Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-01-26
TO BEGINNERS.
A Practical Talk to Those AbOut to
Embark III the Poultry business.

n
Embark III the Poultry business.
l wish to write something that may
be to the advantage of some beginner.
A young man of my acquaintance con
cludcd lie would embark in the poultry
business and grow rich from the first
seasons experience, and he diu-rich
in experience. He purchased 200 egg
incubator, built a brooder house 10 by
80 feet, purchased four section hot
water brooder and was prepared to
raise chickens by the hundred, but in
stead or the success he had anticipated
he now has Il 'plant" for sale at any
old price. We advised him against 60
ing to SO much expense until he had
had some experience, but our advice
went for naught He bought standard
bred White Wyandotte eggs, started
his incubator. and at the end of u days
he didn't hatch single chicken. Ev
cry member of the family took turns
at the machine, and the result was that
the thermometer ranged from so to 40
degrees, and the eggs We're cooked. The
next batch that he set turned out less
than dozen little runts that soon peg
ged out. The third lot of eggs he pur-
chased he set under hens and had very
good luck with them, only they were
rather late.
This is one Of the many cases that
discourage beginners. If the young
man had listened to the advice of one
who had been through the mill and
had purchased two or three sittings of
eggs and Matched them under hens, he
undoubtedly would have secured
enough good birds to have given him a
start, and from these could have en-
perimented without so great expense.
We do not believe it is right for poul-
try people to encourage the amateur to
start on big SCALE as nine times out
of ten the person buying will get dis
gusted and bitter against all poultry.
men for talking up standard bred poul-
try and, condemn them as not being
honest in what they say.
When some people write an article
saying they had 95 per cent hatch or
6o per cent hatch, the amateur takes
1t for granted that 1t Is Go per cent or
05 per cent Of all the eggs put in the
Incubator, aud he sits down to figure
out how much he could make out Of
the business the first season, and in his
mind will soon be as wealthy as one
would care to be. The truth of the
matter is they will do we'll if they raise
to maturity 40 chicks out of 100 eggs
set. IT were better in the long run for
all persons concerned if the darker
side of poultry raising We're put to the
front occasionally and the ups and
downs that one has to contend with
were expatiated on. Then If the am.
ateur goes above the 40 mark he will
be well satisfied, whereas If he falls
below the Go mark he will be dissatls.
fed and say 1t is the fault of the eggs
and that he has been robbed or given
eggs that the sender knew were not
good.
The amateur must learn to walk be.
fore he can run, and my advice to him
Is: Try a sitting or two, or purchase a
trio, and then If you have bad luck
you will not be out so mSch money. II
the amateur were not too ambitious
and would start with few chickens
and give them every attention, he
would he better satisfied in the long
run. and his chickens would make bet.
ter birds than If he had an immense
flock ana only gave them half atten.
ton. Take one dozen chicks just hatch
ed, give them good attention and feed
them all they will eat from the shell
until show time, and they will be worth
more than 100 poorly raised BIRDS
Charles l.. Blanton in Reliable Poultry
Journal.