry men. These rations are always
classified as scratch rations and dry mash rations. One very good
ration is as follows: Scratch Feed, 3 parts cracked corn, 1 part wheat,
1 part oats, 1 part barley. Dry mash, 1½ part bran, 1½ part middlings,
1 part corn meal, 1 part meat scraps or tankage. Another very good
practical ration is composed as follows: Scratch feed, 3 parts corn,
1 part oats, and 1 part barley. Dry mash, one part each of bran,
middlings, ground corn, ground oats and meat scraps. These feeds should
always be measured by weight, and not by bulk.

Now, then, just a few words in regard to the feeding of these grains.
Always send the birds to roost with full crops. This is especially
important during cold weather. It is much better if they be allowed to
fill up on scratch grain rather than dry mash. The scratch ration is
more bulky than the mash feed, and helps in keeping the bird warm. In
fact, many successful poultry men close the hopper of their dry mash
ration during the afternoon, and thus make the birds take the scratch
feed in the litter, thereby encouraging the birds to obtain exercise,
also.

We will close this chapter with a brief discussion on a recent
development in the system of feeding birds. This is in regard to the
introduction of artificial light. This practice has successfully passed
beyond the “fad” stage and is now being used by successful poultry men
all over the country. By supplying this extra light, the working day
is thereby lengthened to the extent that the light is prolonged, and
consequently, gives the bird a day similar to a summer day in length.
The birds, by having this extra period of light, work just that much
longer, and as a result, they are able to make more eggs. Everywhere
this system has been given a trial, it has been found a paying
proposition. One very common method in supplying this light is by
connecting the alarm clock to the electric lighting system and setting
the alarm at a period around four or five o’clock in the morning. This
throws on the light in the chicken house, and then when the owner
arises in the morning, he can go out and turn out the lights if it is
light enough to do so by that time.

Thus we have considered the main points in feeding for egg production.
While we have some of these important feeding principles still fresh in
our mind, let us in the next chapter consider feeding birds for their
flesh, because one very important part of the poultry business lies in
the feeding of birds for meat. In the ordinary flock of birds, there
are always some that we want to dispose of, such as the male birds and
the culls of the females. If we know how to fatten these, we will be
that much better off financially.




CHAPTER VIII.

FEEDING FOR MEAT PRODUCTION


The primary object in feeding birds for the market is to get them well
covered with flesh, so that they will be plump all over. It is the
difference in the weight of the bony skeleton and the weight of the
well filled out carcass that determines the amount of edible meat on
the bird. Hence our object in this process is to put on as much surplus
flesh as we can.

Usually there are three classes of birds that are put on the market
for meat purposes. They are roasters, broilers, and old hens. Roasting
chickens are very common on the market, and the object is large size
with a tender carcass. These can be either pullets or cockerels, or
capons. They are often put on the market during the late fall or early
winter, and bring the highest prices at that time.

Broilers are birds about three or four months old, forced along to
a rapid growth, but still possessing tender flesh. This offers an
excellent way of disposing of the male birds, since usually the sex of
the young birds can be distinguished at about two months of age.

Old hens constitute the third division of the meat classes placed upon
the market, and are generally composed of those birds that are through
laying, or the ones that have been found to be unprofitable. Their
meat is usually much tougher than the first two mentioned classes, and
consequently used in city restaurants for meat pies, etc.

In fattening birds for the market, a somewhat different procedure is
followed than in feeding for egg production. We found that in feeding
for egg production we encouraged the birds in every way possible to
take all the exercise that they could get. We do just the opposite
in putting flesh on the birds. We restrict their exercise as much as
possible, and pen them up in small quarters so that their feed largely
goes to nothing but putting flesh on their bodies. It can easily be
seen that when birds are roaming around, exercising more or less all
day long, that there is little chance for them to get very fat.

Now as to the nature of the feed for fattening these birds. We will
still need some protein feeds, but not as much as in the case of
feeding for eggs. However, we will need feeds which are quite rich in
carbohydrates and fat. These are easily obtained and are relatively
cheap. Corn is an excellent ration for this purpose.

Since the birds are confined to small pens, and exercise restricted,
it becomes evident that digestion becomes an important factor here.
Therefore, it is advisable to have plenty of grit before the birds at
all times, so that their food will be properly ground.

We must not get the idea, just because we are feeding for flesh, that
the birds should be stuffed to their limit with feed. To do so, would
be to have a lot of the birds off feed, and consequently we would be
worse off than not to feed them enough. It is best to plan to feed them
about three times a day, and to feed them all that they will cleanup in
a certain length of time, as from twenty minutes to half an hour. Some
are successful in feeding only twice a day, instead of three times a
day.

Corn is usually the basis of fattening rations and should always
have a prominent place in the ration. Here again, milk in some form
is excellent to supply some of the protein that is needed. Corn must
be supplemented by other grains, such as oats, barley or middlings,
provided they are in a finely ground condition. Some feeders follow the
plan of feeding part of these grains in the form of a wet mash, using
the skim milk to moisten the mash, but when this is done, care must
be exercised in seeing that the mash is cleaned up at every feeding,
otherwise the trough will become mouldy, with bad results to the birds.

There has come into use within recent years a method of fattening
birds by what is known as crate fattening. This is practiced
considerably by some of the big packing companies. The birds are
bought up from the surrounding territory and brought into the central
fattening station. They are then placed in small pens, or batteries,
as they are called, and fed a ration composed largely of skim milk and
corn meal, with a few other feeds added, such as red dog flour, bran,
etc. This is mixed into a thin, pasty feed, and fed the birds from a
trough running along in front of the pens. They are fed this way for a
period of two weeks or more, and are then taken out, dressed, and sold
to the big city markets as milk fed chickens, and always bring several
cents a pound more on the market than other poultry, because of the
tenderness of the flesh. In this process, even greater care must be
exercised in watching the feeding of the birds, and only feed that they
will cleanup in about fifteen or twenty minutes.

Crate feeding has appealed to many town lot poultry men, who have
bought up culls of the neighboring territory, put them in small crates
or pens, and fed them this milk feed for a few weeks and then marketed
them, securing the top prices on the market.

We have now discussed the most important items connected with the
feeding of the birds for various purposes. Let us now examine the
living quarters of the birds, and see if we can improve the housing
conditions in which the birds live during the winter months.




CHAPTER IX.

COMMON FAULTS OF POULTRY HOUSES


If you were to take a trip through the surrounding country, with
the intention of inspecting the living quarters of farm poultry,
in general, you would discover some of the most wretched houses
imaginable. All of our intelligent feeding would be of little use
if we penned our chickens up in a coop with little sunlight, poor
ventilation, cold, damp floors, drafty sides, and foul, damp air. It
doesn’t cost any more to build a poultry house with correct principles
involved, than it does to build one that lacks these essential
features. The birds care very little about the appearance of the house.
They want fresh dry air, freedom from drafts, a warm floor, and plenty
of sunshine.

One of the most common faults with most poultry houses is the matter of
ventilation. When poultry raising was first looked upon as a promising
business, many men erected houses containing a large proportion of
glass. It was thought that the sunshine was the only necessary feature
for the birds under winter conditions, and they made their chicken
houses veritable hot houses. But the results were not as had been
anticipated. It was found that while the houses were fairly warm in
the day time, they cooled off considerable at night, and poor results
were obtained from this wide range between the day temperature and the
night temperature. Then another step was taken by these pioneers. They
decided to heat their houses artificially. But even this system did not
bring forth the big yield of eggs that had been hoped for. In all this
expensive procedure, a very important element had been overlooked, and
that was the matter of fresh air.

About twenty years ago, there was devised a poultry house that was a
radical departure from this previous type of house. It was called
the open front house, and gave surprisingly good results, where all
previous types had failed, as regards egg production. This house was
constructed briefly as follows: It was of the shed roof type; that is,
had just one slant in the roof, the highest pitch being in front, and
the lowest pitch in the rear. It had plenty of window light in the
front side, about half of the south side, or front, being devoted to
windows. The rest of the front was left open, save for a thin muslin
curtain to cover the open space during bad weather. These curtains
were tacked to wooden frames, and swung on hinges, so that they could
be swung in to cover the open space at will. The most remarkable thing
about the system was that the hens began to lay eggs, when proper
feeding was obtained. Later, this led to the conclusion, now generally
accepted, that the birds can stand considerable cold, providing it is
not a damp cold, and that the temperature of the house is considerably
more uniform between night and day than was the case with the glass
house.

As a result many poultrymen who are making money with poultry use
some such system as the open front house with various changes. They
have found that fresh air is an absolute requirement to get the best
results. But this matter brought out a few more interesting facts. It
was found that dampness was a big drawback to egg production in cold
weather. If the damp foul air, breathed out by the chickens, could not
escape from the poultry building, the chickens did not have the health
and vigor that they did in well ventilated houses. Consequently, the
curtain helped considerably in allowing the fresh air to come in, and
for the foul air to go out. The damp air, being heavily laden with
moisture, settled to the bottom of the house, where the birds scratch,
and unless the curtains extend fairly well down near the bottom of
the house, the damp air has not a very good chance to escape, and
consequently, there will be more or less moisture even with this type
of house, if the damp air has no chance to escape.

Another common fault with a great many poultry buildings is that they
are drafty. The walls should all be air tight, except the south wall,
or front, as has been mentioned. If there is a draft in the house the
birds will contract a cold, and will take a prolonged vacation from
their job of laying eggs. It is not uncommon to find a crack in the
wall, just behind the perches of the house, and when we consider that
in such houses the birds stay all night in a direct draft, it is little
wonder that they appear so unhealthy.

There are a few other common faults that we will consider before
bringing this chapter to a close. It is often found that there are too
many birds cramped into a small house. It is a good plan to allow at
least four square feet of floor space for each bird that you winter.
For instance, if we were planning on having one hundred birds this
winter, we could have a house built twenty-five feet long, and sixteen
feet deep. Multiplying these two figures, gives us four hundred square
feet. Dividing this product by four, gives us allowance for one hundred
birds. Then, lastly, the floor, itself. Too often the floor is cold.
If a cement floor, we should cover it with about six or eight inches
of good, clean, dry litter. Even if made of wood, a good substantial
litter should be maintained. The best litter is probably of straw,
but peat moss is fast gaining favor at present, where straw is not
obtainable. With these few objections to guard against, let us next
discuss just how we shall go about constructing a poultry house that
will overcome the faults mentioned.




CHAPTER X.

HOUSING POULTRY FOR PROFIT.


In discussing plans for a modern poultry house, let it be mentioned at
the outset that this does not necessarily mean that our modern house
will be expensive, any more than the one that is built on old ideas. In
fact, many of the older houses were much more expensive than the modern
houses of today. As long as the poultry building includes the necessary
principles for the birds’ well-being, and this can be accomplished with
little added expense, that is all that is necessary.

In commenting upon the common faults of most poultry houses in the
previous chapter, we found that they generally lack one, or all of
such items as ventilation, dryness, sunlight, adequate floor space,
protection from rats, protection from extremes of temperature, and
simplicity of design. In arranging for a better house for our birds,
let us plan to keep these factors in mind, so as to get the most from
our birds.

Whether we are to build a new poultry house, or to remodel an old one,
we can design it so that all of these factors will be in evidence. If
we have an old poultry house, or if we can buy cheaply an old poultry
coop, that has fairly good lumber in it, we can probably do the
remodeling somewhat cheaper than if we have to buy all new lumber. If
we do purchase all new lumber, it is not advisable to get cheap lumber,
but buy the first grade, because it is necessary that the walls of the
house be air tight, and this is seldom possible with cheap lumber.

We will first consider briefly the possibilities of remodeling an old
poultry house. Probably the first thing that we will do is to cut some
openings in the front of the house for windows and curtains. From
one-half to two-thirds of the front should be devoted to window lights.
The remainder should be left for the muslin curtains to allow for fresh
air to enter, and for foul air to pass out. These should not be cut
up too high, but start at least a foot below the roof, and have the
window lights extend at least half way down the front of the house. The
curtains should extend quite a bit further down to the bottom of the
house, to allow the foul air sufficient opportunity to escape.

We should next examine the other walls and roof to make sure that they
are not drafty, nor leak water. Usually these walls can be patched
up with other boards, or heavy roofing paper, so that no draft is
possible. In northern climates, where weather below zero is common,
best results will be obtained by having two thicknesses of walls, to
protect against cold nights. Roofing paper is excellent to put between
the two walls, or even on the outside to aid in this matter. If the
roof leaks, it might be advisable to re-shingle part of it, and here
again roofing paper helps in making it weather tight.

We must next examine the floor. If a wooden floor, then it is advisable
to raise the house up from the ground about six inches, supporting it
with posts. Some people follow the plan of placing old tin pans or
plates upside down at the top of these posts and then setting the house
on, thereby eliminating the danger of rats, as the rats cannot climb
over the tin pans. If the house is to be a permanent structure it will
be found best to lay a concrete floor, as this floor will last for all
time, and will not need repairing. Such a floor is rat proof, but must
be covered with a good litter.

If a new house is to be constructed, then it will be best to follow
the principles laid down for a remodeled house to the extent of the
open front, weather tight walls and roof, good floor, and dry living
conditions. Wood is the most popular material that is used in building
chicken houses. Generally, 2 by 4s placed about two feet apart are
used for studding. Matched lumber or rough lumber aided by battens or
roofing paper compose the walls, this making them free from drafts. The
matched lumber is generally placed on the studding horizontally. The
lumber should be dry and free from knot holes, and well nailed together.

For the roof, shingles can be used, or some of the prepared roofing
paper on the market now has given good results. For quite flat roofs,
two or three ply roofing paper is preferred to the shingles.

We will now discuss the common types of poultry houses. The most
popular type and the cheapest, is the shed roof house. This house is
usually about eight feet high in front, slanting gradually to the rear
to a height of about five feet. It just has one slant, and, as has been
said, is cheaper to build than other types of houses. It is also much
easier to keep warm in the winter, because of the low roof, which means
less space has to be heated by the birds. Instead of curtain front
houses in such a type of poultry house, many poultry men are using
bafflers to let in the air. These bafflers are similar to a blind used
to shade living houses in some parts of the country. They are composed
of slats less than an inch apart, and placed in a slanting position,
rather than vertical or horizontal.

The gable roof house is another popular type. This differs from the
shed roof type of house in that its roof comes to a peak, with two
pitches, such as most modern bungalow dwelling houses have. This system
leaves a larger space at the top of the house, and is not as warm as
the shed roof type. It also costs more to build. However, it possesses
the advantage of allowing a straw loft to be placed at the top of the
house, which is an excellent way to get rid of excess moisture, when
it can be expelled no other way. The straw has the power to absorb the
excess moisture during the winter, but should be removed in the spring,
as it furnishes an excellent hiding place for mites, an insect that we
will discuss more thoroughly in a later chapter.

The half monitor type is not so popular as the two types already named,
and costs considerably more than either of the two previous types
discussed. This type of house has an arrangement similar to two shed
roof houses, facing each other, the rear house being somewhat higher
than the front house. Of course, such houses have their advantages, but
for the one who would start with moderation in the poultry business,
the shed roof, or the gable roof type will be far more attractive.
We have discussed the types of houses in this chapter. The fixtures,
or chicken furniture, has so far been omitted. Let us go inside of
our modern chicken house now, and see what is needed in the line of
equipment to complete our efficient egg production.




CHAPTER XI.

INTERIOR FIXTURES FOR THE LAYING HOUSES


There are certain devices that save a great deal of labor for the
poultry man, and also give the birds a more contented atmosphere. We
will start in with the floor. I want to repeat here, briefly, what has
already been said in regard to the litter on the floor of the house.
Birds with cold feet cannot be healthy. If the floor is covered with a
six-inch litter of straw, or shavings, the floor will be warm, and they
can be given a scratching ration that will make them exercise for their
food. By all means do not fail to have a good litter of some kind on
the floor during the late fall and winter months.

The birds are rather peculiar creatures, when it comes to retiring for
the night. They do not seek a place to lay down, but they look for
something that will resemble a limb of a tree, where they can perch
during the night. Man has therefore supplied something along this
line, by erecting round poles, made of wood, so that the birds will
have a convenient place to rest for the night. A few precautions must
be guarded against here, however, as very few poultry men have given
their birds suitable perches yet. The perches should be round, about
two inches in diameter, and erected on the same level with each other.
Too many perches are arranged in a ladder formation, having the rear
perch the highest, and the front perch the lowest. When the birds get
ready to go to roost, there is always an argument as to which bird
will have the rear roost, as they all want the highest place to roost,
or perch. If the perches are all on the same level, then there is no
preference, and things are more peaceful at roosting time. We should
plan on allowing about ten inches per bird for perching room. Plan to
have a distance of about fourteen inches between each perch, or pole.
Arrange these perches at the rear of the house, running parallel with
the rear wall.

All modern poultry men have what is known as a dropping board under the
perches, so that the droppings will not fall in the scratching litter
and soil this part of the scratching area. These dropping boards are
usually placed about six inches under the perches, and extend as far
forward as the perches do. This makes the job of cleaning the poultry
house quite a simple operation. It is advisable to sprinkle some sand
over the dropping boards to absorb the moisture and bad odor.

We have to give the birds a comfortable, well secluded place to lay
their eggs. This is sometimes done by placing the nests, or the part
facing the front wall, covered over with a board, that can be raised
by means of a hinge, when collecting the eggs. The hen can be made to
enter the nest from the rear, and if conditions are so that the nest
is darkened, then the hen will prefer this place to any other place in
the house. Nests can also be placed along the front wall, underneath
the windows, or on either side of the house. However, up to the present
time, below the dropping boards seems to be the most popular place for
the nests with most poultry men.

Every poultry house should have a dust box. This is a box partially
filled with dust or fine soil, and placed in the front part of the
house, so that it will be in the sunlight. The birds appreciate such a
device, and will use it generously, as this aids them in fighting off
insects that prey upon them.

Suitable containers for food and water should be provided, and kept
clean. The drinking fountains are of various designs, and one can
buy these very cheaply. They are usually jars or cans inverted, so
that the water will come out in a small opening at the bottom, just
large enough for the bird to stick its head in. The food containers,
for the dry mash are generally of the hopper kind, having a box-like
container with a trough at the bottom, so that the food falls down into
the small trough by gravity as the birds consume it. Thus, in a good
sized hopper, a week’s ration of mash can be put in the hopper without
further attention.




CHAPTER XII.

LICE AND MITES


While we have interior fixtures of the poultry house fresh in mind let
us turn our attention briefly to the study of parasites that live on
the hen, and that are detrimental to her progress. There are quite a
few various insects that depend upon the hen for their existence, but
for our purposes we can consider them in a general class of lice and
mites, as the treatment for each class is practically the same.

Let us first consider the case of lice. These insects live upon the
body of the hen, eating the flesh, and dead skin as it peels off. They
never leave the hen, and if conditions are favorable, will lay their
eggs on her body, thus multiplying rapidly if precautions are not taken
to look after this matter. It is always well to treat a setting hen for
lice before she is placed on the nest, and then once or twice after she
has started her job, because these lice will very readily transfer from
the mother hen to the young chicks, as soon as hatched, and a great
many chicks die every year from these lice. It is a splendid idea to
grease all baby chicks, especially those hatched by natural incubation,
with blue ointment, around the head parts, and wings. The hens can also
be greased in a similar manner over the whole body.

Here is where the dust box that we discussed briefly in the previous
chapter comes in, as the birds, wallowing in the box of dust, smother
the lice, by shaking the dust into the pores of the bird’s body. A
rather recent method of combating lice on birds is now fast gaining
favor. This is the Sodium Floride treatment. This is best used only on
a mild day, however, as the birds are quite wet after their treatment
under this method. The treatment is usually given as follows: Take an
ordinary wash tub, and fill nearly full with not too cold water. For
every gallon of water in the tub, add one ounce of sodium floride,
obtainable at any drug store. Dip the hen in this solution, tail
first, being sure to have a firm grasp on her so she will not splash
the water over. Dip her in this manner about three times, so that the
solution comes up in under the feathers. This method has been found
to be very effective. In extreme cases, where the lice are very bad,
another similar treatment can be given each bird about a month later.
Other good materials to apply to the bird’s body, besides those already
mentioned, are sweet oil, vaseline, and lard.

Now we come to another pest that is a little harder to get rid of
than the body lice. The mites, which are so bothersome to most
poultry, have the peculiar habit of staying on the birds only during
the night, creeping down at daylight to some crack or crevice to hide
until darkness again forces the birds to go to roost. These mites are
even more destructive in their work than are the body lice. They are
generally found in any crack or crevice about the perches. Here they
can obscure themselves, and be very close to their prey when ready to
begin their work at night. While the lice are eating insects, the mites
are sucking insects, and suck the blood of the birds during the night.
When the mite is hungry, he is of a yellowish color. When filled up,
however, with a good meal of blood, he is red. The mite is very small,
and is similar in construction to a spider.

If a flock of chickens are believed to be suffering from mites, and
there are very few, by the way, that are not troubled with these
pests, then it would be advisable first, to whitewash the poultry
house thoroughly, not only the roosting quarters, but the walls and
other fixtures inside the house. Kerosene is quite frequently used to
spray the nests with, but has not the lasting power that some of the
coal tar products possess. Recently, wood preservatives have been used
for the purposes of ridding the poultry house of mites, and very good
results have been obtained from this method.




CHAPTER XIII.

POULTRY DISEASES


It is not to be supposed that poultry, living under the artificial
conditions that man has ordained for them, can be entirely free from
diseases. In fact, very few poultry men can say that they have not had
some kind of disease affect their flock. Most diseases are contagious,
so it is important to be on the watch for any symptoms of anything out
of the ordinary. Sanitation plays a very important part in keeping the
flock free from diseases, and clean methods should always prevail. Do
not allow the house to become filthy and foul smelling. It is always a
good precaution to disinfect the poultry premises at least once a year
with a good whitewash or some strong disinfectant. This is about the
same as taking out a life insurance policy for the flock.

Dampness is probably about the most common cause for diseases. Disease
germs always multiply more rapidly in damp, dark quarters. Therefore
the advice given in an early chapter about keeping the poultry house
light and well ventilated, will bear repetition. If one is accustomed
to watching his birds as to their physical condition, he will be able
to notice the symptoms of any on-coming disease in time to isolate the
bird thus affected, before the disease has a chance to spread, if it
is a contagious disease. By watching a bird thus isolated, and also
looking very carefully for any further symptoms in the flock, one can
do considerable in checking the disease. The old adage, “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure,” certainly is true in this case.

Indigestion is a very common ailment with poultry, especially with
those birds that are fed heavy for egg production. Usually a little
laxative material placed in the drinking water, and making more of
their ration a scratching ration, in order to induce exercise, is
probably as simple and effective a treatment as can be given.

Roup, chicken pox, and canker are also very common poultry diseases.
These three diseases are all supposed to be due to a small organism
which multiply very rapidly, and acts mostly on the skin of the bird.
These diseases are not similar in appearance, however, despite the fact
that their source is the same.

Roup attacks the mucous membrane lining of the nose, and eye. These
parts become red and inflamed, and infected with a pus formation. This
disease is spread largely through the drinking water, and is prevalent
in the spring when it is damp. Keep the birds healthy and vigorous,
provide proper ventilation, and have things as dry as possible, and
little should be feared from this source.

Chicken pox makes its appearance on the comb and wattles, and also on
the face of the bird, by small pockets on these parts. The remedy is
the same in this case as has been stated for roup, except that if only
a few birds have contracted the disease, each bird can be taken in hand
and given individual treatment, by removing the crust over the sores,
and applying a good disinfectant.

Canker manifests itself by pale yellow spots on the inside of the
mouth. This is best treated, as soon as discovered, by scraping off
this light yellow material, and applying a good disinfectant.

All of these last three named diseases are caused by the same
conditions, and by avoiding these conditions very little trouble will
be experienced in this malady. Birds that have had any of the above
mentioned diseases should never be used for breeding purposes, as their
offspring will have a predisposition to the same ailment.

Sometimes the perches are placed too high in the chicken house, and
the birds have to jump too far to reach the floor. When this happens,
a hard lump often forms on the sole of the foot. This is sometimes
called bumble foot, and is usually evident in the chicken’s walk.
Nothing but cutting out the hard part, and washing the sore with a good
disinfectant can remedy this condition.

While frosted combs could not be called a contagious disease, we will
discuss this matter briefly, before closing this chapter. In severe
weather, when the temperature is below zero, and there is considerable
dampness in the poultry house, frozen combs are quite frequent. This
is especially true of the lighter birds, which possess larger head
parts than do the heavier breeds. When a bird has its comb or wattles
frozen, it will stop laying for a considerable period of time, usually
a month at least. If birds are found on a cold winter morning with
frozen combs, they should be treated with snow or cold water, to take
out the frost, and then treated daily with vaseline until cured. It
is well to provide a pole up near the roof of the poultry house, upon
which a curtain, made of burlap or some old cloth, is arranged so that
on cold winter nights this curtain can be lowered directly in front of
the front perch. This will tend to protect the birds from the excessive
cold, by conserving the heat given off by their bodies during the night.




CHAPTER XIV.

CULL THE FLOCK


When the poultry industry was being established upon a business
foundation, many of the leading breeders devised the idea of measuring
the egg capacity of their birds by actually counting the eggs laid by
their best birds. This practice is still followed by many poultry
breeders, but is a job that consumes considerable time, and it can be
seen that only those who are constantly with the flock could be able
to do this. But within the last few years, there has been developed a
system whereby one can tell by the external appearance of the bird just
about what her ability as an egg producer will be in one year. A Mr.
Hogan was the first man to notice these characteristics and his method
has been so far perfected that most poultry keepers are quite familiar
with it, and thereby saved the bother of trap-nesting.

This culling process, as it is called, is best accomplished during
the months of August and September. By picking up each female in the
flock at this time, except of course the spring pullets, one can find
out which birds are still laying, and which ones have already quit.
It has been in the past too much the custom of farmers to go out into
their poultry flock in the fall of the year, and pick out the birds
that had not yet started to moult, and whose appearance was ragged and
rather uncomely. These birds would be picked out by the farmer, or
in many cases his wife, and sent to market as meat birds, and they
would keep the birds who had already moulted, and whose feathers were
in splendid color at that time. However, in the light of recent facts
brought out by this culling process, we now know that these rather
ragged, unsightly birds were our best layers, and should have been kept
because they had been working continuously, not taking the time off to
quit laying and look pretty, as had their more lazy companions. There
are still a great number of people that cling to the old method, but
the light is dawning, and it will probably be but a short while before
practically everyone interested in poultry will know of this culling
method, and who can in a brief examination of a bird tell quite readily
whether she should be kept or sold.

We will now discuss the various methods by which a bird can be judged
as to her egg laying ability. No one sign can be relied upon, but the
different signs taken together should form the final judgment. One can
usually tell something about the bird by her general habits. The good
layer is a busy hen. She is happy, singing, and not as afraid of the
attendant as is the loafer. As this hen usually eats more than the
non-layer, she is usually found busily scratching in the litter for
the food material with which she makes her eggs. The good layer is
always the first off the roost in the morning, and the last one to go
to roost at night. Watch out for the timid, crafty hen that stays on
the outskirts of the flock. She is lazy, inactive, and the quicker she
is sent to the butcher, the better. Another very good aid in forming
judgment as to the ability of the birds, is to go around the roosts at
night, after the birds have all gone to roost. Feel of their crops. The
good layer that has been working hard to get together food material for
her eggs will have a full crop, while her lazy companions, that are not
so interested in producing eggs, will have a fairly empty crop at this
time. Little items such as I have mentioned here will tell considerable
about the ability of the birds. It is a fact that there are any number
of birds in America that lay only a few dozen eggs per year, but are
kept the year round, because the owner has had no way of knowing the
producers from the non-producers.

As has been already brought out, the heavy layers molt late. Often
they continue laying up until October and November. If you have hens
nearly naked of feathers in October or November, just rest assured
that these are your most profitable birds, and that they did not quit
laying to put on a pretty coat of feathers in the middle of the summer.
You should mark these birds in some manner, so that you can use them
as breeders for the coming winter, because, if they are mated with a
cockerel, that is the son of a good layer, your strain will be greatly
improved, because these birds will transmit their laying ability to
their offspring.

A good laying hen will have a long, broad, and deep, rectangular body,
with top and bottom lines parallel. This large sized body is essential
to the hen, so that she will have sufficient room to digest enough food
to make her eggs. A broad back is also necessary for proper room for
the reproductive organs that make the egg. The head of the good layer
is always of a healthy appearance. The good layer has a short stubby
beak, or bill, and gracefully curved, as compared to the long shapeless
bill of the loafer. The eyes are prominent, and stick out similar to a
shoe button, rather than sunken in. The combs and wattles are red, and
not pale, as in the non-layer.

The good layer will not have the bright colored yellow, after she has
been laying for a short while, that the loafer will have. This is
because she uses this yellow pigment in making the yolk of her eggs,
so that as her laying period proceeds, she becomes more and more faded
in her bill, eye lids, ear lobes, and shanks. Consequently, if some of
your birds have a faded appearance, don’t condemn them, they are the
hardest workers in your flock. Furthermore, the hen with worn toe-nails
is one that should be kept, because this shows us quite clearly that
she uses them considerably in scratching for her feed.

Now let us examine the anatomy of the hen a little more closely so that
we can get some more evidence for or against the hen in question. One
of the most common ways, nowadays, in picking out the laying hen is to
examine what is known as the pelvic bones. These are found on either
side of the vent, towards the rear of the body. They are generally
called the lay bones by most poultry men. They both mean the same.
Now these bones tell a vivid story. These bones are usually measured
by the fingers, or as to how many fingers can be inserted between the
two bones. A poor layer will have a thick, grizzly covering of meat
over the lay, or pelvic bones, and just about the width of one finger
can be inserted between them. This shows us quickly that she is not
a layer. Then, lets compare this poor layer to the good layer. Here
we find something different. There is just a slight covering over the
pelvic bones. The meat is thin and spare. If we feel of the bones, we
find them quite thin and pliable. We next try to insert as many fingers
between the two bones as possible. We will find that we can insert at
least two fingers, and probably three, if our fingers are not too wide.
The heavier the hen is laying, the wider the distance between the bones.

Now, while we have the bird, let us look a little further into this
bird’s conformation. The keel bone, or rear end of the breast bone, can
be used as one unit, and the lay bones as the other unit of measure.
See how many fingers you can get between the lay bones and the keel
bone. Even for a small breed you should easily get in the width of
three fingers, and for a larger breed you should get in the width of
four fingers. This measures the hen’s capacity for feed.

This distance between the lay bones and the keel bone is called the
abdomen. We can tell considerable about the hen by the texture of the
abdomen skin. If the skin is tough, and meaty, we can say right away
that she is not a good hen, but if the skin is tender, pliable, and
soft, then we can feel assured that she must be kept in the flock.

These are the principal features in selecting the laying hen. If
one can get these principles in mind, and go out into his flock and
separate the hens into two flocks, and keep these two flocks apart for
a while, he would discover some interesting things. For instance, cull
out the poor hens and put them in one pen. Possibly you will have the
largest pen, when you have finished, composed of the poor layers. Keep
the good hens in another pen separated from the poor ones. Keep feeding
the same feeds as you had been doing before you separated the flock
into two pens. Now, for a few weeks, compare the daily egg record of
the two flocks. You will find that there is about as much difference
as between night and day. Now, to bring the lesson home a little more
forceful, just figure out what it costs you per day to keep these star
boarders, and see if you think culling is a paying proposition. Most
every agricultural college has a bulletin printed on culling giving
essentially the same information as I have given, but they usually have
quite a few illustrations that will make the procedure a little more
clearer than I have done.




CHAPTER XV.

PRESERVING EGGS FOR WINTER


It was deemed advisable to add a few words in this little booklet in
regard to collecting eggs when they are cheap, and storing them away
for the part of the year when eggs are high priced. During the months
of March, April, May, and June eggs are the cheapest on the market,
due to the fact that the birds are all laying during these few months,
and consequently, the supply far exceeds the average demand. If we
pay fifteen cents for a dozen of eggs in April, or May, and then in
December we pay sixty cents or more for the same product, then it can
easily be seen that it is a paying proposition to store some of these
cheap spring eggs for winter use. We will now take up the method of
storing these spring eggs for our December breakfast.

To make this process about 100 per cent efficient, it is best to candle
the eggs first, before storing them away. This process of candling has
been explained in a previous chapter. If the air cell, at the blunt
end of the egg is small, then we may be sure that the egg is of recent
origin. If the contents look clear, and the yolk is not loose, inside
the shell, then we need have no fears as to the edibility of the egg.
One very good way, for one not accustomed to candling, is to examine
a few in front of the light, and then break a few in a dish, so as
to get the proper relation fixed in mind. If we can secure eggs that
are infertile, we will not have to throw out hardly any eggs in this
process.

In preparing to preserve our eggs for winter, there are several
methods used by people who follow this practice. Some just pack the
eggs in sawdust in a box or barrel, but this method is not always
reliable. There are two standard ways of preserving these eggs. One is
in using waterglass, and the other is the use of lime water solution.
Both methods are reliable, but the first named method seems to be the
more popular of the two. In either case, earthen crocks or wooden pails
are the best containers. Neither of these solutions affects them. A
three gallon container is large enough to preserve ten dozen eggs.
For this sized container, about six quarts of the solution will be
necessary.

We will discuss the waterglass method first. Procure the amount of
waterglass that you will need for this year at a drug store. Use this
at the rate of one pint of waterglass to nine pints of water. Before
mixing the two liquids, boil the water, and let it cool. Then mix the
two liquids, in the proportion stated, and place in container. Then add
the eggs, (about ten dozen to this mixture), and store in a cool place.
Be sure that there is about two or three inches of the solution above
the eggs, and add a little water occasionally to replace the water lost
by evaporation.

The lime solution is mixed a little differently. Slack about two pounds
of quick lime in a small quantity of hot water. After this has slacked,
add it to about two gallons of water, and then add one pound of salt.
Stir this in a thorough manner, and then allow the mixture to settle.
There will then be found a sediment in the bottom of the solution. Pour
off the clear liquid, and use this as the preservative material. Then
keep the same as directions given for the waterglass preparation. In
this manner, one can have table eggs the year round at a reasonable
price.




CHAPTER XVI.

SELLING THE PRODUCT


We have discussed the main points to be considered in raising various
poultry products in this little booklet. However, much of our success
in the poultry business will depend on our ability to obtain the top
prices for our products after we have raised them. In fact, this is
the cry all over the country now among the farming population. The
various agricultural agencies that have heretofore spent considerable
time and effort in teaching the farmer to raise a large quantity of
good products, have apparently accomplished this result, and now these
same agencies are trying to organize the farmers into selling their
products so that they can receive a higher price for them.

The farmer usually has no time to devote to the special marketing of
his crop, as he is too busy raising farm products, so attempts at
co-operative marketing have been made. There have been many failures
in this method in the past, but now the farmer realizes that this
system is really his only salvation, and he is receiving the idea of
co-operation in a better mood than he did in the past. However, for
the one living in town, with but a small flock of birds, more time
can usually be devoted to this end of the business, with splendid
returns. Many town lot poultry keepers can sell all the eggs that they
can get just around to their neighbors, who are usually glad to pay a
little more than the market price for the assurance that the eggs are
strictly fresh. However, if one has a fairly good yield of winter eggs,
and is not content to sell the eggs to his neighbors at around market
price, there are other methods that can bring much higher returns.

Some poultry raisers get in touch with local or neighboring hotels and
restaurants, and agree to let these parties have their entire output
of eggs at a certain margin above market price. For instance, it is
a common method to make an agreement with such parties to sell them
their eggs at ten cents above market prices. If the market quotations
for fresh eggs were thirty-two cents for a certain day, the hotel
keeper would pay forty-two cents, if the eggs were delivered on this
day. Usually, the restaurant or hotel is glad to pay this premium over
the market price, because he takes quite a chance with store eggs, in
that some of them are often stale, and this is a matter that reflects
against his business. Also, if such an agreement can be made, the hotel
or restaurant man can advertise the fact that he serves nothing but
fresh eggs, which is good business for him.

When one is getting a big yield daily, he can usually plan to sell
his eggs by the case to city commission men, who will always pay a
good premium over local markets. If one has not enough eggs to sell a
case once or twice weekly in such a manner, this difficulty is often
overcome by combining with neighbors who are willing to take the proper
care in producing clean, fresh eggs for market. However, such neighbors
must be in sympathy with what is expected for fresh eggs, and who have
the courage to refrain from putting in eggs that are not clean and
fresh. If one case is sent in to these commission men and the quality
of the eggs is not of first class, quite a dockage will be deducted
from the check, and your reputation will thereby suffer. Never wash
eggs that are soiled, but use them in your own kitchen, as the washing
will remove the natural bloom, or fine powder that is found on the
untouched egg. One can secure clean eggs by keeping the bedding in the
nests clean.

There is always a splendid opportunity to sell hatching eggs in the
spring of the year, if one has had the foresight to get started in
purebred poultry. There is always a large demand for hatching eggs
and most hatcheries can not fill their orders. For the one engaged in
the poultry business, even on a small scale, this offers a splendid
opportunity, especially when eggs are selling cheap on the market, as
they do in the spring of the year, to divide the mature birds up into
small pens of about ten females to one good male bird, and sell these
eggs at anywhere from $1.50 a setting to as much as you can get. The
higher the quality of the stock, the more money one can demand for such
hatching eggs.

Then there is another good source of revenue from selling adult birds
for breeding purposes. If your flock is composed of good individuals,
you should experience little difficulty in selling your surplus
birds from $5 up. A little well planned advertising is often a good
thing to do, to let people know what you have got for sale. Often an
advertisement in the local paper, or a rural weekly will bring in many
inquiries in regard to the birds or eggs that you have to sell.

Probably a cheaper way of advertising, if you really have good birds,
is to show a pen, consisting of four females and one male, at some of
the neighboring poultry shows. If you can succeed in winning a premium,
this will be a splendid factor in your efforts in selling breeding
stock. It is usually permissible to place a little card on the outside
of your pen at the poultry show, giving your name and address, and
stating that you have breeding stock for sale, or that you are now
taking orders for hatching eggs in the spring.




CHAPTER XVII.

IN CONCLUSION


I have tried to explain in this little booklet that there is a splendid
opportunity for one to engage in the poultry industry, whether it be
on a large scale, or a small scale. There is considerable pleasure as
well as profit in this work, for the one that is posted on a few of the
essential principles, as has been laid down in this short treatise. It
will probably be well to repeat a few facts that should be remembered
first, however, before closing.

Do not expect to make a great amount of money from your poultry the
first year. Getting started right in the poultry business will cost
something, so for the first year, if you just break even you will
do well. Plan to learn as you go along. Every poultry raiser should
take at least one poultry journal, to keep posted on the latest facts
concerning the business. These journals always carry a great amount of
advertising matter in regard to stock for breeding and in regard to
poultry house equipment, etc. Many useful ideas can be secured from
pretty near every issue of a standard paper.

Get acquainted with the other poultry people in your own locality. This
is especially true in regard to those who have the same breed that you
have. If your locality boasts of a poultry association, become a member
of this association. You can then get much valuable information in
regard to your business.

Get in touch with your state agricultural college, and especially with
the poultry department. Write to them and ask them to send you all
the bulletins that they have published on poultry, and tell them to
place you on their mailing list, so that any future bulletins that
they may publish will be sent you free of charge. Then the U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture has many excellent bulletins on different branches
of the poultry industry that are worth sending for. It is located
at Washington, D. C. Another splendid thing, if you can succeed in
interesting others in your community, would be to send to the Motion
Picture Lab., U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Wash., D. C., and have them
send you their film on culling, entitled, “Select the Laying Hen.” It
certainly brings out in a splendid manner, just how to cull your flock.
Most any moving picture house would be glad to run this reel free of
charge. The only expense of securing this film is the transportation
charges from Washington, D. C., to your home town.

With these parting words on the betterment of your flock, remember that
poultry work has its ups and downs, like any other business. However,
for one willing to inform himself on the business, a very pleasurable
and profitable experience may be anticipated.




BIBLIOGRAPHY


The books listed below are in cloth binding and can be secured from
Haldeman-Julius Company, Clothbound Book Department, Girard, Kansas.
The prices quoted include carriage charges.

Success With Hens, Robert Joos. Cloth. $1.35 postpaid.

My Poultry Day by Day, Alfred Gibson. Cloth. $3.15 postpaid.

International Poultryman’s Handbook. Cloth. Illustrated. $1.10 postpaid.

Anatomy of the Fowl, Kaupp. Cloth. Illustrated. $3.65 postpaid.

Poultry Culture, Hygiene and Sanitation, Kaupp. Cloth. Illustrated.
$3.15 postpaid.

Mating and Breeding of Poultry, Lamon & Slocum. Cloth. $2.65 postpaid.




  Transcriber’s Notes

  pg 8 Changed: content herself to set on a nest of eggs
            to: content herself to sit on a nest of eggs

  pg 22 Changed: from the center to the outside, and vica versa
             to: from the center to the outside, and vice versa

  pg 24 Changed: There are seval different sizes
             to: There are several different sizes

  pg 24 Changed: The manufacturors of the incubator
             to: The manufacturers of the incubator

  pg 25 Changed: by springling water on the floor
             to: by sprinkling water on the floor

  pg 33 Changed: green fed of any kind can be added
             to: green feed of any kind can be added

  pg 55 Changed: It was though that the sunshine
             to: It was thought that the sunshine

  pg 69 Changed: and dead skin as it peals off
             to: and dead skin as it peels off





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