The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-07-15
p o ULT X Y
Suggestions for the Poultryman.

headquarters at Seattle, have recently
issued valuable little booklet to the
poultry raisers and particularly to
the shippers, in which they give much
good advice for the man who raises
fowls for market. The suggestions
are so good and practical that The
Ranch takes the liberty of reproduc-
ing most of them in a slightly con-
densed form. Burch Bros. say in their
booklet:
We advocate the building up OF
average farm f1ocks, to make them
valuable and profitable side lines for
each and every farmer OF the state.
In order to do this, it is first neces-
sary to weed out all old stock, which
is not paying for it's keep. You should
take. now and then, new blood and
new ROSTERS, and build up your
flocks from good, vigorous breeds,
using any of the heavy fowls, the
Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Brahma,
etc. crossed with lighter breeds, such
as the Leghorn, Minorca, Black Span
ish. etc., thus combining laying quail
ties with size, giving good MARKET
able fowls and fowls that will produce
the eggs. Without eggs it is I'M
possible to keep poultry profitably.
The quarters for your poultry is
probably one of the most important
items in raising, as 1t is not every
one who goes into the business 10
large enough extent to warrant having
houses built to suit the climate. we
have decided, from our personal ex-
perience and by the talks we nave
had with experienced poultry ra1sers'
that a roosting house shouio De
left entirely open on the least ex-
nosed side, as nature itself Will pro
vide for the thickening or thinning
of the blood required to keep the 1owi
at q comfortable temperature, ana
there is less chance OF COLDS, roup'
swelled head, and so forth, from a
fowl that has become hardened TO the
weather. :.
IF YOU have a hen that will set In
January or February do not begrudge
the extra price that you can get Ior
vour eggs at that season, but give ner
setting of eggs from your best nock'
or. if they are all running togetner'
sort out a medium-sized, round egg'
as the pullets that you get from your
early Matching lay for you all the
following fall and winter. 1t is al
WAYS wise to set eggs from young
hens. as the young will have more
vitality. and you will have a few
hroilers to sell while the prices are
high We have been able to pay
almost unheard of prices for the few
shinments of broilers for the past
few wears. and it only takes a week
or two for the broilers TO come III
sufficient quantities to cut the price
in two. and thus they will gradually
decline in price until the pottom Is
reached in September and Octoper:
While the capon has not so Iar
been a general factor in the poultry
on this coast, it is only very SNORT
time until this class will be quoted
along with other grades of poultry.
Thev are undoubtedly the choicest
hit of poultry flesh that it has been
nossible to raise, and the loss through
onerating on the bird is very small IN
nronortion to it's extra value for mar
ixet nurposes. 1t brings mucn
higher price per pound, also weighs
three to five times as much at ma
turity. while your uncaponized young
rooster will probably bring only from
90 to 30 cents. You can readily see
the better profit in making capon
which will weigh from to lO pounus
average, and bring from 20 to 20 Genus
per pound, while your young rooster
would have brought you IA to 10 cents
at the same age, at the time OF sell
ing for a broiler. 1t is not necessary
to caponize an early cockerel, but
that can be done with the hot weather
chickens while broilers are at their
cheapest.
Ship your poultry promptly when
YOU get a quotation from your dealer
ond don't write and get a quotation