Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-06
POULTRY FOR COMMERCE
BY c. NJ. WALTOf

A man asked me yesterday if "one
could make a living from 200 hens?'
OF course it depends on what one con-
siders a living, but | should say that
less than $50 a month would be poor
living. for even a small family in these
days of high prices. This means S'2o
a wear, and would require a colony OF
from 900 to 700 hens to make that much
profit, for there are probably very teW
beginners who make more than 81
year profit per hen.
Now as to the cost of housing these
fowls, it being understood that the be-
ginner has secured the proper amount
of land. which should be not less than
two or two and one-half acres net, TO
allow room for young stock, winch
must be kept on hand until mature
and the old stock disposed OF, Whlcll
is usually in August or september; anu
it is also understood that the beginner
does all his carpenter as well as othei
work, | have several houses which are
very satisfactory, built of light lX2
battens, for frames, and covered with
roofing paper, and which can be bullt
at about II cents per hen capacity
Mr.. Kline of Burbank has a number
of houses built of much the same ma
terial. but of different design, ana
about same cost per hen.
These 700 hens may be divided INTO
colonies of fifty each, which Will re-
quire fourteen houses, making an Jul
lay of $S4 for houses.
The posts, netting, etc, for the yards
will cost about $3.50 more, making
cost of say $3.50 for housing and yard
ing 700 fowls.
Then there are the incubators, lncu-
bator house, brooder house, feed room,
ETC., making an additional outlay OIL
say $3.50, or a toal outlay OF S'OO-
$1,000 would be better.
The above is for commercial plant.
fancier's would cost less on account
of MANY less fowls being kept. Every
beginner has theories as regards the
proper house for mis- fowls, and Will
nrobably lose a lot of money IN eX-
nerimenting, as l did myself, instead
of copying the houses OF some sue
cessful breeder, of which there are
several within easy reach OF Los An
geles. .,,
The design or cost doesn't cut much
figure as long as three sides are ural'-
proof and the third side open.
Right here let me say to the pegln-
ner or others Don't be afraid to Vlslt
these large ranches, for you Will hnd
the owners courteous and gentlemanly
and willing to aid you with good au-
vice: only don't open the nests IN Which
the hens are laying, as IL dlStuIps
them and makes them hot under the
collar-I mean the owners, not the
hens.
Having settled the housing question,
the next is, what breed shall L Keep
AS this effort is written from com
mercial standpoint l shall say nothlns
about the other breeds, all valuable
from some standpoint, and make the
claim that the S. C. White Leghorn IS
the utility fowl of California, as is
proved by the fact that practically
every large ranch in the west is
stocked with White Leghorns They
are a vigorous, active bird, requiring
no scratching pens to keep them pusy;
They are small feeders. 1t is claimed
nv MANY breeders that they require
about 25 per cent less feed than the
American breeds, but l have never
found it so in my experience, on ac-
count of their more active disposl-
tions.
They are of a timid, nervous nature
and easily frightened. but after they
reach maturity can easily be kept in
side a sx-foot fence. They lay large
white eggs, which run high in fertility,
when the yards are properly mated.
The chicks are vigorous and quite
easily raised, and the young cockerels
at one and one-half to two pounds
are a favorite broiler in the Los An
.~,or1zo+ haipo fraa Of black min g