The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1906-01-31
Poultry Raising in Florida.

chula, Mrs. w. II. Miller gives her
experience as follows:
There is no state in the Union with
as perfect a climate for raising poul-
try as Florida. | have raised poultry
in four different states before coming
here two years ago. 1t is true my
experience is short in Florida, but
from my previous experience and from
what | have read of poultry raising
i'm other states there is no climate
that can compare with Florida, not
excepting California. From October
LIST to June 1st the weather is
IDEAL. from October to June 18th is
the dry season. The winter months
are cool and sunny, the shin shines quite
warm and the nights are very cool,
and being dry makes it perfect Tor
chicks. Anyone familiar with raising
poultry can see why this climate is
ideal, warm, sunny days with cool
nights. There isn't a day that chicks
have to be shut in all day. 1t is not
advisable to hatch many chicks after
the middle of May, as in June the
rainy season sets in and continues TILL
September This has been very wet
season, more SO than usual. Chickens
can be raised the year round, but
they require much more care during
the rainy season. L do all my Matching
with incubatOrs and raise the chicks
with breeders, using outdoor brood
ers altogether and raise 80 per cent
of all strong chicks. The feed ques-
ton has heretofore been a seriOns one
in regard to profit in poultry, but the
railroads are cutting rates and feed
is getting much lower, especially in
prepared poultry feed. The raising
of green food the year round is
simple matter here with grass ten
months out of the year, and the other
two months is the natural season Tor
growing all kinds of vegetables. One
is assured of green food the year
through. No expensive poultry houses
neeued here. About all that is needed
is a roof over them. Closed houses
would not do at all. Poultry never
have to be shut i'll day here. TheIe
is no laying season here for well-fed
hens, they lay the year through.
legs seldom 90 below twenty cents a
dozen. AS to market poultry, L know
nothing of that branch, but do not
think it pays unless one is near a
city or resort. There may be parts OF
of Florida where poultry raising is
not so easy as here. L cannot say as
my experience has been here at Wau-
chula, we are i'll the city limits. Good
care and cleanliness are as essential
to success here as it is in all other
places. 1t requires no more effort to
Keep down lice and mites here than
other places. L have heard that the
chigre TEA is very troublesome in
some parts of the state, but L have had
very little trouble with them. My
idea is where the grass is let grow
and lime and other diSinfectantS used
about the houses and cOOpS and under
buildings there is little trouble with
them My business is breeding and
shipping pure bred White WyandOtteS
anu White LeghOrns, of the best
strains in the United States and con-
sidering the short time L have been in
the business here, L have built up
a good business. We need more
poultry raisers in Florida. There is
very little attention given to the
breeding of fine stock of any kind.
We need fine stock breeders. We
have no extreme hot weather. Very
rarely the thermometer goes to 100.
But the summer is long and somewhat
facilitating to some people. There
are more fine days in Florida than in
any two states MT together 1t is