The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15
POULTRY CULTURE.
How a Profitable Business for Women
Has Developed.
Big Money Made by the Raising Of
Thoroughbred Poultry and
Sale of Eggs.

that so seemingly unremuneratlVe q
field of undertaking as the rearing OF
poultry as a means of gaining live
lihood, to say nothing of the possibil-
ity of reaping from the industry an in
dependence, would have been looked
upon as absurd in the extreme, and
highly improbable. But to-day it is al
very different. Recent years have work
ed wondrous changes in the
lives and pursuits of women
and the culture of thoroughbred
fowls has been most promi-
nently brought to the fore, and chiefly
through the instrumentality OF the
progressiveness and far-seeing intui-
ton of womankind.
For ages poultry was cultivated
mainly as a side issue, and as such ii
Of understanding and popularity of the
enterprise that marks it to-day one OF
the chief industries of the nation.
Statistics OF six years ago give the
sum total of the poultry products as
$50 900, 900 for the United States alone,
within the limit of one year, and the
figures of later years have shown a
constantly increasing revenue from the
Sdulc source. rows anu eggs COtlSulii-
ed at home, by individual families, do
not of course enter into the computa-
ton. The supply of fresh eggs has
never been equal to the demand. Thou
sands of dollars are annually going out
from our own country in purchase of
this one staple food product so largely
consumed by all classes and conditions
of people.
The rearing of thoroughbred fowls for
the fancier's trade is another branch of
the industry in which a great number
of women are engaged, and from wht&h
| they have gained, and are still gaini4y
name and independence.
1t is in the show room that woman is
at her best in poultry culture. Her
| exhibition coops are the prettiest and
neatest. BY attractive cards upon
| them she advertises her biddies and
| her business. She is accorded every
! courtesy by her male competitors, and
an appreciative public purchases her
poultry, paying full value for it, and
sometimes giving fancy prices for
especially attractive specimens that
may be utilized for the adornment of
a summer lawn. This woman employs
the expert judge of poultry. He comes
| to her home, goes through her poultry
! yards and houses, passes upon her
! fowls, bands and gives each a score
card, and through large and attractive
| advertisements in the popular poultry
| journals and papers of agriculture she
tells to the reading world what she has
for sale. Upon scale of points the
price of each individual fowl depends,
and it is no unusual thing for her to
receive so, SO and even $50 each, for
male birds that possess the many
| points of value as breeders. The fe-
males from breeding pens are often sold
| for sums of like proportions. though
| s. and so each are more often re-
| ceived These are but comparative
prices. however; so also have fowls of
| thoroughbred varieties been sold for
much less than even the lowest price
mentioned.
Selling eggs for Matching is another
remunerative branch of poultry culture.
| Thirteen or fifteen eggs are considered
the number of eggs that shall constitute
| a sitting and such eggs, from ones
choicest, most valuable specimens of the
| breeding yards, sell at prices ranging
from 50 to SO and 50 per sitting. These
eggs are carefully packed in baskets,
| and every precaution taken in the pack
ing to insure their safe arrival at the
/ place of their intended destination. a
piece of new muslin is neatly sewn over
the contents, a label in large letters that
! says: Eggs for Matching. Handle
with care is pasted upon the cloth, the
name of purchaser, plainly typed or
written upon a tag, is attached to the
handle, and with fancier's name and ad-
dress conspicuously placed upon the top
of the basket, it is ready for shipment by
express, and bears a dainty and bust
ness-lille appearance that goes far to-
wards making a business success of the
enterprise. Such eggs, if fertile-and
| the seller should be sure that they are
and carefully packed, will so hundreds
of miles and yet produce strong chicks,
upon which probably depends the pur-
chaser's start" in thoroughbred poul-
try culture the following season, and
/ hundreds and thousands of new enthu-
siasts are yearly making the start so
great is the present and growing inter-
est in this independence giving line of
| labor.
Comparatively few of the women who
! engage in poultry rearing ever become
| fanciers. More of them are employed
in producing eggs and chicks for market
/ purposes. This becomes in time, and
through perseverance, a very remunera-
tive line of the work, and especially so
to those living within available distance
of city markets. Let a woman once gain
for herself the reputation for furnishing
strictly first class articles Of the kind in
which she deals, and her success is as
sured With a good market within
reach, her greatest trouble viii be to
meet the demand for fresh eggs and for
fries and broilers.
! The true secret of success in all lines
Of enterprise IS in seeking the field of I'M
supplied demand and need, and bringing
10 meet it supplies that are of the best
products possible. and in turn demanding
therefor a reasonable but commensurate
return for labor, time and investment.
| Choice products temptingly presented,
will invariably command a remunerative
compensation for the producer Inferior
and Unconditional appearing products
are considered dear at any price, and ex-
cept from some ones necessity, will find
no purchaser.
| Women upon every side are success
! fully traversing the fields of poultry Gull
ture to-day. They have been doing so
for several seasons past, and the pres
ent is but an object lesson, and a COM
parative stepping-stone to the may be"
OF the future. Those who understand
the great possibilities, and the gain and
the pleasure of the enterprise, are earn
estly pursuing this well chosen avoca-
| tipn