The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-05-05
POULTRY FOR PROFIT.

In raising poultry for profit one
does not at the very outset need much
capital, says A. G. Pickering, of Wis
consin. Expensive poultry houses
and yards are desirable, but it is bet
ter to start on "a small scale. A sue
cessful pouiterer must have good
common sense, liking for his feath-
cred pets and n never-ending energy.
Scrupulous cleanliness and unceasing
vigilance are two main factors Ill
profitable poultry. First determine
which will pay you best, fowls for
market or eggs, and then select breed
of chickens best adapted to your pur-
pose. Brahmas or Plymouth Rocks
are tho best for meat production, and
Leghorns believe will give the most
satisfactory results in cash as egg
producers. | find neurly all poultry
raisers agree in the belief that there
IS more money in eggs than in tho
meat of fowls unless one happens to
live near large cities where broilers
are in good demand at fancy prices.
Even then one must work up private
trade as cold storage houses buy broil-
ers when prices are down, then food
the market when they advance.
The poultry raiser should always
base his estimate on the cost of food.
II eggs are the main object use the
food best suited for their production,
then get fowl which utilizes this
food in the highest degree. The size
of the hen has but little effect upon
the number of eggs produced. If a
small hen will eat less and produce
eggs from smaller amount of food
than large one, she is the fowl to Sc
lect. Ii two hens each weighing nine
pounds and three smaller ones each
weighing six pounds are kept, it will
be seen that each lot aggregates eight
cen pounds. If then the cost of
maintaining the two lots is the same
and the hens produce one egg each, it
is plain that the group containing the
small hens is the most profitable. The
question then arises whether the food
does not give the greatest profit when
fed to the three hens. There is also
gain Of space with the small hens. The
three fowls will occupy no more space
in tho poultry house than the two
larger ones, yet their laying capacity
Is fifty per cent. greater. So after
considering all points 1 would advise
choosing Leghorns where eggs are to
be the sources of profit. I personally
prefer White Leghorns, not only be-
cause OF their great beauty and form,
but because OF upwards of 100 pens of
fowls they were awarded the prize for
the greatest number OF eggs produced
from n given amount of food.
If you are breeding for poultry
shows, the particular difficulties
consist in obtaining a plumage free
from yellow tin9e on hackle, saddle,
and often on tue back, with smooth
white ear lobes which contain no red
around the edges, or yellow color
rather than white in the face. To OBJ
tain best results from mating. select
birds of the purest white p,umage and
ear lobes, for if desired for exhibition
1t is better to lose on color of LEGS.
which counts for one TO six, if gain
can be made on plumage, which counts
for twenty to twenty-five. The chicks
are often canary-colored when first
Matched. Poultry judges have de-
cidcd that bird scoring ninety points
Is worth two dollars, one scoring
ninety-one points three dollars, one
scoring ninetytwo points four dollars,
one scoring ninety-three points six
dollars, one scoring ninety-four points
ten dollars. Male BIRDS have sold for
as high as $50, hens s. and sittings of
eggs all the way from one to five.
Here then is an opening for anyone
who will fit. hjmselt for the work, and
It will pay we'll. There is alwaysrjom
MT the top in any line of work, and
there is plenty of room here. Never
be satisfied with an all purpose fowl.
Aim TO excel and be content with moth
ing Dut the best success The White
Lcgborn is as yet unsurpassed rs an
egg producer, though, like all white
fowls, they should be kept upon clean
runs and provided with plenty OF
shade during hot summer weather. to
keep their plumage free from stains.
New England Homestead.