The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-08
Location and Management of Poultry
Farms.

The first thing to consider is loca-
ton, ten acres of good land within
easy access of market being preferable.
a poultry farm so situated will readily
command a reputation and market
for all the eggs and market poultry 1t
can produce at remuneratiVe prices.
The land should have plenty Of water
for irrigation purposes to enable the
owner to grow crops of fruit and all
the green food the chickens may re-
qu;re. Care should be exercised in To-
eating where The water supply is am
pie and of the purest quality. With
situation answering to the above re-
quirements a start in the poultry bust
ness is possible with little additional
capital for l have found it preferable
to begin in a small way. Too many
people rush into the business in a fit
of enthusiasm and spend their money
UnWisely in buying incubators, brood
ers and machinery, in erecting costly
yards and buildings, in buying prize
winning birds etc, before having even
learned the rudimentS of the business.
Such people always expect big returns
on their investments, and, naturally
enough, not realizing them are disap-
pointed and declare there is no money
in the chicken business; they go w
into the poultry atmosphere like a sky
rocket, and like it. generally come down
like a stick. But a practical man or
woman will tell a different tale. Under
their management all the available
land of the poultry farm will be
planted TO alfalfa, corn, barley, some
cabbage and beets, besides a full line
of garden truck to supply green food
for the fowls; or if you own the land,
plant to orchard and grow the above
crops between the rows of trees until
the orchard comes into bearing. Tree
fruit and hen fruit is a splendid COM
bination for profit.
While the crops are growing a small
amount of building should be COM
menced. First, Well planned and sub
stantially constructed house, draft
proof. should be erected for an incu-
bator and breeder. This house should
be built and situated so as to receive
as much sunshine as possible. From
each brOOder department there should
be built an outside run or yard planted
to alfalfa and a tree or two-prefera bly,
some variety of fruit-to provide shade,
affording exercise for the young stock
A short distance from this house
make yard quarters for the young
chicks as thew should never be over
crowded; six such yards i6X16 will be
ample TO start with. With each yard
should be built a small but inexpens-
i've house for the chicks as they come
from the brooder which must be done
gradually.
There should. also be built a yard of
larger proportions for the cockerels,
and another as large as your means
viii allow Off il enclOSes your entire
farm all the better for then it can be
divided and subdivided into as many
yards as the growing business may re-
quire- The stock can then be graded as
to age and sex, and the various breeds
all segregated. To secure best results
under this system be sure to provide
ample roosting room.
So much for the Arrangement and
Of our poultry plant, now
as to its operation.
The first thing is to purchase some
good incubators and brOoders, not too
large, for it is much better to begin
with a machine of 100 or 200 egg ca
pacity.
In purchasing eggs for Matching 1
advise the novice to buy only
of reliable breeders of thoroughbred
poultry, for it has been clearly dem
Onstrated that the pure strains are the
best and most profitable Select the
breed that strikes your fancy and if
it proves satisfactory to you, make a
speciality of it. Pure bred poultry all
ways looks nice and is always in de-
mand at good prices. After trying diff
ferent varieties 1 have concluded to
pin my faith to the Leghorns on ac-
count Of their great laying qualities,
early maturity and foraging capacity.
The best time to start the incubators
is in the latter part of January, and if
possible continue during February,
March and April for the chicks
Matched during these months derive the
advantages of spring-plenty of green
food, insects and worms, and a brac-
ing atmosphere. All these tend to
produce fine laying hens and early ma
turing broiiers for the market.-H. E. |
Preston in Rural Californian.