Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-17
Poultry Breeding.

The breeding of poultry has be-
come very large and important
branch of industry, especially at the
east, where hundreds of persons have
large sums invested in houses, yards
and fowls, and are engaged in rearing
birds for fancy purposes. The bust
ness of raising exhibition birds and
fowls for breeding purposes is not
always attended with profit, for, be-
side other considerations, it requires
considerable capital and some time
to build up remunerative trade
Forgetting this, many enthusiastic
persons rush into the business, pur-
chasing from two to eight or ten va
rieties, build large, elaborate houses,
and, not finding the business profit
able the first year, the orders not
coming in as rapidly as was antici-
pated, they give up the business, de-
claring that it cannot be made to pay.
This thing helps to make it pay the
old reliable breeders, and is as it
should be.
In breeding for " fancy" purposes
one of the greatest mistakes which
beginners are apt to make, is the one
Of commencing with too many va
rieties, generally winding up with
none. Unless person has unusually
good facilities, it is best to contine to
two or three breeds at the furthest,
and in most cases, it would be my
advice to make a specially of one
kind, to the entire seclusion Of all
others. They then can have an OPP
portunity to have plenty of exercise
without any danger Of mixing with
any other breeds; and will, also, have
chance to get as much animal mat
ter as they need during the warm
weather in the shape of bugs and in
sects of different kinds. Keeping
more than one variety necessities
building separate yards and houses,
and also, i'll many ways, gives addi-
tional labor and expense. If you
have time and money to spare-and
it requires both-as well as plenty of
tact, commence with determination
to succeed, and sooner or later sue
cess will be achieved. There is al
ways plenty Of room at the top of the
business, and all should strive to
produce as perfect specimens as the
means at their commands are capable
of producing. l aim at thorough
ness in all my stock breeding, and
also advocate it strongly, well know
ing its direct as well as its indirect
advantages, pecunlarily and other
wise.
In raising large numbers of fowls
70, market purposes, it is very mis-
taken idea to have them all in one
house, for when the number goes
over one or two hundred, it l4us. be
a very large and well arranged house,
indeed, to accommodate them prop
erly and keep them healthy.
The best plan, if one wishes to pro-
duce a large number of best fowl, is
to have houses, as cheaply and well
built as possible, large enough to
contain 200 fowls or under, without
crowding them SO as to engender dis
ease. This plan we have found to be
far preferable to having mammoth
house, and we shall continue the plan
on a somewhat extended scale this
coming year. | intend to keep reg
ular account of expense Of feed, care,
ETC., together with receipts, and will,
at the proper time, lay the account
before the readers of this paper, for
their perusal and consideration. We
have always made the raising of poul-
try pay well, and receipts varying &C
cording to circumstances, but not
without expanding both time and
care upon them.
In regard to the best fowls to raise
for market purposes, the production
of eggs being of mere secondary i'm
portance, my liking is decidedly in
favor of the Asiatic, the Brahmas
and the Cochins, as breeds to cross
upon ordinary fowls. In my flock,
from which raise my market fowls.
| have now mixture of the Brahma
and common fowls--the Light Brah-
ma-and many of them are very fine
and large. l have lately purchased
several Partridge Cochin cocks, which
l intend to let run with my common
flock, and have every reason to ex-
pect a good lot Of fine chicks. Of
course I have my focks of thorough.
bred fowls, light and dark Brahmas
and p. Cochins, and at the end of the
breeding season all poor fowls, those