Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-12-18
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Points, About Poultry !
Why Poultry Raisers Should Keep
-, Standard Poultry.
By c. L. Poston.

written on this subject that it almost
seems that there could not be a neg
ative side to it.
To enumeratc all of the reasons
for raising ,rure bred or standard
fowls would require too much time
SO / will only give few.
Farmers often think it is more ex-
pensive to keep pure bred birds or
those of standard quality. In fact
mongrels and the income is SO much
Greater. For instance Mrs. A re-
ceives as big an income from eighty
pure bred hens as her neighbor does
from one hundred mongrels.
Expensive buildings are not re-
auired as manv are led to believe.
Keeping pure bred fowls is like
mumps-contagious. Introduce
pure breed in any neighborhood and
the whole neighborhood will want it:
But there is difference in pure bred
care to breed for the show room and
for fancy points. He wants eggs,
surplus and money. His idea Of the
utility bird is often quite different
from that of the fancier. The latter's
idea of utility stock is not fit for the
show rooms while the utility grow
er's idea is plenty OF stock that will
lay lots of eggs. But plenty must be
bred to lay. ~
AS we'll known horticulturist in
a recent article in illustrating the
merits of his fruit shows two hens
of kind and yet what difference.
One was bred from well known
strain of layers at the Maine Expert
mental Station and made the worlds
greatest record of ISL eggs in her
first year and many of her mates at
tanned above the 200 mark. 1t -
easy to make money with a strain
fowls selected and bred for large
| production but the selecting and
But her consumption OF food Vas
just as great and she was given the
same care and attention as was riy-
en- the other. Selection and ID +
ing in this case was in the wrong 1i-
rection.
The prices some pure bred birds
bring almost takes ones breath
away when we think OF hen valued
at $4,000. 4 pen az $1,000, cocks SELL
ing for from $500 to $1,000. or even
from SToo to $500 each. The aucs-
ton arises how in the world can n
bird be worth SO much. Seems al
most ridiculous to the every day
farmer who has hard work to see
half dollar in his stock and hasn't
patience worth half that sum when it
comes to dealing with this bird of the
inquisitive nature. Let her get over
the fence into the garden or the
field OF grain and he will declare that
no hen he ever saw was fit to live
anyway. .r
But after all there is a lesson for
all of us in the pure bloodcd bird
that brings such fabulous prices, and
that is we should all keep better
stock than we do. There is always
n demand for eggs at good prices in
the Matching season and ready sale
for any young stock not needed.
An article in a recent exchange
says statistics show that S5 per cent
out of every hundred farmers keep
| hens and that IS per cent of this
number raise mongrcis and cross
breeds. While the campaign for pure
bred cattle, horses and other live
stock is on why not give little at
tcntion to pure bred poultry.
When the scvcnty-hve per cent OF
farmers referred to above who keep
mOnErcl poultry are converted and
paws better to keep pure bred fowls
as well as other pure bred stock the
poultry business will then begin to
reach or approach its greatest posi-
bilitics and commercial importance.
If all of the growers OF poultry on
the farm would discard their mon
grels and cross-brccds and install in
their places something better. bcstow-
ing the same care and attention to
the poultry department as is given
other departments on the farm. the
poultry business would soon be the
most important of all farm or agri-
cultural pursuits.
The question is often asked wrv |
are mongrcls kept on the farm when |
so much free tango and such good |
opportunities are offered. OF course
the reason is usually charged to the |
head of the house for he absolutely |
refuses to diT up the price for a few |
good birds, but relies on the good |
wife to trade with some ncighbor-
no matter what the breed is-just so |
It is change, and so in a short time |
the flock soon becomes all coIors OF |
the rainbow and it would he quite a |
problem for the farmer himself to |
tell what the, were.
Suppose you raise some pure bred |
fowls and to Illustrate the above Won |
are approached by Ncighbor b who |
wishes to purchase few 'cockcrcls
tie looks them over. asks the price. |
and you tell him I.5o each. He looks |
amazed and tells you he can get all |
he wants ior soc cach-pcrhaps not |
pure bred but just as good. Yes. he |
continues to nay cash for his grocer |
les while the other fellow is tafinf. |
basket full of eggs to market cvcrv |
week. This Is only another reason |
why mongrcl hocks do not pay.
Without purity of flock the work OF |
the poultry keeper is greatly rctard- !
ed. Mongrclism means degcncrac~. /
1t takes several years to grade IN = |