Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-08-26
High-Priced Poultry.

No longer may we refer, scoffingly or
appreciatively, to the "humble hen;"
the designation does not fit. According
to a contributor to Country Life in Ameri-
ca, chickens bring hundreds and even
thousands of dollars, and the poultry
fraternity was not greatly startled by the
reported sale of breeding-pen of five
white Orpington fowls by Mr.. Ernest
Kellerstrass to Madame Paderewski, wife
of the eminent pianist, for seven thousand
five hundred dollars.
That is the worlds record high price
for fowls. 1t was reported later that the
same purchaser had offered five thousand
dollars for another hen, the mother of the
seven thousand five hundred dollar birds,
and that it had been refused.
The latter report was incorrect; but
Mr.. Kellerstrass admits that Madame
Paderewski offered him two thousand
five hundred dollars for this hen.-named
Peggy,-but he declined to part with her,
partly for sentimental reasons and partly
because he did not need the money. The
five white Orpingons were shipped TO
Madame Paderewski at her home in
Switzerland, and were insured before
shipping for the selling price.
Two thousand five hundred dollar Peg
gy has been scored at ninety-seven and
three-fourths points out of possible one
hundred, and has been called "the ten
thousand dollar hen," sum equaling the
price offered for her plus the selling
price of five of her progeny. She has
been exhibited At number of shows as
special feature, from two hundred and
fifty dollars to three hundred dollars
week being usually received for such an
exhibition. She is ofthe strain originated
by Mr.. Kellerstrass, which he named Crys-
tai White, because of the purity of color.
Some five years ago an American sold
to a German fancier nineteen comb
black Minorcas for three thousand four
hundred dollars, one of the largest sales
OF pure-bred poultry in the country up to
that time. One cock bird sold for one
thousand dollars, and breeding-pen of
five birds for one thousand dollarS-the
highest price for a bird and the highest
price for breedng-pen.
Just year or two farther back, at the
Boston show, buff Rock cockerel was
sold for three hundred dollars, price at
that time said to be unprecedented.
In the late eighties it was said that good
specimens OF the white Rock never ex-
ceeded twenty-five dollars; yet Mr.. U.
X. Fisher tells OF selling cock bird for
five hundred dollars and refusing one
thousand dollars for first St-prize cock
bird in 1906. At the same time he sold
the second prize cock for eight hundred
dollars, the fourth and fifth-prize cocks
for five hundred dollars, and the four
hens in the second-prize breeding-pen
for four hundred and fifty dollars-a total
OF one thousand seven hundred and fifty
dollars for seven birds.
Eggs for Matching purposes have ad-
vanced proportionately. The price Of
two dollars or three dollars setting is
now very ordinary. Many breeders
charge ten dollars setting for eggs from
their best hens, some twenty dollars, and
even higher prices. Mr.. KellerstraSS
says that he could not fill more than six
ty per cent of his orders last spring at
ten dollars, twenty dollars, thirty dollars
and forty-five dollars setting.
Of course, if birds are worth and will
sell at such high prices, the eggs that will
In the ordinary course offeathered events
produce similar birds should also bring
good prices.