Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-10-09
Poultry as a Business In California.

Poultry as a Business In California
Southern California is noted as 8
country of large enterprises in agricul
tural and horticultural lines and it ID
not strange that the poultry business
should be developed on large scale
under the favorable climatic conditions OF
the land of sunshine.
Starting with only a trio of standard
fowls, Mrs. o. II. Burbridge of Los
Angeles, California, has developed and
exploited poultry enterprise with an
annual income greater than many large
mercantile enterprises and requiring
business skill and executive ability
equal to many of the largest business
undertakings on the Pacific coast. Mrs.
Burbridge commenced breeding poul-
try as a recreation and healthful out
door occupation, but soon found that
the possibilities in this field offered
opportunity for building up large and
paving business and therefore went to
work on it with that object in view.
The business, however, grew at easy
stages and many years of experimenting
and buying of eggs and stock intervened
before the plant reached its present
large capacity. Believing that the
general purpose fowl was the all around
money maker, and after experimenting
with a number of varieties of standard
poultry, she decided that the OrpingtOn
fowl originated and bred extensively in
England, was the bird par excellence
for her purpose. This fact having been
established, she at once sent a COM
mission to a large English poultry
breeder to buy the best birds in buff,
white and black OrpingtOns to be found
in England. With this stock reinforced
by the best Orpingtons to be had in the
United States, she built up some of the
finest strains to be found in the world.
The birds on the Orpington Ranch have
been bred along lines that have develop
ed them as utility and money making
fowls and at the same time brought out
the standard requirements, which is
proven BY the hundreds of prizes they
have taken at leading poultry shows all
over the country.
Some idea can be gathered of the ex-
tent and profits from this great poultry
plant, when we say that during the past
season on the old Orpington Ranch,
which comprises less than two acres of
land, Mrs. Burbridge has sold over three
thousand dollars worth of eggs for hatch
ing purposes, and "a 900 worth of breed
ing stock. Her eggs bring from % 30
to $1,000 per dozen, and at this writing
the eggs are ordered to the full limit
that can be produced on both the old
and the now Orpingtou Ranch. Stock
for breeding purposes is shipped every
month in the year, and 80 we'll known
has this ranch become that orders are
received from the eastern states and
many birds are exported each year to
New Zealand, Australia and other for
eign countries.
Mrs. Burbridge believes that the
poultry industry in Southern California
is still very much in its infancy, and
never loses chance to say good word
for the advantages in raising poultry IN
this beautiful country. With her very
training in all of the branches
of profitable poultry raising, she has
been able, and is always ready and will
ing to assist any one interested in en-
gaging in the poultry breeding, but who
has not had experience necessary for
the raising of poultry as business.
She looks at the poultry business as
strictly business proposition, and while
a lover of standard poultry, and the
highest type of what is commonly term
ed fancier, she believes that poultry
raising is far more than a fad, which
some people think it is. She has dem
onstrated the correctness of this theory
BY bringing her own plant to its present
standing as a money making enterprise
and at the same time retaining all Of the
features so dear to the hearts of the
fancierS.
After exploiting the great possibilities
in the standard poultry branch of her
business, Mrs. Burbridge took up the
more commercial branch of the poultry
business, that of supplying the large
hotels and families in Los Angeles and
vicinity with first class dressed fowls
for their tables. Before this plant was
established, it was difficult to procure
any but cold storage eastern poultry,
and as this is hardly fit to place on mar
ket after being shipped across the con-
tinent, buyers requiring first class dress
ed poultry gladly welcomed the new
enterprise, and the plant was soon
crowded with orders to its full capacity.
Mrs. Burbridge uses the Sussex Crate
fatteniug method on all birds killed and
turns out an article pronounced by ex-
perts to be as good as any seen in the
best markets, in either England or
France. The fowls are placed in small
crates or coops, which have slat bot.
toms, causing the birds to sit most of
the time, and not waste tissues with
over exercise; they are fed on soft food
consisting of ground oat flower mixed
with sour milk, which is given twice
daily, and composes their principal feed
for three weeks, when they are killed
and dressed for the trade.