Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-04-09

not only did the eggs fail to tncubate
as well as In the spring, but the chicks
that did break through the shell lack
ed vitality. OF course knew fall
chickens were more difficult to raise
but who would have thought the aver
age hatch would be less than 20 per
cent and the death rate of those
which pecked through their limestone
castles would be 95 per cent!
The same condition of poor matches
during the fall continued during the
spring and was not confined to my ex
perience alone, but was a general con
dition throughout the country. showing
that fertility of eggs and vitality OF
embryo depend on conditions fol
which the chicken raiser is not always
to blame Instead of Matching 1.O0C
per month, AS ] had expected. was
getting 400 to 500 chickens. WheI
winter came there were about 1.2Ot
sickly looking incubator babies in the
big brooder house.
Ravages of a Neighbours Dog.
The troubles doubled when my
handy colored hired man became sick.
There Is an old adage about a colored
man loving. chickens, and my colored
man certainly loved to care for those
chickens. But might as well end this
part Of the story right now. A new
green black boy came to care for the
poultry and to help end the business
What chickens didn't die under his un.
skilled care disappeared In other ways
Rats. which had not troubled me be.
fore, took full hundred in q single
night. SO that out Of 1900 Matched In
nine months less than seventy five
broilers ever reached the market. !
did manage to raise few by the old
hen method and, also raised about
seven billion lice. A neighbor's fine
bird dog visited the yards on several
nights and before she was detected
disposed Of about 100 of the finest
chicks. now have $50 chickens left
in all conditions Except those required
by the marketman). and the price ha.
dropped from 80 cents for broilers, live
weight, to z cents per pound. The chick
ems eat their heads Off every three
months. fguratively speaking. If they
would do so literally there would b.
no kick coming from me.
My third years experience in get
ting poor out of chickens shows re-
ceipts of 1928 and expenses of 81.
675.13. or net loss for the year Of ar
optimistic disposition and $772.13. In
looking over my accounts for the past
two years find the plant has cost me
$500. 1t cannot be sold for over $500
My total loss from this experiment in
trying to beat Dame Nature" was
$1,435.72.
If you should ever get the idea into
your head that you can apply the rules
OF geometrical progress to the baby
chicken business, just remember that
one hen in few years at that rate
would have such lot Of grandchil-
dren and great-grandchildr that there
would be Standing Room Only" signs
shown at all the hen theaters in the land.
Old Dame Nature Is wise old girl
You can fool her part of the time, but
sooner or later she will fool anybody
who thinks he can feed her wooden
nutmegs for steady diet.
Once in long time some one actu-
ally makes money out Of the chicken
raising business, but 1t Is generally
some one who has used printers ink
SO literally that when you pay $50
for trio you are paying 50 for three
chickens and $48 for the chicken fan
cier's reputation