The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-06-21
SOUTHERN : FARM ): F0TEs.
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TOPICS OF INTEREST TO THE RI ANrER, SrocKMAN ANo YPDcg cpoUrs

n ready to learn from others. now
But while this is true, we are able to
say we know there is profit in poultry
keeping, because we have made it pay,
n on practical lines, as well as with
pure bred fowls in the fancy egg and
poultry trade.
And now to the facts Of personal ex-
perience On the question of profit: And
IN this summary is not taken into con
sideration the production of the hens,
as to whether they should be raised
or purchased-taking the ground that
in point Of value they represent in
themselves their cost OF existence to
their keeper. that they can be disposed
of at any given time for what it cost
to produce them. With this fact set
tied, the question of profit is narrowed
down to the single n of the cost of
food and the value of the eggs pro.
duced.
In counting the cost of food in our
personal experience, we charge up
every item excepting that OF green
food in spring, summer and autumn.
for we raise it ourselves outside of
u chicken yards, and feed to them of
a morning while it is fresh and crisp.
We raise Essex rape, oats and wheat
sprouts for this purpose, and as neither
requires any cultivation, the cost is a
mere trif1e. 1t may be that during the
season that grows this green stuff. the
fowls and chicks get all the bugs. in
sects, ETC., that hey require. But dur
ing the cold season green cut bone is
fed to them three or four times a week.
and on those days the grain ration is
cut down correspondingly. The meat
and the bone ration is much more nee
essary for the hens in cold weather to
keep them laying than the green food
is at that season. On the other hand.
in the mild season, the meaty ration
can be dispensed with to a great ex.
tent. if the green stuff is freely sup
piled. az
We feed our hens grain-corn. oats
and wheat mixed. twice daily, and the
green food, or cut bone, as the case
may be, only one time on the days
when they are supplied with either.
And while the cut bone ration may be
omitted every other day, the green
food should be given freely in season.
The Essex rape, which produces a
large, flexible leaf. becomes in this
way one of the chief articles of the
hens diet, and not a mere relish, for
they eat OF it more heartily. and it
strongly cOors their droppings. 1t is
a most excellent egg producer. This
system is followed in keeping hens
yarded where there is some grass. but
which is such a wiry nature that its
only value consists in it's being a harbor
for bugs, etc, which the hens catch of
a night and morning.
We find that we can keep our hens in
thrift and profitable laying condition
after this system, at a cost Of 81 per
hundred, monthly; or $84 per hundred
annually. And under these conditions
they lay an average Of 80 eggs per
hen during the twelve months. The
price will average, taking the year
round, eighteen cents per dozen. al
nearer thirty cents a dozen than the
average price named. An easy calcula-
ton will show that the value Of the
eggs laidsby each hen is $2.25. while
the cost Of her keeping is about eighty
four cents. This is on q market basis.
OF course, if a man has a fancy trade,
getting $1.50 a setting for his eggs in
the Matching season, and gets three
settings from each hen during that
time, the profit from the hens is 'sev-
eral dollars each. Our purpose in this
article, however, is to show we can
make and do make it pay on a market
basis.