Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-12-16
FOR SMALL FARMERS.
How They Can Manage a Flock of
Poultry Without Giving Too
Much Time to the Work.

The Massachusetts, board of agricul-
ture publishes an article on Poultry
on Small Farms" by John H. Robin
son, who says:
A large farm offers the best oppor-
tunlty to keep poultry with little labor
and comparatively large profits, but the
owner OF the large farm is not often
much interested in poultry. 1t is the
small farmers, under the necessity of
making the most Of every opportunity
to make money on their land, who are
attracted by the possibilities of poul-
try culture A very large proportion
OF the small New England farms are
OF such dimensions and proportions
that that fowls cannot be given range.
Because of this many small farmers
nave adopted the intensive methods
which small poultry keepers in towns
OFTEN find necessary, but which large
poultry keepers and farmers ought to
avoid. Intensive methods make the
care of poultry grind and drudgery, so
that the poultry keepers time is al
most FULLY occupied in caring for
few fowls. Many farmers who follow
the Intensive system and find it profit
able for a time have neglected other
lines OF farm work, while others. I'M
willing to do this, have reluctantly
given up their intention of increasing
their stock of fowls. The best solution
OF the problem of the small farmer
who wants to keep few hundred hens
and still give most of his time to other
things, will be found in the adoption
OF methods intermediate between the
intensive methods of the town poultry
keeper and the free and easy methods
that work we'll on large farms.
Mr. Robinson then goes on to say
that for more than decade the inter-
est of poultry keepers has peen almost
monopolized by intensive methods,
which are necessary to secure high
averages of egg production. These
large egg yields are often secured as
such cost of care and food that the ac-
tual profit per fowl figures small. BY
the colony system the owner of large
farm will distribute his fowls over the
farm, and, giving them room and range
relieve himself of the necessits of do
ing for them many of the things which
the intensive poultry keeper must do
daily.
What we are seeking, says Mr.. Rob-
inson, is method by which the farmer
can keep as much poultry as possible
without giving it the detailed atten-
ton that must be given when, the land
occupied is stocked to the limit. The
problem is neither deep nor difficult
AS the farmer who cannot give his
poultry range must have yards. the
obvious thing for him to do is to lay
out his yards according to the size of
his f1ocks, limit the total of fowls kept
to the capacity of the yards. make
houses of such dimensions as are re-
quired, and place them singly or in
pairs where they can be most readily
reached in making the no lnds of the
place. He points out that the expense
of fencing is limited to the increased
cost for the end fences. no more fenc-
ing being required for the division and
side fences than when a continuous
connecting house with narrow yards is
used. -. 70.
In closing. Mr.. Robinson says:
Poultry keeping ought to De an i'm
portant feature on every farm. and a
pleasant feature of farm work. 1t may
be, if the farmer will only study to
adapt his stock and his methods to the
capacity of his farm under conditions
satisfactory to him.