The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-11-13
POULTRY FARMING.
The Experiences OF a Practical POultr!
Raiser

POULTRY FARMING.
The Experiences of a Practical Poultry
Raiser.
In a recent issue of the Poultry
World, MIR. Miner published an elabo-
rate paper showing conclusively why
poultry cannot be kept in large num-
bers with profit. We condense the
main points of this paper, leaving out
much that is interesting, but not essen
tial to the argument.
Mr.. Miner says: Probably no other
branch of unestablished business in the
United States occupies the rural popu-
lation so much as the question, "Can
poultry be kept proftably In numbers
of from five hundred to ten thousand ?"
If man can support his family well by
raising poultry for eggs and for market,
with no other business, thousands stand
ready to go immediately into ii, and it
would be very pleasant business too !;
but man would have to understand his
business fully. Two main reasons are
given why large numbers Will not sue
coed together:
l. Fowls require large range where
they can pick up insects OF every KIND
in order to be healthy, and to produce
the grestest quantity of eggs OF which
they are capable. They will go, gener-
ally, not over thirty or forty rods from
their home; and as few as one hundred
fowls will exhaust all the available in
scots within a radius of that distance.
If flesh of any kind is resorted to as a
substitute for earth worms, etc., it does
not answer so good purpose, to say
nothing of the expense, as fowls thrive
best when seeking their own food of that
character, activity tending to promote
their health, and, as matter of course,
their laying qualities.
2. Liability to disease, when fowls
are congregated in large numbers, is
much increased and this is the greatest
obstacle in the business to surmount.
This has broken up every fowl estab-
lishment of large numbers hitherto es-
tablished.
But granting, for argument sake,
that these are overcome, let us look at
the expense account. One thousand
hens will require one hundred BOOSTERS,
not to cause the hens to lay, as they
will lay as many eggs without as with
them but chickens to renew the stock
one-third yearly, and for market, would
be required to make up the general
profits.
After the necessary buildings and
fences are built for 1, 100 fowls, which
would cost, probably, if built in the
best manner, with all necessary con-
veniences, about $1,000, I will esti-
mate the probable actual expenses, in
Guiding the stocking of the establish,
ment, as follows
To LOO fowls, market value for food, 75c
To labor. one mans wages and board. .....:.. 500
To 500 bushels corn at SOC. .............$ 400
To 500 bushels oats at Soc ............. $50
To 500 bushels buckwheat at 75c....... 375
To other food, as meats and vegetables. 100
- lips
To incidental expenses unforseeen...... 100
10 2, 200 eggs used in sitting ............ 40
To feed for 1,200 chickens raised, 25c
each ........... .................... 300
1880
By 100, 600 eggs, at Csc. .......-.......$2, $4,000
BY 1000 fowls 40 per cent having died) $50
By 1000 chickens raised, zoe each. 600
$3.50
Profits. ..........S 46O
This is not very favorable exhibit
but think 1 have put it in the most
favorable light it will bear, one which no
actual experiment can equal, if it were
practicable to keep LOO fowls under
one roof, which I do not admit. I put
the number of eggs laid by each hen at
one hundred, as allow about two hun
bred to sit once and few fowls will
die daily, the mortality among small
focks averaging one in ten annually.
No more than one hundred eggs each
could be expected, under the above cir
cumstances, if one hundred and twenty
five were their usual average product.
credit the eggs at two cents each, or
"a cents per dozen and I think that
price as much as any one would real
ize for so large a quantity of eggs the
year round. Some persons frequently
sell few dozen eggs in the winter at
much higher rates but let one go to
any city or large town with four or five
hundred dozen of eggs at a time, and
he would have hard work to sell out as
high as "a cents per dozen stheL season
through.5
In the foregoing statement I'''charge
no interest on capital invested in land
and buildings nor do make any &C
count of the time spent in going to
market, or packing them to be sold on
consignment. Nor will 800 supply the
fresh meat, however poor and cheap,
and the chopped cabbage and turnips
that ought to be given to fowls in the
winter season.