Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1908-08-29
SELLING psy-oId chIoks.

II may surprise many OF our readers
to hear that an extensive trafnc Is be
ing carried on in some parts OF the
country by selling chicks a day old IN
the place of "eggs for Matching" Elk
perience has proved that they can be
shipped in safety for long distances
with less loss than is the case with
eggs. In describing his visit to three
institutions whose business 1t Is to
ship chickens as soon a they are
Matched. A. l. Root, In Gleanings In
Bee Culture, has the following to say:
AT the first place visited this ship
ping day Is Tuesday and suppose
their incubators are started so as ia
have chicks come out, say on Mon
day. On Tuesday the chicks would be
dried off enough to put in little paste
board boxes holding not less than 20
which can be sent by express even In
cold weather. AS small number as
| ten can be sent safely after May /,
twenty-five chicks in a box weigh
only four pounds. You see they are
| lighter than eggs. presume some
arrangement is made with the express
companies so there shall be no delay.
The day l was there, Tuesday, they
had sent out about 5000 chicks. ]
had box of Is Of different kinds that
| brought home to experiment with
In my home made 'fireless' brooder.
The prices run from Z to Is cents. The
Leghorns are usually the cheapest.
They also make special low rates on
all the odds and ends that are
left. l supposed at first that they
had poultry yards of sufficient capacity
to produce their own eggs for hatch.
ing; but learned that this was next
to impossible. They get their eggs
from farmers and others in their vi.
cinity who produce them for this par.
ticular purpose. the proprietors Of the
hatchery probably furnishing the stock.
I Judge this to be so, because they
have some very choice high-priced
stock. All the parties engaged in the
business told me they had very few
losses. The package of chickens Is
opened in the presence of the express
agent, and he certifies to the number
of dead, If any. The shipper then re.
places these with another shipment OF
makes some satisfactory arrangement
If the number lost is small. A ship
ment made from New Washington, T..
to Tampa, Fla, occupying four days
was received in very good order and
the chicks did not seem to be much
the worse for having lived four days
without food or water. In fact,
believe the general decision is thai
chicks are better off without anything
to eat for at least AZ hours after they
break the shell. OF course, 1t is i'm
portant that the purchaser be on hant
at the express office to take charge o.
the chicks just as soon as they are
received.
"The firm claims they can furnish
Matched chickens at just about double
the price you would have to pay fol
eggs of the same kind; and / judg,
there is but very lite difficulty in rails
ing the chickens by our best modern
method safer they are once Matched
II this were not so. the customers o
former years would not be patronizini
these same establishments year afte
year"
Mr.. Root sees in this industry an
other indication Of the tendency t,
specialize all branches of farmin,
and thinks 1t offers treat inducementi
to boys and women. In fact, one o
the establishments he visited was ruI
by two boys.-Journal Of Agriculture