The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-05-19
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CULTURE III ~
HOW TO MAKE POULTRY PAY.


To start right we must have some
good hens and let us make close
study of the various breeds and see
which one would be the best adapted
to the purposes that we desire to use
them for.
In the first place there are some
breeds that are adapted to but one
purpose, and that is laying eggs;
among these breeds we find that the
poultry-men call the Mediterranean
breeds, such as the Leghorns, Minor
cas-, Hamburgs and others.
Now, these are very good breeds,
but what we are after Is a hen that
will sit and hatch us some nice
young chickens and take care of them
In the best shape.
We also want to select a breed that
will be ideal for market, one that will
mature early, have nice clean color;
they must be good layers; lay good
sized eggs; active enough to be good
rustlers after grasshoppers and
worms; be good sitters and mothers;
easily tanned and handled, and a
breed that will bear confinement well.
There are many excellent breeds
for this class found among what the
poultrymen call the American breeds.
These breeds are what we call a
general-purpos fowl, that is, they
are adapted to the farm or to the
poultryman who does not make a
speciality of any one branch of the
business.
The Plymouth Rocks, Rhode ISL
and Reds, the Wyandottes, and other
breeds belong to this class.
The Brahmas, Cochins, Langshans
and others of the large breeds of the
Asiatic class are not as good layers
as the smaller breeds; they are more
inclined to be broody, and, as a rule,
are not as good rustlers as the Amer
lean breeds, and for that reason /
would not advise you to select your
foundation stock from that kind of
breeding.
When we look the field all over,
there Is no breed that stands pre-
eminently at the head of the utility
class like the Plymouth Rocks, Nand
I do not believe that we would go
wrong II we selected our stock from
some good flock of that breed.
Some will say, why not try Wyan-
dottes? They are good fowls, but
they are somewhat lighter than the
Plymouth Rocks, and that Is against
them competing with the Rocks they
lay smaller eggs, which is also against
them.
Some will say eggs sell by the
dozen, so what's the difference? But
let me tell you when you sell your
eggs to your customers they like
good, big, fresh eggs, and you will
get more money for that kind than
you can for little, under-sized eggs.
I have learned that large eggs are
the best to suit the private customer
every time, and they are the ones for
you to sell your eggs to.
The Plymouth Rocks lay good-sized
eggs that are of a nice shape and
color. OF the various breeds of
Rocks, l would choose the White
Rocks, as 1t is easier to breed them
true to color; they dress very clean
and white when killed for market.
A flock of this breed when care
fully bred and handled are credit
to any poultry-man, no matter how
young or how old he may be.
The Buff Rocks and the Barred
Rocks are excellent fowls and are
fully as good in many respects as the
White Rocks, but you will find IL
much easier to breed birds of solid
color and keep them true to type and
markings than to breed the colored
breeds.
We must have chicken that will
grow fast and mature early and fol
this purpose know of no breed su.
perior to the White Rocks. They
have plump body and are attrac.
tive in the market and when full
grown it has the weight that makes II
bring home the money that it cost tc
grow 1t.
The cockerels that are to be sold
in the fall make quite an important
item for us to consider. and the White
Rocks cannot be excelled in this
point.
When the hens are too old to keer
for producing purposes, it is quite
an important item to have then
weigh six to eight pounds and sell fol-
ten cents a pound.
There is an increasing demand fol
dressed fowls, and if you have egg
customers, you should be able tc
make arrangements to supply then
with dressed poultry whenever or
dered, and get the top price for YOU
surplus stock.
The Rocks are good sitters, kint
mothers and will raise more chicken!
than any other breed that we hav,
ever experimental with.
We should select our hens from
some good flock that is we'll bred
and where the hens have uniform