The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-29
POULTRY ron pROFIT.


1t seems strange that, where poultry
may be so easily and cheaply kept,
the average farmer and stock breeder
regard the industry as a small bust
ness, says a writer in the Breeders
Gazette. 1t is no less singular that we,
who are able to feed the world on
low-priced beef and pork, should view
calmly the fact that we are spending
millions of dollars yearly for imported
eggs. With the production Of poultry
and eggs systematically carried on,
as in the breeding and fattening of
cattle, swine and sheep, there is fully
20 per cent. more profit in chickens
and eggs than in cattle and hogs,
according to the investment. There is
still greater profit in ducks and geese,
for the sim pie reason that d greater
number of farmers refuse to have any
thing to do with domestic water fowl
than with land birds. Hence these
latter always bring two or three cents
per pound more than chickens, and
the markets are seldom glutted, as
they sometimes are at the holidays,
with chickens and turkeys. The rea-
son is that unbusiness people, at such
times, seem inclined to rush to mar
ket every fowl that by hook or crook
is, at such times there is glut, and
prices are sometimes knocked down
two or three cents a pound, as was
the case last Thanksgiving day.
To show the meaning fully, on No
vember 20, the range for cattle was
$2.75 to $6.25 per 100 pounds; the latter
for the very best cattle. Hogs, from
$3.50 to $3.50 per 100 pounds; the latter
price for the very best. On the same
day the prices for live fowls were:
Turkeys, 61b cents; chickens-hens, 5
cents; old roosters, cents; spring
chickens, 51s cents; ducks, 71a cents;
geese, 81 to IS per dozen. Dressed
spring chickens, cents; ROSTERS, 5
cents; ducks, 10 cents, and geese, o
cents per pound. Extra fat, we'll
dressed fowls of imported breeds would
easily bring one or two cents more
per pound. Now, in the Chicago mar
ket, dressed fowls mean those without
the feathers, but with the entrails in
in the winter to carefully dress and
pack fowls for the market. BY the
middle of January, carefully fattened
and nicely-packed poultry, should sell
higher.
1t costs no more to raise and sell
a ton of fowls than a ton of beef or
pork, both placed in the same cendi-
ton of fairness. Eggs, fresh. sold on
the same day as mentioned above,
at u cents. All the values given are
jobber and commission house prices.
BY the time they reached the consumer
from 30 to 80 per cent. would have been
added to the price. 1t is the fact that
the raiser of poultry gets much nearer
the price which the consumer pays.
than is the case with cattle. hogs and
sheep. Tho sooner the farmer comes
to know all this-that poultry raising
Is not an insignificant business, but
one of the greatest in the aggregate
value of any department of live stock
the sooner will he be able to make it
a most important foctor in his yearly
profits. Take the simple item of eggs.
properly looked after: OF the better
breeds, they will lay from 120 to 100
eggs yearly for the large breeds. and
100 to 240 for the smaller, non-sitting
breeds.
Those who follow the business in a
practical way, think that it pays fully
as we'll as dairying. The only objec-
ton TO dairying is that is is combining.
Poultry keeping is not more combining
than ordinary farm work. 1t is work
especially adapted to women and chill
dren, who take kindly thereto, if they
be allowed. a share in the profits
why should not they be? At 16 cents
a dozen. the egg production of the
United States alone, estimated at over
500 oOO. 600 dozen, is over IS, 100000 The
poultry sold should bring the aggre-
gate of domestic land and water fowls
well UP towards s200000.0 o0, and still
not enough to supply the demand. We
ought to export, rather than import,
this high-priced commodity.
The Bartlett is the choicest of all the
varieties Of pears.