El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-14
Breed Hens That viii Lay
The Producing Chicken Beats the
show Chfcken-It Brings
in the Cash.
Ry H Z, Parsons -----
By H. E. Parsons
- HE day is dawning when high

HE day is dawning when high
and increased egg production
l. will be given first consideration
bv most poultrymen and especially so
bv those who go into the chicken
business for a living and profit
What intrinsic value is added to
hen to hang a blue or red ribbon
around her neck and say; Here Is
my hen Reggy worth $4,000 (mostly
conversation money! because she is
two times prize winner at Madison
S0nare Garden and pen of three
birds has been sold to madam Cot
stung for $1,000 EACH when II the
facts were known regarding this par
ticular hen 1t might be found that
she would not lay enough eggs In
year to settle an ordinary pot OF
Take all the show birds out of the
world and people who want eggs ana
chickens to eat viii want ana sun
have them. Take all the hens out OF
the world that pay profit by produce
ing eggs and meat for market for
home consumption and chickens would
finally become as rare as canar1es.
Ninety nine persons out OF a hun
bred think of eggs when you men
ton chickens and laying eggs IN my
estimation, is the most important
function a hen has to perform here
in this world
Poultry shows have done great
deal to boost the poultry industry TO
the front and should have 1uu creoit
for all they have done, but how much
further advanced would the chicken
business now be if the same amount
of time, money and energy had been
spent in producing more eggs per hen
instead of sweepstakes champion,
gold cup for best hen" first prize
for best pen" etc, etc
Beauty is as beauty does" is well
applied to a prize show hen only when
she lays enough eggs to pay a proIlt-
One of the most beautiful hens we
ever had was almost a nOnproducer OF
eggs and as soon as we were salts
fled that she was only thing OF
beauty, we stewed her with dumplings
and thus got our money out we
certainly would not use such hen
as a breeder under any circumstances
show Chickens and Race Horses.
Showing chickens is good deal ike
horse racing. One day horse VIII
come out feeling fit as fiddle and
outdistance the field; the next day he
is an also ran" Take your finest
looking bird to the state show and
win first prize like a top; you are
so elated that you think oh how
easy and enter the same chicken IN
the adjoining state show, probably
not so important but with a different
man judging and you are where the
horse was that failed to leave with
the barrier-left at the post This is
not because judges are dishonest but
we do not all see alike
Even should you chance to make
several good wins, then it is another
thing to sell your prize stock for big
prices, and speaking of prize winning
stock, how many prize birds does the
average poultrynan have amongst
his flock and did he breed and raise
them or did he buy or borrow them
for the occasion?
watching the Hens work.
For our part We are indeed giao
to see the trend OF things material ana
the utility side Of the chicken bust
ness. for. while we breed as close to
the standard as possible, we do not
make any shows with our stock, pre-
ferring to keep them at home pro-
ducing eggs at & niekle apiece. To
US 1t is very interesting to go out into
the laying pens and, while appreeiat-
ing the beauty of our flock Gall thor
oughbreds), to know that hen No. 413
laid 245 eggs in 365 consecutive days;
No. 425 laid 1876; No. 454 laid 169; No.
465 laid 241 and so on for each and
every hen and that the average for
the first 81 hens to finish their year
Of laying was 1S9 eggs each These
are the sort of chickens We have
found it profitable to keep and breed
from. The figures are matter CT
accurate record, kept in connection
with the use Of trap nests. every nest
being a trap nest. which, by the way,
is the only way any one can tell posi-
lively the laying qualities of any hen
Still we find many people who think
that $50 or more is an awful price
to pay for such stock when. possibly
the same parties could see $50 value
in a soc rooster when the owner
proudly states: That handsome bird
Is my prize winner and has taken
first prize at Kokomo lin q class of
four or two, and maybe only onel ana
I wouldn't take $50 for him" Prob
ably this chicken is not fit for
breeder at all and as for producing
a better egg yield in his offspring is
not worth a tinker's cuss. He may
have been produced by a hen that did
not lay seven dozen eggs in her whole
life time
Hens Pay Big Returns.
A hen in this section Of the couH-
try that lays from II dozen to %
dozen eggs in one years time will net
you from SO to 81 and at the end Of
that period you stiIl have the hen left
II you are satisfied with 40 percent
or even 80 percent net upon your
money, the u dozen hen is actually
worth $40 and the % dozen hen is
worth S23- These values are based
upon eggs sold to market and these
earnings may be enhanced about 100
percent by Matching the eggs and
marketing the chicks at eight to ten
weeks Of age
You may say these figures look
good on paper and you are right and
YOU may haze your doubts and that
is your privilege. However they are
actual facts. not mere possibilities,
nor an idlers dream.
These things have been proved up
right here amongst you and yet most
people are inclined to believe. what
Smith, the jeweler, or Jones, the candy
maker, has to say on chickens. Don't
take any ones word for more than It
is worth; to be able to DO this may
require a little initiative on your part
Investigate.
It remains that the chicken BUSH
The field is large and the capital
required to go into it is small, but
it demands close attention and. lots Of
work. If you contemplate chickens as