The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-04
Poultry Department
BY G. .. Perkins.

~ ~ NE v Wv
1t is too often the case that those en-
tering into the poultry business make
the worst mistake when they first be-
gin and as a result they soon become
discouraged and quit. condemning the
business because they claim there Is
no money in 1t. Many have contracted
the hen fever" through the reading of
articles In papers and books. which
have told Of the wonderful profits to be
made and how a fortune may be easily
made in a short time on a back lot
with but small investment, Systems
have been advertised, and, while some
have been successful in carrying out
the instructions many have failed. 1t
Is too common among those who de-
sire to go into the business to become
convinced with the idea that raising
poultry for market purposes Is a gold
mine" They have is figured out in
black and white that each hen will pro-
duce so many eggs and thousand
hens will produce a thousand times so
many eggs and that is as far as they
go.
Raising poultry for market purposes
is profitable where conditions are right.
In the first place 1t is necessary to
start with the right kind of stock. IL
1t is intended to raise broilers then
only such varieties that are known to
be good market fowls should be used.
If eggs are to be the speciality then
the breeds that are known as egg pro-
ducers should be employed. 1t is not
uncommon to see beginners buy all the
chickens they can pick up, whether
mongrels or otherwise, simply to stock
up a plant with which to make a
start" How foolish this is to anyone
who has had experience and who
knows that such a start is sure to re-
suit in failure. But nevertheless, this
is the way many starts are made and
no attention is paid to anyone who de-
s.res to give little advice.
Rome was not built in a day. and
neither can a successful poultry bust
ness be started in six months or year.
1t takes time to build up any kind of a
business and all large enterprises were
begun in a small way and steadily in
creased as the business warranted. It
is no more possible to build up a sue
cessful poultry business in one season
than it is to open mercantile bust
ness and get all the trade in competi-
ton with old establishments within a
years time.
After the breed or variety has been
decided upon then 1t is wise to pur-
chase eggs or stock from the very best
strains obtainable., Here is where the
average beginner "balks." He says,
what is the use of paying fancy prices
for stock when / just want them for
market purposesT Ninety-nine out of
every hundred look upon this piece of
advice as the height Of folly and think
they know 1t all and instead of buy
| ing stock of good blood lines they put
their money into common stock. Right
here is the point that, while it has
been discussed many times, 1t might
again be we'll to give a few reasons
why it pays better to breed thorough
| bred stock than it does to raise mon
grels. Let us. for instance, suppose
that a start is made by buying ten fe-
males and male from a strain that
has a pedigree; that is. one that has
been line-bred and tkat has a show
record. Let us suppose that for this
pen price of 500 is paid. My wha
a price to pay for eleven chickens
many win say. But let us go a little
further and then figure out if the price
was too high Out Of this pen of clever
birds let us suppose that 200 chicks
are Matched and raised. Fifty per CEN
of this number may be culled out. say
for defects that would make them un-
| fit for breeding purposes. That would
give 100 birds for market purposes at
for example, 40 cents each. The market
end of this seasons Matching would
bring $40, Out of the other 100 birds
another culling out could be made ant
let us suppose that ten of them would
be show birds, worth an average o.
$40 each. which is placing it very low
This would the owner $1O0 Ninety
birds are left that would make goot
breeders and would sell on an averag'
of 81 each, making $3.50 Figuring III
the total 1t would make 1920 out of tn,
entire seasons hatch, or profit o.
| 1920 on the original investment witt
still the pen of ten females and on,
male on hand. Is this considered &
poor investment?
With a start Of this kind 1t takes blu
q short time to build up a flock of birds
from which profits may be realized fol
both fancy and utility purposes. Th'
two work hand in hand and not flocI
ever existed, no matter how we'll i
was bred, that did not produce a GER
tain percentage of culls. The culls ar,
the market stock, but when the cullint
is done and the cream is left there II
no telling how many high class birds
may be left that may bring high prizes
for show purposes.
An Ohio judge has decided that