Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-02-24
POULTRY RAISING.
A Practical Paper by a Practi-
cal Man.

Read by y. Il. TRsker, an Experimental
BrattIeboro Poultry Grower, at the
Farmers Institute In BrRttlebOrO.
The subject of poultry raising is interest
ing more people today than ever before
1t has been demonstrated that with proper
care and management nothing in the way
of farm stock or farm production pays so
well for the amount of capital invested as
poultry. There is always a demand for
good poultry and fresh laid eggs, and
always will be. Not until every farm
er, every mechanic, and every work.
| ingman can have and freely use them
and not deem them a luxury-speaking in
the sense of economy-wll poultry and
eggs ever be a drug on the market.
Have you ever thought what an industry
the poultry and egg product of the United
States represents; of the vast amount of
money received annually by the producers
and dealers in poultry and eggs? We have
no means of knowing accurately, for until
within very few years no statistics, not
even estimates, have been compiled by au-
thority in any state, and | think in our
own state very little is known regarding the
amount of wealth this branch of agriculture
represents. 1t is true Vermont does not
probably produce in this line so much, in
proportion, as do many of her sister states;
but if we had reliable figures to quote from,
it would be a revelation to many. We
have carefully prepared, tabulated state
ments on nearly every industry, particular
ly of every other branch of agriculture, ex-
cept this, notwithstanding it represents
in dollars and cents, annually, in the United
States as much as any one product. This
statement, although arrived at largely by
approximation, | believe | could make
plain and convincing to each one of you
if time would permit.
Think of the vast consumption of poul-
try and eggs at our summer resorts, both
inland and at the seashore; of the demands
of our large hotels, boarding houses and
restaurants; of the uses made of eggs in
the manufactures and arts, to say nothing
of those used in private families The
number who engage in the business solely
as a means of livelihood is yearly increas-
ing, those who have made it a success are
in small minority, The business should
be thoroughly understood, and like every
: other trade or calling where capital is nee
essary, this is no exception. Many think
! poultry raising an easy way to obtain a
living without work. Deluded mortals,
. they are TO be pitied 1t is no child's
play, it means hard, persistent, energetic
effort, combined with good sense, good
l health and liking for the business.
!. Most people make a mistake Ia try ng to
1 keep too many fowls at first. Begin with
D a few, study them carefully, endeavoT to
+ find out the kind of food best adapted for
j, the result sought, whether it be the raising
of poultry for market, or the production of
: eggs make those few pay a good profit
r per head then if you have the room and
have acquired sufficient experience, en-
e large. If you cannot make a few pay, you
1 certainly need no more. Subscribe for
some good, practical poultry paper; visit
the poultry exhibitions; take good ad-
T vice from those who have made poultry
$ raising a success. You will find many diff
i ferent opinions on the same subject, many
theories advanced, and some things you will
. only learn by and through practical expe-
+ rience.
My experience has been that the chick
r ems should be Matched as early as the spring
will admit, preferably in April, and kept
J, growing until fully matured, which will
1 vary in age according to the breed, be they
e Asiatics, the medium sized like the Ply
mouth Rocks and Wyandottes, or the Leg
! horns. The Asiatics should lay at six
II months of age; the Plymouth Rocks and
a Wyandottes at from five to five and one
/ half months, and the Leghorns at from
e four and ene-half to five months of age, al
IL ways provided they have the right care and
: food. They should have an unlimited grass
e run, plenty of shade, and fresh water, and
be fed for growth of muscle, bone and feath-
q er, with a certain amount of flesh forming
u food. Their first food should be bread
u crumbs softened in milk mixed with hard
e boiled eggs, chopped fine, shell and all, and
!, for the first three weeks fed as often as
l. flo dow flor tho firof 1ay anI
until they are two or three weeks of age,
& they should be fed baked cake made from a
l, meal composed of 20 pounds of corn, Il
II pounds of oats, 10 pounds of barley and
d 10 pounds of bran ground together, mix
IS with part water and part sour milk, add a
: sufficient quantity of saleratus, season with
q salt, mix to the thickness generally used
e in making griddle cakes, or perhaps slightly
r, thicker, and bake in shallow tins Aftel
he they are three weeks old the meal can be
e scalded and fed to them dry and crumbly-
81 never sloppy-instead of being baked; al
e. though l think it pays to continue the
n baked cakes longer They can now bc
~ given small grains like cracked corn
he cracked wheat, and granulated oat meal
l. This last | know is very good indeed, anC
y though it is quite expensive, l think i
IS pays. This can be fed them from the first
|
lie grit; this is absolutely necessary for boil
chickens and fowls. Clean their coop
Id each day. Be on the lookout for lice, TIN
he pest of the hen-coop. If you hatch b,
v hens, dust them thoroughly two or tire
a times before they are due to hatch, will
Id Dalmatian insect powder, or some othe
re good insect powder.
re If you raise only from $50 to 200 chick
n ems, l should hatch by hens, but when
large number are raised should advise tn
C. use of an incubator. Procure the hes
make or none, but remember if you canno
e. hatch chickens successfully with hens, yol
= most likely will fail with an incubator
er If you use artificial breeders, see that the
81 are kept clean and well sanded use to-
r. heat Above all things see that they d.
ne not huddle or crowd, especially int
q corners. Do not try to keep too man
W in one brooder, and see that the theI
In mometer does not ever indicate abov
g. 90o when the chicks are in the brooders
10 Kill and market all surplus cockerels whe
large enough for broilers-which will
from 10 to IL weeks of age, if they hav
to been properly cared for-unless you ca
in obtain prices that will pay you to grow fo