The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1906-02-14
Brothers for the Western Farmer.

man and well-knOwn writer on such
topics, furnishes the following to the
Wisconsin Farmer. All that he says
would apply to our Florida poultry
men. The conditions are much more
favorable here than i'm any part of the
western country.
For some years farmers in the East
have been adding brOiler-raising to
their farm operations, finding it a
profitable adjunct, and so well fitted
to the winter season, when there is
more or less spare time to be had.
OF late years the Western farmer has
been looking up the possibilities of
the business for himself, and as a re-
suit quite a crop of this choice article
is already annually raised.
For the purpose it is necessary to
use incuba tors and breeders, and for
them an incubator cellar or room, and
a brOOding house. TO the latter limit
ed-SiZed runs are attached, for the
brOiler cannot be grown to that plump,
juicy tender condition if allowed free
range. The market generally calls
for a one and One-fOurth-pOund bird in
March; one and One-ha1f-pOund in
April, and one and one-fOurth to two
pound in May.
BrOilers Matched during October, No
vember and December are ready for
market in January, February and
March. In the West the best prices
are realized from March to July. The
eastern markets prefer their chickens
dry-picked, while the West wants
| them scalded. But generally in the
West brOilers are sold alive by the
dozen.
With our improved shipping facili-
ties the West is becoming quite a COM
petitOr with the East in the poultry
market there being very little differ
ence in price Grain in the East is
considerably higher in price than what
it can be had for in the West, making
it possible for the Western farmer or
poultry raiser to realize as much pro-
fit, even though the market rate is
lower
The work of brOiler raising can be
carried on without any interruption of
any other branch of farming, and is |
most profitable where it is made an
adjunct to some other occupation. Or,
it can be left in the hands of the wO-
men folks, the heavy work being per
formed by the Sterner sex.
LIE ldTSe edSleTu llhIhctS nave IHSu
trade classified as nearby and
western Nearby means stock |
shipped from all states east of Illinois,
and WESTERN all stock coming from
states west of Illinois. Between the
two sections there is a difference of
about two cents a pound in favor of
the former.
In running a brOiler plant on the
farm, very little land need be used.
The plant itself need not occupy more
than one acre of ground, and we ven
ture to say the income from that acre,
rightly managed, will double the in
come of any other acre on the farm,
regardless of what the crop may be.
But another acre devoted to laying
hens would be better, so as to not only
have your own eggs for the incubatOrs,
but to have enough to sell to pay the
cost of the eggs used in the incubatOrS.
Eggs raised at home are not only
cheaper than when bought, but as a
rule they hatch better, assuming, of
course, that the stock is rightly at
tended to.
But with proper care an acre of land
will comfortably quarter one hundred
hens, and there would be left enough
space for an incubator cellar and a
brOOding house Such a cellar would
$50 -