Smyrna times., 1897-01-27
PROFITS IN POULTRY RAISING.
How it Works on a Small Scale.
Correspondence to the SMYRNA Time.

correspondence to the Smyrna Times
MIR. EDITOR; AS soon as it is found
that any business pays we'll thew all
rush into it and break it down with
over-productiOn. There is one busi-
ness that think has money in it that
mas not yet attracted attention enough
TO materially lessen its profits. l mean
poultry raising. There may be others
that have had more experience in the
business than have or that have been
more successful. If so, we would like
to hear from them.
There has been some fluctuations in
The price of eggs and of chickens. de-
pendent upon circumstances that were
local and temporary. But, as a gen
eral thing, there has been a great adj
vance IN the price of both eggs and
chickens, both of which command
double what they did years ago. while
iced OF all kinds has cheapened to
about one-half its former price.
What l want to call attention 70 is
not merely what poultry farmers NAV
raise to pick their stables and CLEAN
about their stackyards and orchards
IlYlng well upon what otherwise would
be lost, bnt for those who have not tba
farm with its grain fields to depend
upon, as an Independent business that
Will pay and pay well from its own re-
sources. Those who have but little
ground, an acre or even half an acre,
can enclose it with wire fence. that
costs but little, and thus afford them
range and prevent their trespassing
a little outlay is necessary at the start
Tor what might be called a chicken
house, with divisions for nests and for
young broOds, as well as a well venti-
lated roosting place. If there is not .
big dog at hand, it will be highly ne
cessary that it be secure from thieves
This done, from two to three hundred
fowls might do well on an acre Of
ground.
L have not tried all the different
breeds; some are said to be better law
ers than others. find that anv breed
does better at first 1t is my impress
sion also that different breeds runnino
together lay better, though the prac-
tlce OF having your breeds all mixed up
IS not to be recommended
You now have readers who can ra-
member when full grown ooosa .
could be bought for 25 cents and a
par OF full-grown, fattened fowls for
30 or 40 cents, when the same now
would bring frome one dollar to one
and a quarter. All this when the
price of feed is down to one-half NV
experience has been with about one
hundred fowls to winter. on a small
place where l have to depend upon
feeding. l feed both morning and
night with corn or wheat and with
bran and middlings mixed. alternating
frequently. Just now we have the
Plymouth Rock variety, although we
have had others. Our proceeds for a
year, ending with June 1st, I will give.
allowing what is used in the family as
compensation for the work and care.
Keeping the original stock good the
sale OF eggs and chickens in the one
year amounts to $1OS.49. Feeding about
one peck a day would amount to ninety
bushels in year, the value at present
prices being about $500. This
shows a clear profit of over seventy
dollars on this small outlay. There
are some drawbacks that ought of
course to be taken into account. The
interest on the value of the original
stock, say about fifty dollars, would be
three dollars, still leaving over sew
enty dollars profit.
A range thus devoted to the poultry
would need to have access to a supply
OF water and more or less of the
ground should be occasionally plough
ed or broken up. have spoken only of
chickens, but other poultry, geese,
ducks and turkeys may be included.
From long experience am satisfied
that raising poultry for market, if prop
erly attended to, is a perfectly safe,
reliable and profitable business.
Your OLD CORRESPONDENT.