Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-07-12
The joys of Raising Hens.

There appears to be great deal OF
uncertainty in the minds OF poultry
keepers as to the best methods of
feeding for egg production. This un-
certainty exists not only among those
who nave recently established henner-
les. but also among those who have
spent years in raising chickens. l
do not refer to those whose sole busi-
ness it is to raise poultry, VINO give
their entire time and thought to the
subject, but to the small farmers,
gardeners, business men and clerks
who keep few hens, say 20 to 100
for the sake of the fresh eggs and
broilers and roasters they get for their
tables and for the pleasure they de-
rive from this source OF supply for
part of their living, says writer In
the New York Tribune Farmer. The
business men in this occupation are
scientific, so to speak, in the care and
feeding and breeding of their pens,
and make money at it-where they
don't make failure; but the keener OF
small flock of hens is often disturbed
by stories he hears of great success
in getting eggs from feeding this,
that and the other thing or in some
peculiar way of feeding, while he is
reapfng only moderate success by ad-
nering to plan which has been rec
commended to him by one who has
had very fair success with 1t. He is
tempted to change his method, and
often does change his method, for one
that is heralded as the great egg pro-
Queer.
Perhaps there is as constant varia-
ton in methods of doing business
among the dry goods men, hardware
men, boot and shoe men as among
pOultry-keepers. If there is we do
rot hear so much about it, but have
the impression that a general method
OF business affairs that is practically
similar year after year prevails
among what we call business men.
Among poultry-keepers there is the
widest divercity of opinion as al feed
ing and care, to insure paying results,
and the readiest disposition to change
tells of the success of Mr.. So-and SO,
whose method is different from their
own. If the hens of one neighbor do
not lay eggs, the neighbor VINO gets
none thinks that by adopting the
method of him who gets he will also
get. And this disposition to do as
some one else does and directly to 10
as some other does runs through a
community.
Every one wants to do the best he
can in securing profit from hens;
which is all right and proper. But
there is one feature in this business
of keeping hens that is something
overlooked, and which has a bearing
upon it of no small importance. One
neighbor may get eggs one winter
and the next winter he may get no
eggs, or few of them, with the same
treatment. Another neighbor who
gets no eggs while his neighbor gets
many, but who yet persists in his
own method, may get eggs the next
winter, while he who was successful
the previous winter gets none. This
fact may be observed by any one who
follows the course of things closely in
his own neighborhood, and it will aid
him in his thinking and working out
the problem of success with hens.
Not long ago keeper of so hens had
to confess that he got very few eggs
IN November, none at all in December
and none until the middle of January.
A man who had lately bought a place
in the country said at once, with the
utmost confidence: Il can tell you
how to get eggs. Feed hot mash. .
That was all. Feed a hot mash" is
a sort of slogan that people shout ont
at one who keeps hens, as the specific
against nonegg production. But the
man who was SO cocksure of the way
to feed to fill the egg basket may have
another story to tell after he begins
to keep hens, and still other stories
and other prescriptions to offer as he
continues in the business.
There's more to it than feeding a
hot mash. The probability is that
when one gives a specific for raising
eggs, while success may have been
attained with it or during the feeding
of it, lack of continued success will
be found associated with it. If there
was any specific for egg production
we would know of it, and any one
with spot of ground large enough
and $40 capital could begin the men
business at once and make money. AS
well look for a specific for wealth in
the dry goods or grocery business.
The only thing approaching a specific
in any business is work and thought.
The uncertainty about it is singular in
some respects. For instance, breed
er of fancy stock, so called because he
gets fancy price for all the stock ne
has for sale, heard of a farmer who
was getting an abundance of eggs all
winter. He went to see small flock
OF 10 hens that had been cooped up
for IL months in a small pen with
cloth front, which had been fed by a
homer arranrnnont all tha hror sha,-