The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
The Days When Eggs Sold for
Nine Dollars Dozen
in California Are Gone.
This State the Greatest Poultry
- A.,
Producer in the World.
The Improvement of the
Stock Maintains Prices.
Written for THE CALL
BY JACOB KREGER.


fortune to see. The reasons of this are
well here provided she does not Get the
blind staggerS in both eyes or the mites eat
her up alive. Another reason is that many
men OF small means come here, buy some
land, set out orchards, and then keep
few cows and some poultry until their
trees begin to bear, and others have land
not good Tor fruit and small farming is not
always bowling success, for farm products
get very low at times. Poultrv-raislng
used to pay well when eggs were bringing
from 20 to 90 cents and hens from 50 TO 50
per dozen, but those prices are gone and
gone forever. Our railroads are great
equallzers OF farm products, so whenever
corn IN Kansas and Nebraska is selling for
. cents or less per bushel we may look
for sharp competition in the poultry
products on this coast. What confront us
here are not theories but conditions; not
mere assertions but solid stubborn facts.
Now, what shall we do about it? Sit
down and howl about the hard times?
Blame the administration at Washington?
Start a new political party or join the
socialists? Nothing of the kind Simply
go to work, improve our stock and improve
our methods of caring for the same, and
continue on that line until we arrive
at the point to where we get three eggs
to where We get two now. Then we
will be able to accept the reduced prices,
and more than that, We will widen the
field, for many poor people in the cities
will be enabled to use our poultry products,
which they could not afford if prices were
high. There is abundant room for inn
provement in the farm methods of caring
for our feathered pets. 1 have never
yet become reconciled to the style of
poultry-houses generally seen in this
country. The main object seems to be to
give as little protection against cold and
wind as possible. Some even go so far as
to give none at all. They put up some
poles FIVE or six feet from the ground and
the hens have to roost on them in summer
and winter. Now, this may do for tur-
keys, but for hens it is certainly not suit
able. think they ought to have houses
with good roofs, and at least three sides
boarded up tight. The south side might
be left open in order to get all the sunshine
possible. I have no use for Stats all
around, where, during some Of our blowing
rains, not square foot of space is lett dry,
not to mention the cold winds during the
long winter nights of our rainy season. L
may be mistaken, but believe many cases
of roop and kindred diseases might be
traced to this source.
But what is worse yet are the insect
pests. Some people allow them to multi
plv at will until they literally overrun the
premises. Last summer one of my neigh
bors told me he had to keep his horses out
side because the chicken mites overrun
the stable. Now just imagine a flock of
poultry going to roost in such a place.
How much rest will they get after long
day of activity when annoyed all night by
these little bloodsuckers, who will then
seek their hiding places, only to emerge
again the next evening? The efforts of
the hens busting themselves are of no
avail, because these little fellows live in the
cracks and crevices Of the perches and
sides of the house. Various remedies have
been suggested. such as coal oil, creosote,
carbolic acid and many others. My advice
would be to take out the perches, convert
them into stove-wood and then put up a
system Of perches entirely disconnected
with the sides of the house. Keep them
with mites. I manage mine in this way.
The house is 8x20, feet high at the caves
1 put four posts 1x4 in the ground, about
feet 6 inches high, notched or top to re-
ceive stringers, 1x4, IA feet long, notched
every IA inches to receive roosting poles,
11<x2, Z feet long, small side up, the cor
ners taken off but not planed. Once a
week take them out. expose to sun and
air the greater part of the day, carefully
collect all the droppings and wheel off to
the manure pile, whitewash the four posts
then the stringers and roosting poles, re-
placing each piece in its proper place.
Twice year I whltewash the inside of
house. Now, there is no patent On this.
ANY one who reads this can adopt that
style, and doubtless many can improve on
it.. In regard to the height of
perches I would say that the above
is intended for leghorns. II I kept any of
the heavier breeds would provide lower
perches. never allow hens to lay in the
henhouse. Nest boxes are in the way
there and help to shelter vermin. In the
East, where it gets very cold in winter, it
is necessary at times 10 feed and water and
allow them to lay in the house, buC not so
in California. The weather here is never
so inclement but what an able-bodied hen
can go out and attend to all OF her duties,
and then the house can easier be kept
clean, which is of great importance, for no
flock of poultry will ever do their best IN
less they have clean quarters, and then
they should be trained to use said quar-
tiers. never allow a hen to roost on a
tree. fence or anywhere else except the
henhouse, where [ can close them up at
night and let out in the morning.
They should be let out early in the morn
ing. l have seen people keep their hens
shut I'D in the henhouse till z or 8
O'Clock, even in summer time. Now, this
is downright cruelty to have the poor
things all huddled up together for two or
three long hours trying to get out. Hungry
and thirsty the weaker ones abused and
trampled on, with innumerable quarrels
and fights and the house badly fouled,
how much better to turn them out about
sun1p, give them light feed and let them
begin the day Alright. There is always
right way and wrong way, and the say
Jag is, s'Whatever is worth doing IS worth