The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-04-19
Making Farm Poultry Pay.

First Prize Essay in the Practical
Farmer. BY 0. c. Mastin, Saunders
County, Nebraska.
A Plymouth Rock or Wyandotte
chick, Matched in April, if fed for
rapid growth, will come to laying
maturity in October, and with proper
shelter and judicious feeding will lay
all through the winter months, when
eggs sell for top prices, and keep it up
most of the following spring and sum-
mer. The cOckerels Matched with the
pullets, if marketed early, VIII prices
are good, will lay for their own feed
and that consumed by the pullets I'M
till the latter begin to lay. The pull
lets after laying a year, then marketed
before beginning to moult, will sell
for enough to pay for food consumed
during time of laying, the eggs receiv-
ed thus being practically all profi,
The average price should be at least
ID cents per dozen, and the number
not less than ten dozen, giving profit
of $50 per hen. Twelve to fifteen
dozen per hen can be secured, and
many of the eggs being laid in winter
the average in some places would be
70 cents or more.
Mr.. Hunter, editor OF Farm Poultry
has averaged a profit of $3.50 to So
per hen on eggs for market, for several
years past, keeping about 300. Never
theless l am convinced chat great
many keep fowls at a loss, large pro-
portion of their fiocls being non-pro-
ducers, consuming the profits made on
those that lay. However. by adopting
wise system Of management, and
giving the needed care at the right
time, certain and abundant success is
assured. A slight variation often.
means the difference between success
and failure. To illustrate, we hatch
!. pullets in April, get them to LAYING in
October, keep them laying for a YEAR
and then sell them. If kept through
moultlng they stop laying TO: several
months and greatly reduce the profits
already made. Chicks Matched in
June do not mature before winter.
cold weather checks development, and
they will not lay till near spring. (Do
not keep them over. Market them
as soon as possible and avoid the drop
IN prices that takes place when the
slow-going majority begin to market
their surplus.) Cockerels kept till
October or November bring no more
money than if sold for broilers in June
or July, but they keep on eating lust
the same.
All breeds of fowls have merit.
Limited space forbids giving details.
For farmer either the Plymouth
Rock or Wyandotte combines more
desirable and fewer undesirable Quail
tiles than any other breeds. WAN
dottes are preferable in cold climates,
having low combs not easily frosted.
The white varieties are free from dark
pm feathers when dressed and arc cas-
Ter to breed true to color. Barred
Plymouth Rocks, unless skillfully
mated, look but little better than
mongrels after the second or third
generation. These breeds are. hardy.
mature quickly and are good LAYERS,
The chicks are easily raised, make the
Test broilers. and have the desirable
yellow legs and skin The standard
weight of Plymouth Rock hens is "A
pounds; Wyandottes. 81 pounds.
Select the best, we'll matured fowls
breed from. Mate pnllets with cock,
in their second year, fifteen females to
one male. Inhreeding lowers vitality
hence lessons pr.ductiyeness, there
lore procure new males each Season
Unless eggs are used Tor Matching ex.
clude males. Unfertilized eggs keer
better.
Ii more than thirty fowls are kept
yard them in separate flocks. Poultry
netting is cheap and Il ward 2OxI25
feet. seeded to re,ltop grass, sill. kee,
green during the season and furnish
thirty hens \ good part OF their living
Plant fruit trees in the yard for shade
Experience proves that house rom
OF nearly ten square beet per fowl *
needed to have them remain healthy
and productive. A house I0x20 will
accommodate not more than thirty.
Raise foundation IL inches above gem
eral level, fill in with sand or gravel,
and grade up outside with same. This
lnsures drypeas, which Is absolutely