Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-15
GREATEST POULTRY RANCH.

Think of farm Of 200 acres devoted
exclusively to poultry A writer In the
Chicago Record Herald tells about Il.
The owner OF this novel but very sue
cessfu ranch once had an idea that
there was no profit In any live stock
smaller than COW, He was farmer,
and. like She majority Of his kind, dis
dained the humble hen that cackled on
sang as her mood demanded This
farmer had good head fun OF ideas
ana probably read In his agricultural
paper the advice. Don't neglect the
hen, breed for profit conduct the busi-
ness on business principles, and II VIII
ba sally proved that no branch OF the
live stock industry will return greater
pfohts than poultry"
y his novel EGG and broiler factory
Is about hundred miles up the HUI
son river, north OF New York City. The
proprietor, Henry Van Dresser, several
years ago was a successful breeder Of
fhMthOrn cattle. He saw big thing In
The millet and her egg, adopted a
frlendless boy, whom he educated, aud
then formed poultry partnership,
finally supplanting his cattle with
pure-bred Leghorn hpns, which as egg
producers are even mbrc profitable than
his cattle were as milk and butter pro-
ducers. The cattle no longer craze the
hills, every acre of the land Is devoted
10 the production OF poultry and the
grain used for feeding.
Mr Nbn Dreser's place Is known far
and Wide. and the public IS eager 10
learn Of the methods by'which they can
make $leO a sday besides an annual in
come o. 5000 TO $4,000 d year from he
sale NJ fancy broilers 10 tNs epcures Of
New York City. II takes cap'tal 70 do
this. 70 begin with, the land was paid
for before he began To speculate on
poultry, and the amount now invested
In poultry buildings and accessories Is
something like $1,000 The flock con-
slsts Of nearly 1900 Leghorns for laying
and many extra fine specimens for
special breeding purposes. The feed ~
all grown on the farm and about 5000
bushels of compost Is made from the
dropplngs every year, which goes back
TO the land TO fertllize II, which re-
suits IN wonderful crops
The first step was TO buy small in
cubator and 200 eggs from choice, pure
bred stock. Mr.. Van Dreser's adopted
son Was an enthusiast from the begin
ming and received substantial encour-
agement from his benefactor. The old
penthouse was cleaned and renovated
and the work was begun on scientific
basis flock OF single-comb White
Lsghorns Of q well known laying strain
was then purchased. The growth of
the business was amazing, and at the
end OF two years 1900 hens were WIN
tered, only one being lost from disease.
Special care I'm feeding Is the rule.
hens are fed for eggs Just the same as
the dairy COW is fed for milk AS an
egg Is about three-fourths water great
care is taken to keep pure water be-
fore them at all times, and pure foods
are provided also, as continued feeding
OF green vegetables such as onions and
rare. viii cause the flavor of the eggS
to become impaired
Every day the eggs are gathered,
stamped with the Van Dresser trade
mark and shipped by express to New
York TO one dealer who handles the
product Of this institution exclusively.
Last winter year ago Mr.. Van Dresser
realized 40 cents dozen; the retail
price was 60 cents dozen and every
egg was warranted to be fresh.
All the young cockerels, except the
high scoring specimens, are sold as
brolers; last year about 5000 OF these
were sold. The high-scoring specimens
are sold to fanciers aud farmers who
must have good blood for their focks
at prices ranging frhn SO 10 $40 head.
This, with the eggs for Matching sold
at 10 cents each, increases the income
$4,000 to $1,000 year. Mr. Van Ores
er has proved that pure-bred hens can
be bred for heavy laying. He recently
sold TO one OF the experiment stations
30 hens, each of which had made rec
ord OF 200 eggs a year The average
Leghorn hen viii lay $50 eggs in year.
How the hens are made 10 lay when
other hens are on strike and the
eggs are high Is q secret worth know
ing. For two weeks in August the hens
are confined in pens and led only one
fourth of the fun ration. which reduces
their flesh. Then they are let out into
the sunshine and fed heavily the best
OF food In yariety-peas, oats, wheat,
corn and sunfower seed. This soon
loosens the old feathers and they drop
OIL to give room to the new plumage.
Under this heavy feeding the birds get
in laying condition, and by the time
the arlstocracy of the cities return
from the seashore eggs from the Van
Dresser farm are ready for market.
This farm is an ideal place for
chickens. An orchard Of " acres is the
home Of the brooder houses. where the
little chicks are reared--an immense
nursery from which the older fowls are
excluded. More than $500 chicks may
be cared for at one time In this nur-
5ery The main poultry building Is 1853
feet long, divided into % compartments
10 feet square, with cement floors.
Cleanliness is the watchword Of this
farm, and is the sole reason for the
lack Of disease among the flocks OF this