The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-08-11
SUCCESS IN POULTRY
BUSINESS
O. D. Wells makes Big
Profits Each Year
Is the Leading Poultry Keeper in
Sk0Whegan.

Three acres Of ideal land. a mod
ern poultry plant and a splendid
flock Of thoroughbred fowls yielded
o d Wells Of Skowhegan profit
that ran we'll into four figures last
year. The enterprise has been
simple business proposition from the
very beginning several years ago and
proves once more the excellence Of
The system developed By the Maine Ex-
pertinent Station under the late Prof.
Gcwell
The plant itself consists Of a LAYING
house 263x15 feet built and arranged
after the Gowell plan. of which the
open front and the roosting closet are
the leading features. and smaller
broodiug house near by The laying
house is divided into pens 81 feet
long. each containing about = fowls.
System is the keynote in 1lr Wells
striking success and this applies 10
the feeding as to everything else.
The Orono dry mash slightly modified
is the mainstay Of the daily ration,
but this is literally supplemented by
cracked corn. wheat and barley, with
the usual allowance of green food.
The mash OF course IS led in hop
pers while the grains are scattered
in the litter TO compel the exercise
which is considered essential 10 good
management
The green food is the only part of
ration that is home grown. but the
quantity that Mr.. Wells produces on
a very limited area is certainly re-
markable. Alfalfa. red clover. Hun
garian, and mangles flourish in
manner that suggests that the high
cost of living should not be included
among the troubles of SkoWheganites.
At any rate the well kept kitchen
garden left little to be desired.
Marketing farm products is al
ways more Of a stumbling block than
simply raising them. Mr.. Wells
doesn't waste any time catering to
the local markets. He has too much
stuff TO move. so he ships every bit
of his output TO a large marketman
in Boston This customer is so we'll
satisfied with this arrangement that
he does what he can to keep Il gong
by always paying the last cent that
market conditions will permit.
Rhode Island Reds. Barred and
White Plymouth Rocks, pretty we'll
bred birds every one of them. make
up this business flock. The exhibit
ton branch of poultry culture doesn
appeal 10 Mr.. Wells particularly, yet
il is evident that good looks receive
quite little consideration. After all
good looks without vigor is very
unusual combination. and the vigor is
certainly there, good and plenty.
/ There are plenty of poultrymen
who can handle mature stock sue
cessfully. but fall down on raising
the chicks. We kept our enthusiasm
pretty we'll in check until after We
had seen the growing youngsters.
Then all doubts vanished. They were
a sight to gladden. the eye OF anyone
who can admire a good bird when he
sees one.
Although working on so small an
area that he has 10 raise his chicks
on the same ground year after year,
Mr.. Wells gets the same effect as
changing around, by getting the
young stock off in the fall in time 10
piow and plant their yards. This
management of an ideal soil gives it
results that leave little TO be de-
sired.
The other features OF the plant are
simply such as are usually regarded
as standard practice. but the comb
nation is what brings in a neat an
nual profit of about $3.50 per hen.
/ There is vet a lot more OF the same
kind of land in this vicinity. and with
more of the same kind OF men, the
poultry business would become one
of the big things around Skowhe-
gan.