Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-24
THE POULTRY-YARD.
Profit in Poultry.

It is by no means difficult to make q
profit of SO TO $5 per head from flock
of we'll selected poultry by good man
agement, writes Henry Stewart, of
Macon County, N. c., to the Practical
Farmer. Eight dozen eggs and brood
of ten chicks reared to the age of
months, will do this in any locality near
market where fresh eggs and good
chickens are salable. At Is cents per
dozen for the eggs, $1.20 will be made
and this will pay all expenses for food.
Sixty pounds of meat at IL cents per
pound comes to 1920, and this is quite
possible income where there is mar
ket, and has been made by good many
persons without any unusual expense.
The main point is. to save all the young
chicks and get as many in brood as
possible. An average of ten chicks to
brood is easily made by having suitable
arrangements. Early chicks are the
most profitable. and to have these re-
quires little extra warmth at first. A
separate apartment for the setting hens
is indispensable, and this may be made
ut the southeast end of the poultry
house, and provided with double hot
bed sash on the east and south sides;
the other sides and the roof being made
tight by means Of tarred paper lining.
Here the portable nests are carried when
the hens begin to brood. These nests
ARE made of boxes sixteen inches each
way, covered and open only in the
front, where q bar four inches wide is
fixed across Ut the bottom, SO that the
hen may step easily into her nest. A
barred door is fixed to the top in the
front which may be let down and
fastened. These nests are used for the
laying hens and are moved with the
hen to the glazed room when required.
The nest boxes are opened every
morning and the hens let out for food
and water put in the house. In thirty
minutes the hens are put back on their
nests if they have not gone on them,
and the doors are let down. As soon as
the chicks begin to appear. the first are
taken from the hen and put into brooder
to be kept warm until the others are out
of the shells. The brooder is a box the
same size as the nests with glass door
in the front. A Slated shelf is fitted
across the middle on which folded
newspaper 10 laid. Under this is tin
box to hold hot water, by which the heat
is kept at so or 80 degrees. All young
chick wants for twenty four or thirty
six hours after Matching is warmth,
which makes it strong and lively. A
supply of food and water is given to the
! chicks while they are in the brooder.
The nest boxes may be used for coops
and when the whole brood is out they
are put under the hen at night and then
left to her care. The floor of the brood
ing house is kept clean and sanded, and
the chicks run there and feed until
strong enough to put out of doors in
larger coops. In this way an average OF
ten chicks per hen has been raised from
flock of over fifty hens and 81 per hen
has been made above all expenses. This
is business which can be left to the
young folks of the farm who should
have one half the profit for themselves,
to be disposed of as they please. The
profit Of the hens is by no means the
most valuable. Under good domestic
training heyoung people may be taught
habits of industry, regularity, patience,
economy and thrift, and in few years
their savings will amount to very
pleasant sum of money, which will be q
nest egg for their own future success in
life.