The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-16
POULTRY.

POULTRY
Our lessons must be learned over and
over. A dozen fresh eggs will now bring
as much as good sized plump chicken.
Strive to hatch lot of early pullets.
that they may be brought to laying con-
dition before the winters cold comes.
Fortunate is the man who exercised this
forethought a year ago.
1t pays better to grow eggs than to
market poultry, though the latter may
be made profitable adjunct. The
cockerels will sell for enough to pay for
the raising of the whole lot, SO that the
pullets will practically cost nothing.
Rembember that the price of eggs,
usually drops soon after holidays.
While the poultry interest has suffer-
ed depression with all other products,
the cost of production has been less; all
feed is cheaper. excepting corn. The
poultry man has made as much as form
erly, and probably more than the grain
farmer. There has been a little surplus.
but not of the better sort.
Poor, thin, poorly dressed and unat-
tractive poultry naturally sells for low
prices, and it tends to depress the whole
poultry market. Keep the poorer truck
from the market. and good prices can be
had for best grades; most of our losses
are because of our own faults. The
best always pays best, in whatever line
you DEAL
Do not imagine that, in shipping, the
good birds will sell the poorer ones you
may place among them; rather is the
tendency the other way; the sale of the
gooo lot is spoiled. Grade carefully.
Ship the poorer kinds by themselves.
Better even throw them away than try
to smuggle them in.
Learn what is wanted, and shop at
the right time. At Thanksgiving and
holiday time dressed fowls are in de-
mand. There is often a good sale for
poultry in August and September.
especially about the Jewish holidays;
if 80, it is folly to keep and feed longer
for the extra growth may not add to the
prices
1t is pretty well established that if we
wish handsome birds, or those of GER
tain type or shape, we must look to the
father of the brood that if we want
good layers, good mothers or rapid fat
teners, we must depend upon the moth
ers. In all stock the male parent seems
to influence the external qualities and
and the female the internal
A goud cock is very essential, indeed.
yet he holds only his own position, and
can not exercise all the influence both
for himself and his mate. Too little at
tention has been paid to the mother in
breeding. To both sexes we should look
for a well balanced development, the
more certain in type the better.
The color of the shell is no index of
the quality, but for some reason white
eggs sell best Wipe every egg with a
damp cloth when brought in, that no
soil becomes a stain. The least speck
spoils their appearance, and, therefore,
their sale. There is art even in market
ing eggs.
If making egg production a speciality,
learn what sort of work you may expect
from the different varieties of poultry.
Leghorns and the Black Spanish lay
white eggs, and for come reason these
are most readily marketable.
1t is not the general opinion that it
pays to bother with capons, and yet
poultry keepers are giving more and
more attention to this part of the bust
ness. 1t will be hard to overstock the
market, and the prices for good capons
keep well up. There is room for more,
and those who try it can not but make
money.
Do not over feed the chickens; there is
no more common mistake made. Gorg-
ing with food to make fat is no way to
find profit in the egg business. This
is especially to be guarded against when
hens are confined and do not get much
exercise.
Many a each investment has been
squandered in poultry yard because
the would be chicken raiser knew moths
ing about it, Theory only will not land
one on the successful side for some rea-
son; there must be practical knowledge
first gained, and the wise man begins
with few fowls, and grows into the
business.