Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-14

lagos and suburban homes a quarter OF
billion chickens and their relatives
strutted in barnyard pride. These were
all past the age of tire months, as
the census man diT not take account
of anything younger. The hens proved
their loyalty to the race of man by
laying the enormous number of 1885
S17,728 eggs, or enough, stood on their
ends, to reach around the world in
belt twenty eggs wide. The poultry,
which was valued at 100000 pro-
duced eggs worth $144,000,0O0 and
dressed poultry worth $137 ,000, 900 more.
The investment netted almost 400 per
cent. The poultry "crop" was more
than the combined output Of gold and
silver for any year since 1850, with
the exception Of 1900
California Hens Busy
OF this astonishing output California
produced more than her share. Her
hens rallied in true native sons style
and 24,443,540 dozen eggs was their
record. These were worth almost four
million dollars, with anott er two and a
half millions to their credit for poultry.
Since the census of 1900 this industry
has grown to gigantic proportions.
From one California "ity alone were
shipped in 1905 46,0OO,000 eggs, and al
most half a million fowls.
Poultry ranches vary greatly in size,
running from a comparatively small
one OF two acres, supporting 800 hens,
10 tract of go acres, with accommo-
lations for ten to fifteen thousand on
the colony plan. On a single acre an
average Of 400 chicks can be kept the
year around netting the owner a profit
of from 81 to S1.50 a hen. The owner
of a five-acre ranch cleaned $1,000 clear
in single year.
Feed Is Cheap
Feed Is sold on a small margin and
Is cheap. Many of the larger poultry
men buy their feed in job lots, as much
as 1000 sacks of wheat at a single pur-
chase. The climate plays into the pouI-
try mans hand; no hot sultry nights
bring disease and death to the chickens
in the summer; and in the winter there
is no freezing weather to require spe-
cial houses. For the market raiser
there Is always a market. Even with
the great growth of recent ,ars Cali
tornia is not raising enough poultry
for her own needs.
The fancier also fines in the balny
cline of Southern California his para
disc. When the common chicken -four
tshes with almost no care the result
accomplished when the feathered crea-
ture is specially tended and cared for
IS almost beyond belief Hundreds of
poultry raisers in this section special
tze, raising great focks of a single
species, but bringing that one kind
almost to perfection. Lharles E. Smith
OF Gardena is an example Of the spe-
cializing poultryman. His flock of
over 300 birds is made ap exclusively
of Barred Plymouth Rocks, and as a
result his birds carried almost every
thing before them in the recent show.
Holmby Birds Magnificent
Individual birds in this section are
some of the finest In the country. Ar
thur Let's birds from the Holmby
farm took thirty firsts in a recent show.
He owns Buff Orpington cock and a
Black Orpington cockercI, either OF
which are valued at $500.
Mrs. Amelia Sly would not take $1,000
for her handsome White Rock cock.
"Albert e." In the poultry shows held
this year-and. by the way. Los An
geles supported two shows in splendid
style-man.- Of the native birds took the
blue from imported birds which had
won prizes In London and eastern cities.
Next 10 the chickens California poul-
trymen devote a large part of their
time to pigeons. Several big farms
along the coast supply the omnipresent
demand Of the hotels for SQUADS and
realize a golden profit to their owners.
"A very few men can care for thousands
OF the pretty little birds and they never
stop breeding. Almost the only work