Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-09-05
Keep Special Purpose Flocks.

Whether we make more money fror
heavy poultry like the Asiatic breeds o
from light ones like the Leghorns de
pends largely upon what particular lin
we wish to follow.
1t is the same with poultry as it i
with other livestock of the farm, on
person likes some particular breed bes
and another person prefers differen
one. The object in view, whether egg
or meat, should determine to a consider
able extent the choice made, exactly il
the manner that the Jersey is chosen fo
butter and the Hereford for beef.
There may be some general purpos,
breeds of poultry, and of these the Ply
mouth Rock comes as near the mark al
any, but the specialist will do well t.
go further than this. General purpose
animals are often disappointing, ant
the same is true of fowls.
Taking glance at the Leghorn a:
typical of the laying breeds, we see ;
hen alert, active, always looking fol
something to satisfy her appetite. A
large she roams far afield in her search
for insects. In confinement she does
not sit and NOPE, but is ever on the
watch for chance to escape. She is q
living example of energy, and does not
take time to get fat. But she lays eggs
That is her business. Instead of storing
her food upon her body in the shape ei
surplus fat she turns it into those dear
white spheres which fill the housewife
heart with Joy and her purse with silver.
III eggs are wanted select the Leghorn,
the Hamburg and the Houdan, the hens
that pay the largest percentage of profit
over and above the cost of keeping, and
don't waste time and food on the heavy
weights. The one great fault with hens
expected to produce eggs is that they
take on too much fat after the first year.
More trouble is experienced in this
direction than in any other. We hear
poultry keepers complaining that their
hens do not lay; then they say, resign
edly, that they are probably too fat.
But this is never true of the Leghorn.
Young hens invariably lay better than
old ones, so even a Leghorn or Hou-
dan should be retired at the end of two
years. One great fault with poultry
keepers is the tendency to keep their
hens too long in the flock. For best
results, secure early pullets and keep
them till the close of the second year,
Matching a sufficient number each sea-
son to take the place of those retired.
Feed literally on heterogeneous diet and
a full egg basket will be the reward.
Hens thus kept and cared for will lay
over two hundred eggs each in a year in
fiocks of fifty or over. Fewer in num-
bers they will do evel better, since they
invariably lay more than when kept in
large floeks.
Taking the opposite side, one who
desires to make speciality of broilers or
to sell on the fall market will avoid the
small breeds and will select one of the
heavier ones. Plymouth Rocks have
many admirers. They mature early, are
plump and possessed of plenty Of
vitality to push them along. Wyan-
dottes have many of the same character
istics. So also have the Langshans, but
the color of their flesh being white in
stead of yellow disqualifies them as a
really fine market fowl.
For the heaviest weight we look to
the Cochins and Brahmas. These often
attain size equal to three of the Leg
horns, but they are outclassed by the
smaller breeds when it comes to eggs,
although as winter layers the Brahma
pullets do very well.
1t is useless for us to expect all the
excellent points in one breed. Each has
its particular field, exactly the same as
with animals. No one expects the
draught horse, weighing nearly ton,
to equal the speed of the pure bred
roadster, but when it comes to moving
heavy loads he is ahead, for he is built
for that kind of work. Speaking from
experience, l will say that when we are
looking for eggs exclusively we select a
breed of fowls fitted for that purpose,
and unless one makes speciality of
brollers or capons there is greater profit
in eggs than in dressed poultry. In
marketing eggs better price can be
obtained from private consumers than
from dealers. Have them fresh and
back them up with guarantee. There
are people in every town willing to pay
an extra price for them if offered in
prime condition.
A good flock of hens will bring a
profit of Sl.5c each at market prices for
eggs one year with another. What kind
of livestock will do better than that on
the amount invested? Summer prices
hold up we'll of late years, owing to the
cold storage men, who pick them up all
over the country, thus preventing over
stocked markets which formerly pre-
vailed for a portion of the year.-Cor.
Tribune Farmer.