Middletown transcript., 1903-01-24
FAILURES IN POULTRY RAISING
BY ENoCH G. DOW.

ali OVER tne country pear slient Witness
to the fact that many men have once
tried poultry farming, either as special
ty or in connection with other lines Of
work, and have given it up because they
could not make it pay. There is always
cause that produces the effect. In
these instances, we can plainly see the
effect, but the cause is not always ap-
parent. Yet it is not difficult for the ex-
perienced and successful egg grower to
find the cause Of failure in most instances.
For the benefit of those who may have
had little experience, or who are intend
ing to try their hand at poultry keeping
for the first time, let us look at some Of
the things which are sure to lead to fail
ure. If we can learn to avoid the things
that end in failure, we may be reasona-
bly, sure Of success. 1t is true in poultry
farming, as in most other things, that il
is often harder to tell what not to do than
what to do.
Iwould place first among the causes of
failures, houses not adapted to the busi-
ness; houses which are dark, damp,
dirty and unventilated; | would also add,
houses that have too much glass. 1t
passes without comment, that hen
house without light and pure air must be
damp and unhealthy. Yet have seen
hens kept in the basement OF barn
where there was hardly light enough to
get around, and where it was SO damp that
water often stood upon the ground floor.
In fact, | never saw more than one barn
basement that was fit for hens to live in.
That one is on graveHy bank, free from
wet and well lighted. While we see at
once that darkness, dampness and bad
air are causes OF failure, it takes consid-
cradle "horse sense to comprehend the
fact that too much sun is equally bad.
Sunshine is necessity; it is sure death
to germs and microbes; it is invigorating
and life-giving. Yet, sun pouring through
glass and sun in the open air are two
different things. Too much glass in the
hen house is detriment. Have the
house as large as the needs Of the flock
require with windows enough for light
and health, but don't make the mistake
OF having the whole front glass.
Improper feeding is also cause Of
failure. This includes wrong kinds of
food and wrong ways Of feeding it. In
brief, I may say that while the theory
Of balanced ration reads well, it is not
possible for one man to formulate a
ration that would prove profitable under
all conditions. Study the subject of
feeding and grow as much as you can
Of what you feed. Ignorant feeding is
bad feeding.
Bad care in other ways than feeding
also leads to disastrous results. Unless
you are prepared to give prompt and
regular attention to all the small details
Of the business, you would better not
embark at all. Rather put your time
and money into something that you can
attend to, than into hens and houses
only to neglect them.
Fifth, lice, mites and disease have to
be looked out for and guarded against.
1t takes time; it requires work; it needs
intelligence. Yet another reason why
some have failed is found largely in the
fact that they have kept non-laying
strains of hens.
Some men laugh at the egg type in the
hen, yet assure you it is as much a fact
as the dairy type in COW. This matter
Of type is 50 important that it would
need separate article to make it plain;
hence, I will only say here, select breed
ing stock from hocks known to be good
layers Once you get good laying blood
into the flock, keep it and improve it by
intelligent breeding and selection.
Lastly, will say that some men have
failed because they we're not adapted to
the business. Most men can adapt them
selves to the needs Of any work that they
are reasonably sure will be profitable I'M
der conditions as they exist with them.
A few men are so constituted that it
would be folly for them to try to make
success Of any work for which they do
not possess natural inclination. These
are the men who should not keep hens
unless they like them and the work Of
caring for them.
There is SO much Of detail III lie bus.
ness that the man who cannot, or will
not, take the trouble to look after the lit
tie things need not hope to succeed. Yet
most men can overcome natural Incidence
or aversion to any work il necessity re-
quircs it.
These, then, are the things to avoid if
you wish to succeed with hens: Insult
able houses, bad care, improper food,
non-producing strains Of fowl, ignorant
breeding and natural dislike for tile
work. These things bring failure. Their
onnosites win success.