Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-11-03
aatistellansuus &eadin9.
POULTRY FARMS.
How to Make Small Plants Profitable
Without Detailed Attention.

Without Detailed Attention.
In it's crop report for August, re-
Gently issued, the Massachusetts, state
board of agriculture includes an arti-
Gle on 1.-THE Management Of Poultry on
Small Farms" by John H. Robinson,
editor of Farm Poultry. This report
may be obtained by applying to J.
Lewis Ellsworth, secretary Of the
board, State House, Boston. and those
wishing to receive these bulletins reg
ularly may have their names placed on
the mailing list for that purpose.
In this article Mr.. Robinson says
"A large farm offers the best opportu-
nifty to keep poultry with little labor
and comparatively large profits, but
the owner of the large farm Is not Of
ten much interested in poultry. 1t Is
the small farmers, under the necessity
of making the most Of every opportu-
nifty to make money on their land, who
are attracted by the possibilities of
poultry culture.
"A very large proportion of the small
New England farms are Of such di-
mensions and proportions that the
fowls cannot be given range. Because
of this many small farmers interested
In poultry have adopted the intensive
methods which small poultry keepers
in towns often find necessary, but
which large poultry keepers and farm
ers ought to avoid. Intensive meth
DDS make the care Of poultry a grind
and drudgery so that the poultry keep
ers ought to avoid. Intensixe meth
caring for a few fowls. Many farmers
who follow the intensive system and
find it profitable for time have neg
lected other lines Of farm work, while
others, unwilling to do this, have reluc-
tantfy given up their intention Of in
creasing their stock Of fowls.
1.-The best solution Of the problem Of
the small farmer who wants to keep a
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 in
terest of poultry keepers has been al
most monopolized by intensive meth
DDS, which are necessary to secure high
averages of egg production. These
large egg yields are often secured at
such cost of care and food that the
actual profit per fowl figures small.
By the colony system the owner OF a
large farm will distribute his fowls
over the farm, and, giving them room
and range, relieve himself of the ne
cessity of doing for them many Of the
things which the intensive poultry
keeper must do daily. Then follows an
extended illustration Of the difference
between the two methods, particularly
as relates to supplying green food.
meat food and exercise.
What we are seeking" says Mr..
Robinson, "is a method by which the
farmer can keep as much poultry as
possible, without giving it the detailed
attention that must be given when the
land occupied Is stocked to the limit.
The problem Is neither a deep nor
difficult one. AS the farmer who can
not 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 flocks. limit the total
of fowl kept to the .apacity Of the
yards, make houses Of such dimensions
as are required and place them singly
or in pairs where they can be most
readily reached in making the rounds
of the place.
He then gives details as to the size
of houses and yards required under this
method, and points out that the ex-
pense Of fencing is limited to the in
creased cost of new fences, no more
fencing being required for the divis-
ion and side fences than when a con-
tinuous connecting house with narrow
yards Is used. He further explains
the best methods of regulating the
work of feeding, watering, etc., so that
fowls may be kept in good condition
and the greater part of the day still
left free for regular farm work.
In closing Mr.. Robinson says: "Poul-
try keeping ought to be an important
feature of farm work. 1t may be made
so if the farmer will only study to
adapt his stock and his methods to the
capacity Of the farm, under conditions
satisfactory to him."