Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-10-16
Poultry Farming.

keep cattle and hogs Tor the purpose
of converting the forage and grain
they raise into meat. They find that
there is more economy in feeding them
to stock than in sending them to mar
ket. Few persons purchase food for
the purpose of feeding il to cattle and
hogs. Many, however, who keep
fowls purchas all or nearly all the food
they consume. This is the case with
townspcople who keep hens for the
purpose Of supplying their tables with
fresh eggs. Many keep fowls chiefly
for the pleasure they afford them.
They have but n limited amount of
land and no facilities for raising grain
or other food for fowls. They desire,
however, to keep some sort of living
creatures on their places, and they
select fowls. 1t is no great wonder
that there are many poultry fanciers
in the country. 1t requires but little
capital and but 4 small space to keep
flock of fowls. They afford rs
much pleasure to the owner as animals
would, and the cost Of keeping them
much less. Many sensible people have
been inclined to ridiculc the zeal of
poultry fanciers and to refer TO them
as victims of the chen fever But
the poultry fanciorS are to be credited
with much of the improvements that
have been made in all kinds of fowls.
The farmers who have ridiculcd them
have derived great benefit from their
enterprise and cXcrtions. The i'm
proYemcntS that have been made in the
chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese in
the country have been quite as marked
as those in the horses, cattle, sheep
and hogs. The poultry fancicrs have
made but little MOI cy for themselves,
but they have been the means of hcalp-
ing farmers to do so. The improved
breeds of fowls mature quicker and
attain Il much larger size than those
that were kept thirty years ago. They
bring higher price in the market and
there is better demand for them, for
the reason that they are claSscd rs
luxurieS. The advance in the price of
poultry has been greater during the
past few years than that in beef, pork,
or mutton.
To render poultry-raising very prof.
table, the owner of the fowls should
produce most Of the food they consume.
He should keep them rs the stock
raiser does cattle, sheep, and pigs,
chiefly for the purpose of converting
grain and other products Of the soil
into articles that can he sent to market
at small cost Comparatively few
farmers in this country have ever
experimental TO ascertain whether it
was more profitable TO feed grain TO
fowls than to animals. The farmers of
France have become convinced that
grain can be fed TO fowls to greater
profit than the animals intended for
the production of meat. American
farmers generally look upon poultry.
raising as very small business. No
business that is beneficial to the COM
munity and is at the same time
rcmuncrative should be despiscd. A
large number of persons in the eastern
states have found the production of
poultry and eggs profitable, although
they have been obliged TO purchase
grain raised in the west to feed their
fowls. Their success shows that
poutry-raiSing would be profitable in
the west if it was properly managed.
To make the most out of fowls, the
owner should study how to keep down
expenses He should raise all they
require TO cat. lie should make it Il
point to produce those articles of food
that are of most value to fowls, Corn,
buckwhcat, and all the small grains
are desirable for fowls, but they re-
uuirc more varied diet than any kind
of domesticatcd animals. They need
fresh vegetables during the entire sea-
SON. They also want condiments,
like onions and peppers. a certain
amount Of meat or fish is also very
desirable. An arrangement can often
be made with local butcher for sup
plying meat SCRAPS at very low rates.
The flesh of animals that have been
killed by accident can be utilized by
feeding it to fowls In places where
fish are caught in nets, those that are
unfit for the table can be obtained for
nominal price, and used for poultry
food. On many farms carp and other
fish can be cheaply raised.
Most of the attempts to keep fowls
in large numbers have resulted in
failure, chiefly for the reason that
the experiments have been made where
sufficient land for yards could not be
obtained at reasonable rates, As
rule, one large building was erected
for the accommodation of several
hundred fowls. Experience has shown
that large number Of fowls will not
long remain healthy - the same build
ing or in mGY L closure. The
flocks should be small, and
each flock sho' at some
distance fro' It is not
practical to ---- ----- in this
way in tow so on
farm. The protec-
ton of fowls ! , expensive.
They should h&1 v Eloof toinsure
dryncss, but thc w be of clay or
sand. Good ven. ION should be
secured, and light admitted from two
sides. Small, light buildings for the
protection of fowls may be erected in
pastures, orchards, or on the sides of
StVNoo anu 20 s;oi; -
'Dio ar, nv oniy 20 80 -.