The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-03-20
POULTRY RAISING IN OREGON.
Extracts From Oregon Experiment
Station Bulletin.

The climate Of Oregon from a poul
tryman's standpoint is discussed by
James Dryden in Bulletin No. 96 of the
Oregon Exper meut station which has
recently been published. Among other
things the writer says:
It is Of course worth considering b,
the man looking for location whether
Western Oregon with its open winters
and freedom from snow and zero tenn
peratures does not offer opportunities
for the production of eggs and poultry
that are not found in Eastern and Mid
die West states. That poultry thrive in
cold sections where snow and zero
weather prevail is not to be denied,
but the labor and expense Of caring for
them is undoubtedly greater there. To
secure an egg yield in winter where the
climate is severe entails more expense
for housing and more care in the feed
ing. 1t is probably true that the small
lest profits are made during the winter
months though the prices are very
much higher than in spring and sum-
mer, because the egg yield is SO small
from the average hock as to leave little
or no margin Of profit. 1t is also true
that the egg yield is quickly affected by
changes in the weather, especially in
the temperature. A sudden change
from mild to cold weather means
certain check in the egg production,
and although the weather soon moder-
ates it will often take several weeks
before the egg yield gets back to where
1t was. The only way to prevent this
is to provide housing that will protect
the fowls from too sudden changes in
temperature. This entails more ex-
pense in housing and consequently di.
minished profits, but what is of more
Importance is the highly artificial con-
ditions that it necessitates.
1t would appear therefore that there
are certain advantages that this state
possesses over sections Of the country
where zero weather and snow prevail.
First, milder climate and less severe
changes in temperature than is charac-
terisGic os Eas.ven states. Second, in
sections of the state with no snowfall
the poultry can range over the fields
and find animal food and green food
which are often hard to get where the
snow covers the ground.
The heavy rainfall of Western Oregon.
and small percentage of sunshine may
be get down as disadvantage, but
when the nature of the rainfall is un-
derstood it is doubtful whether it is
very mrch of detriment. Owing to
the moderating influence of the Pacific
ocean these rains are warm and have
not the chilling effect of the rains in
Eastern states. The temperature OF
Western Oregon in the winter months
is usually higher when it rains than
when the sky is cloudless, and the
fowls will usually be found out in the
rain except when it is very heavy,
which is not often the case. One poul-
tryman in Marion county said to the
writer in November. before the rainy
season set in, that he wished it would
rain, because, he said, his hens laid
better when it rained. The explana-
tion of this, if it is true, may not be
in the rain itself, but in the fact that
it brings to the surface many angle.
worms, which supply the lack Of ami.
NAL food in the ration.
Turkeys are successfully raised in
Oregon, and turkeys are known to be
easily affected by rain, but the fact
that the rains are warm no doubt
largely accounts for the success in tur-
key raising In this state. Douglas
county in Oregon produces several
times more turkeys than the state Of
Rhode Island, noted for turkeys.
Another thing in favor Of the mild
climate and freedom from snow Is that
the fowls are able to secure practically
the year round all the green food neceS-
sary in the fields. And finally, the
fowls in their search for food in the
1elds get the exercise which ic neces-
sary for it is worthy of mention in this
connection that the largest special
poultry district in the United States il
found in Northern California, that has
no snowfall. That district is somewhat
similar to that of Western Oregon, with
its open winters, mild and humid eli
mate and neainess to the ocean.
My investigations of the poultry in
dustry of Oregon have been confined te
the western part of the state, the region
west Of the Cascade mountains. This
section at the present time produces
more poultry products than the larger
area of the state east of the Cascades
AS the agriculture OF Central and East
ern Oregon becomes developed we may
expect greater development Of poultry
keeping, and probably in time thai
great agricultural area may produces
more poultry products than the oldel
aecticn OF the state in Western Oregon
The climatic conditions are different
east OF the mountains, the heavy rain
fall is absent and snow covers thu
ground during part of the winter. Th'
climate there is more characteristic 0
the Rocky mountain region, though nj
such severe weather prevails as in tn
Middle and Northwestern states. II i
should prove that a dry climate will
plenty Of sunshine but lacking the Sc
we're winter changes of temperature O
the East is the ideal one for proultry
we may expect great growth OF tn
At 4