Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-26
MORE ECONOMICAL
Advantage Which the Man Who
Grows His Own Stuff Has Over
Others,

Others
None will dispute the fact that to
make poultry raising pay, good JUG
ment and economy must be exercised
In every phase OF the business. To the
man with the big income from the
city, who has bought a farm for pas
time, 1t matters little whether the
flock OF poultry pay a profit or not.
He may indulge in the luxury OF build.
ing an elaborate poultry house with
all the modern conveniences, and hS
may feed all the heightened and high.
priced feed mixtures which the pour
try journals are full of, says a writer
tn the New York Tribune Farmer.
His poultry may do we'll or not, and
1t matters little whether he is pro-
duosSs eggs and market meat at 4
profit or losing all the time. ,
The remaindev OF us, however, 20
INTO the business TO make money, and
" the balance account is the wrong
way we soon quit. That competition Is
strong as in everything else, and that
profits are not easy, are proved by the
Tact that many go in the business, or
ly TO give 1t up in a year or so. It Is
apparent that every branch OF the
work must be managed with economy,
and especially is this true in the mat
Ter of supplying feed. The feed bill
is the bugbear to those who have to
buy their feed, and some are tempted
To put their fowls on half rations. One
might just as we'll quit at once as to
90 this. for poultry are profitable on
II when they DO their best, and they
viii not do their best unless they
have tho best OF treatment. II makes
great deal OF difference whether you
can get feed for ia cents pound or
= you are paying 212 cents.
Many small poulLrymen, especially
on village LOIS, who rely largely on tlG
poultry journals for Information. are
tempted TO buy some OF the many
specially prepared or mixed forms OK
feed which are so highly recommended
In advertisements. Many OF these
feeds are excellent, but the price is
usually about double what tho staple
feeds can be bought for from the farm
The bulk OF these prepared feeds con-
siSt OF cracked corn, with a small
proportion OF wheat, kaffir corn, mil
let, etc, and few sunflower seeds.
There is nothing better for poultry
than the staple products OF the farm
corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, clover
hay and cabbage-and while it is ad-
visable to use these in variety, one
can oftentimes save considerable by
feeding more largely 70 some one par
ticular kind, which may, for the time
being, be low in price.
There is no doubt that farmers who
make a speciality OF poultry have de-
cided advantage in the fact that they
can produce more cheaply than it can
be bought. II one has a small piece
Of land it can be profitably used for
growing feed for the chickens, at the
same time that 1t can be made fertile
and kept so by utilizing the poultry
manure. Most all feeds are high at
the present time, excepting clover hay.
This is feed not to be despised by
the poultryman, not only because II
is low priced-less than one-half
cent pOund-but is valuable source
Of protein feed and may be used te
balance up corn, which is fattening
and which is about the next cheapest
feed. 1t can be bought from farmers
for little over one cent a pound.
Cornmeal and a little wheat bran
mixed with steamed cut clover hay
make very cheap feed and for re-
suits in eggs has no superior. Wheat
is an ideal food for poultry, adapting
itself so well as a scratch food.
1t can be bought for IL cents a
pound, and oftentimes one can get
screenings or defective wheat at the
mills for much less. Oats are good for
poultry and can be kept before the
hens, and arc better used in that way
than given on the litter as the fowls
do not like them so well and there
will be waste when used that way.
Crit and charcoal are sometimes
mixed with the prepared feeds re-
ferred 70, but tho most rational way
TO nee these is to have them in self
feeding hoppers, from which the hens
can help themselves. ] make an ex-
ccption I'm the case OF chick food for
Young chicks In its form and compo-
sition II cannot be surpassed for young
chlcSs, ana while it costs more than
the staple feeds, it does not require
much for the chicks whilo they arr
young. and IL is far superior 10 any
kind Of mashes.