The Red Cloud chief., 1896-07-03
4 Sncreasfnl EnnIfrY I,IIsrr.

I have been engaged in raising
] then purchased an incubator, and
from that time I have given my entire
attention TO poultry raising. | started
in perfectly ignorant Of the business,
and at the bottom Of the ladder.
Through many experiments and losses,
successes and failures, | am gradually
rising to the top. During the first three
years my main object was TO find out
what breed would give me the largest
profit per fowl. In this test | had TWEEN
ty-one different breeds. giving them the
same care and attention. and keeping
a strict book account of each breed.
The breeds in this test were: Light
Brahma, Dark Brahma, Black Cochins,
White Cochins, Partridge Cochins, Bun
Cochlns. American Dominique. Silver
Spangled Hamburgs, %Iiondans, Black
Javas, Black Langshans, Single Comb
Brown Lcghorns, Single Comb White
Lcghorns, Rose Comb Brown Leghorns,
Rose Comb White Leghorns. Black
Minorcas, Barred Plymouth Rocks.
White Plymouth Rocks, Red Caps, Sill
yer Laced Wyandottcs, and White wy
andottes. The balance sheet would in
variably fall in favor of the Single Comb
Brown I~eghorns. This breed Is now
my choice, and | breed them exclusively
for three purposes: First, the selling
OF thoroughbred eggs; then the raising
of early broilers, and last for eggs In
the winter. There Is in my opinion
no other breed that excels them for
either Of these three purposes. have
at present a fine flock Of birds. These
birds have free range during the sum-
NOR months, with convenient place for
roosting at night. They are housed
during the winter months in the main
building, which is 20xS0 feet, two stories
high, containing eighteen pens Sxl6
feet. In each pen are placed from fif-
teen to twenty fowls, with no outdoor
runs. The feeding consists principally
OF vegetables and grain, such as can DO
raised during the summer, namely:
cabbages, turnips, sugar beets, potatoes,
apples, corn, wheat, rye, oats. buck
wheat and millet. l keep pounded oys'
ter shells before them all the time for
grit and feed green ground zone three
times n week. | consider these essential
for the production of eggs. The mar
kcting Is OF very great Importance, as
] do not give my time to the business
ior the fun there IL i'm IL but for the
mouoy alone. | market principally In
the rity Of New York. BY feeding the
variety Of food above mentioned and
grain fed I'm a litter Of cut corn fodder
] keep the egg basket full of eggs and
the i%ncubators full to their utmost
capacity of riggs laid by my own hens,
when the thermometer outside ranges
from 10 to II degrees below zero. Dur
Ing the first few years of my expert
cncc | had some difficulty with dis
cases, lice and predatory animals. But
after finding the secret of cleanliness
AMI of disiniectants and the value Of a
good gunshot. | have often raised from
95 to 9S per cent of the chicks Matched.
In my earlier years l tried doctoring
fowls and found 1t simply time thrown
away, for II the same time were used
I'm cleasing the coops and applying dis
infectants, diseases would rarely oc-
cur. BY careful breeding and always
selecting the best laying birds and
earliest matured pullets and cockerels.
have at present remarkable egg pro-
duccrs and early maturers. the pullets
often laying at four months old. IT. any
further knowledge of my experience Is
desired IL will be cheerfully given.
John Smoker.