Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-10-31
THE BRolLER BUSINESS.
Views of the Editor of A Few Hens,
who Knows From Experience.

Views of the Editor of A Few Hens,
Who Knows From Experience.
Broiler raising as an exclusive bust
ness is practically failure. The
amount OF risk in buying eggs for
Matching, the variety of stock Matched
and the varied condition of such stock
Matched has given too much risk to
broiler raising as an exclusive affair.
But combine the broiler business with
that of raising eggs for market, and
you have combination that means a
year round income, and the risk OF loss
is partly lessened. Selling eggs when
prices are high and turning them into
broilers when prices are on the de-
cline is good rule to work by.
Prices for broilers have held out very
we'll during the past FEW years, as high
as 60 cents pound being reached.
When | first became interested in this
branch-it was in the infancy of the
industry-the prices kept lowering very
close to 80 cents a pound. Yet at that
figure in those days there was less
profit than in 60 cents pound today.
Why? We have breeds better adapted
to the work; we have better incuba-
tors and brooding systems; we have
better knowledge of how to feed and
care for the chicks. These improve
ments lessen the loss, and with less
risk we can make more profit.
During the past few years new
branch has sprung up-the sale OF
SQUAD broilers." These are chicks at
q weight of from one-half to three
fourths pound each. This demand was
created owing to the annual scarcity
Of wild birds and especially SQUADS.
AS high as 80 cents pair has been
paid for this class of goods. There Is
a possibility of this branch being over
done, which would naturally lower the
price. 1t is question In the minds OF
broiler raisers whether it pays better
to sell SQUAD broilers or raise them to
regular size. The argument Is ad-
yanced that the greatest loss is expert
enced during the early life of the chick,
and as it is easier to add weight after
q chick has reached three-fourths
pound there is more profit in the regu-
lar broiler Zone and oIre-nalf pounds.
There are fewer broiler plants In this
country today than ever before, but
the quality Of broilers, the successful
measures, etc, make it branch which
makes bigger profits than anything
else. That is a fact, however, only
where eggs are raised at home. A care
full inspection of the methods employ
ed, the success, etc, of the prosperous
growers has evinced the fact that the
secret of success lies In the selection of
a breed Of fowls that will combine
growth and plumpness in the shortest
time after leaving the eggs. Such
stock kept at home and fed and cared
for so as to assure strong fertility
gives the broiler man material from
which he can produce the ideal article.
I give these facts briefly, as the I'M
preston has gone forth that the in
dustry is dead and that 1t died from
the effect Of low prices and big cost.
There could be no more cruel blow
struck. If dead-but it is not dead-it
died by careless handling from incom-
petent men. The prices are not low
and never have been so low that they
did not afford a profit to the practical
man. The cost of production depends
upon the price of eggs, labor, methods,
etc. The practical man regulates these.
So it will be seen that, with experience
ed work and common sense methods
and when made an adjunct to other
branches, broiler raising instead OF
being dead is live, healthy and profit
able business.-Michael @. Boyer In
Poultry Monthly.