The gazette-times., February 19, 1915, HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 8, Image 8

HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Profitable Business of Poultry Raising in America
8
This Is the first of a new series
of articles on practical poultry
husbandry prepared for this pub
lication by Professor Stoneburn,
an authority of International
reputation. These contributions
will appear each week during
the coming year, and the entire
series will constitute a thorough,
comprehensive course In poultry
husbandry. Each Installment
will be complete In Itself, each
will treat of current activities In
the poultry yard, each will be
full of practical, dependable ad-.,
vice, which will serve as a safe
guide to poultry profits.
We suggest that our readers
preserve these contributions for
future reference and use. A
scrapbook containing the entire
series will make a complete,
working handbook, full of the
latest available information on
this Important subject.
clalty, it Is not necessarily conducted demand, and those of tine quality time, and there is no further income
exclusively on the farm. Of course, sell at very satisfactory prices, fur- until another harvest is gathered,
practically all farmers keep flocks of ther, they are concentrated and val- The work is healthful and not par
fowls, hut untold numbers of dwellers uable, and so may economically be ticularly hard. In fact, it may be
in city, town and village in all sec- shipped to distant markets if neces- performed by people of either sex.
tions of the country are actively en- sary. This does not mean that the poultry
gaged in this work. A poultry plant may he established man lias little to do, but rather that
Poultry Keening Universal on a very moderate investment. At his duties are seldom of a character
So it may be said that uoultrv hus tne start the banner may, and usu- which might be termed hard labor,
bandry to the n versa agr cZunl ? should be content to work with Properly managed a flock c Ooul-
specialty, one that flourishes every- aU(f,ew,fols reulre J"1 ra ,lly '"' ' 8 , hJrrtv enhanS
vrere rpo-ardlew nf snare climate llttle lan(1 and ho,lse room aIld a holno l,la(,ts or t;l""' tneiel)y enhanc
ed otWrS factors na amunt ot time. As experience ing thoir value and making possible
Ther are many sound reasons for gained and profits warrant, the the production of larger crop. .Many
this general popularity. Among them to t tte operat ions may be in- run-down rac .of tillable and have
we mention a few of the more im- L'CflDCU u"111 "UY num ouu,uuu 10 lI"aI
uisaavamagcs aa
nnrtant given iu me uusiuess, uiu;iuit.
ni. 11.. ii i i- i - rxtir Tr..i Rut there are
most interesting pursuit. On the The returna on the Investment or el
poultry plant there Is a new round tllne and capital are secured quickly, kVhoSgh So Xavy must be
month 3 Hence" " Hothe and 0,6 prodUCtS are d,8tr,b,,ted Vr KopeVly alunded to eve?; day. On
monotony about the work that is so "e greater part of the year, insur- many poultry farms the owner must
often experienced in other lines. And &aa Z JluyX
at an times one is nanming living uuuurui uura uuc id lumircucu iu - . " r ,i,, hntrhprt
BY PROF. FREDERIC H. STONEBURN. things which with their useful quali- wait for a long period before any re- son, when chicks are neing naitueu
HE annua value nf the nirriciil- t pq enmhlnn hnautv and erase. turns bee n to Come n. ana Ireauent- ana re.iri.-u. inonjr .
Poultry products are in constant ly the entire crop is marketed at one
n'mi.-lmU'tl on t'ftKe 0.)
Increasing Laying Capacities of American Hens
j :
I tural products of America is so
" vast that it staggers the imag
ination. This country not only pro
duces the foodstuffs required to sup
port a population numbering approx
imately 100,000,000, but has a great
surplus for export, and this is the
basis of much of our wealth.
Agriculture has for Its object the
production of plants and animals,
vegetable or animal products, which
are needed by man, affording him
nourishment and protection, adding
to his comfort and pleasure. It is at
once an art and a business, but as
yet we can scarcely term it a science,
though it is based upon the natural
sciences. The successful farmer is
the one who understands the work
ing of the natural forces which are
his allies or his enemies, and con
ducts his business with due reference
to sound business principles. A good
business man may be a poor farmer;
a good farmer may be a poor business
man. Real success, as measured by
financial returns, is secured only
through the adoption of the best
methods of production, regardless of
the crop grown, and due regard to
the buying of supplies and disposing
of the products.
Groat Variety of Products.
Agriculture i3 rapidly becoming
specialized. In the early history of
this country, before our transporta
tion facilities had been developed,
the farmer endeavored to grow upon
his own acres most of the supplies
required by his family and his live
stock. Now all Is changed. We have
truck farms, fruit farms, dairy farms,
poultry farms, hog ranches and a
great number of others. On an
American table today one may find
beef from Missouri,. pork from Iowa,
celery from Michigan, cheese from
New York, potatoes from Maine,
grapefruit from Florida, oranges
from California, apples from Oregon,
cantaloupes from Delaware, eggs
from Pensylvanla, chickens from Jer
sey. Even the jams and pickles "that
mother used to make" have been
largely replaced by supplies drawn
from the great preserving establlsh-
Tiipntq
Rnoi.ioii7i.iinn mi fnr 0fein.,nnv f voi,,p,t ot hi,nin nf mininna the application of intelligent methods vol, hut the number of such layers
When any man stops trying to do of dollars, and this on an average 01 u,eeulnK. a now so large mat tney excite but
many things and concentrates all his production of from 70 to 80 eggs per From the avallablo evidence one Is little comment.
thought, time and energy upon one, layer. If this average could be 'dou- safe ln reaching the following con- The accompanying Illustration
he is very likely to make a success bled, it would add "tremendously to elusions: A hen that Inherits a tend- shows three hens that have made
of that. And since such a large num- our National wealth. Many students ency towar(1 lw eSS production will most satisfactory yearly records at
ber of intelligent men have of late of the subject are convinced that the hard'y make a satisfactory record, no laying competitions In the East. The
devoted themselves to improving yield per hen can easily be consider- matter how carefully she is housed, Rhode Island Red, bred in Pennsyl
methods of poultry management and ably increased, possibly doubled, as fed aD1 carcd for' A ncn tllat ln' vanla, laid 251 big, brown eggs. The
perfecting the various appliances re- soon as our poultry keepers adopt her" a tendency toward high pro- Single Comb White Leghorn, an Eng
quired by the poultryman, this great better methods of feeding and man- ductlon cannot do her best work un- llsh bird, produced 282 eggs in 1912
and growing Industry has developed aging their flocks and pay closer at- leES Pronerly handled. Therefore, 13. This latter figure was exceeded
at a truly amazing rate. tention to breeding. maximum production is to be secured in 1913-14 by the Columbian Plym-
And the poultry industry is great An output of 80 eggs per bird may on,y through the use of both factors outh Rock, the property of a New
great in the value of its products yield a profit on general farms where ln combination. Jersey breeder, who set her mark at
great in the support it affords to the fowls receive but scant attention Intelligent breeding must be based 286 eggs.
allied Industries great in the num- and rustle for most of their food. But uPn a knowledge of the perform- But the Northwest has defeated
ber of men, women and children on commercial plants, where the cost ance an,J pedigree of the Individuals the world in the production of the
from every conceivable walk In life, of feed, labor, Interest on the invest- used as breeding stock. This Is as champion hen. The first 300-egg
who find pleasure and profit in ment and other Items of expense are true ln the poultry field as in other hen of which there Is any record
breeding and caring for our useful considered, a flock of 80-egg hens is Hues of livestock production. In the was produced at the Oregon Agrl
and beautiful domestic fowls. There not profitable. This fact Is becom- poultry yard such knowledge is se- cultural College Experiment Station,
are few, if any, agricultural crops ing generally realized and business cured through the use of the trapnest Her record was 303 eggs in her first
which exceed in value the great poul- poultrymen everywhere are making and a complete Bystem of toe mark- 12 months of laying. A year later
try crop in America when we Include a determined effort to "speed up" ing or handling of the various indi- there were a few records mentioned
in the figures the vast sums in excess their layers. viduals so they may be positively equalling or exceeding this, by pri-
of actual market value secured from Egg production depends upon two Identified. Such work takes time, vato breeders, but there are no rec
the sale of eggs for hatching, baby distinct factors heredity and envlr- hut it brings results. ords equalling that have been made
chicks, breeding and exhibition stock, onment. Until very recently Ameri- Public laying competitions, first at public Institutions or under of
We often hear of "the billion-dollar can poultrymen have emphasized the instituted In America In 1911, have flcial supervision of some kind. A
poultry Industry," and this is no ex- latter and paid but scant attention to done much toward interesting the record or 286 eggs was made at the
aggeration. From a small beginning, the former. That such a course is public in the laying capacity of In- Missouri State Competition last
It has developed into a most Impor- shortsighted must be apparent at a dividual hens. Poultrymen are now year,
tant source of National wealth; from Kiance when we take Into consldera- valuing their birds because of unusual These notables in the poultry world
a neglected side-line of the farm to a tion many important facts which have laying ability quite as much as for possess many characteristics ln com
business which commands the best Deen brought out during recent years, perfection of form and color, the mon, as abounding strength and
efforts of a host of thinking, pro- ' Careful investigations conducted at strictly fancy or exhibition points. vigor, physical activity, tremendous
gressive people, and the hearty sup- certain of our agricultural experl- What Is the maximum number of appetite and little tendency toward
port of state and National Govern- ment stations and the experience of eggs a hen can lay In 12 months broodlness.
mThonEh noultrv keenlnn is re- f Bm.a,,'rouP ,f Passive poultry when all conditions are favorable! (Copyright, ms. by Matos-Menz. Adv.
j nougn poultry Keeping is re- breeders have clearly shown that the This Is an open question, but the Co.inol
garded bs being an agricultural spe- ' ''
These layers made wonderful official ecg records ln pnhllc las'lnK competitions recently held In America.
The Rhode island Ked, at the right, laid 2M eggs during the year. The White Leghorn, center, produced 282
eggs. The Columbian Plymouth Rock, left, made a new record of 2S0 eggs. These figures are accurate, hav
ing been secured through the use of the trapnest.
BV EDWIN MEGARGEE.
tendency toward high production is number la mnrh larger than former-
THE total egg crop produced each Inherited, and that this characteristic ly believed possible. A few years ago
year by" the hens of America is may 1)6 fixed aIul Intensified through wo considered the 200-egg hen a mar-