The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1912-03-15
the expected quantity.

the expected quantity.
His risk of lost or damage in transit
is, really believe, not one tenth part
as great as when buying eggs. The
baby chicks are always handled care
fully by the employees of the express
companies. Eggs often receive rough
handling and, worst of all, this rough
handling may not be suspected until
after the eggs are set.
The chicks show for themselves II
vigorous and active. The seller of
chicks must deliver good goods, while
one egg, good or bad looks much like
another and the responsibility for
poor hatch can seldom be accurately
placed.
For the average poultry raiser it is
the cheapest way to get chicks. Even
the professional breeder would prefer
to sell all his Matching eggs to his
customers rather than convert them
into chicks at double the price of the
eggs. This | know from personal ex-
perience as we'll as from the statement
of many men engaged in the business
of Matching day old chicks. After
allowing for the cost of incubatOrs
and minor equipment, cost of labor
and fuel and the numerous and varied
chances of loss it pays the breeder as
we'll to sell eggs as chicks. The almost
universal demand for chicks forces the
larger breeders into the business in
order to market their product.
Great saving in equipment to the
small poultry raiser and an equally
desirable saving in time and worry to
the man keeping poultry on large
scale. Experienced help is something
practically unatainable as yet in the
poultry business and without 1t the
owner of large flock of hens cannot
get his usual, or routine, work done
and rear the yearly quota of chicks
if he has to operate a big bunch OF
incubators besides.
These are some OF the reasons Oc-
curing to me in favor of the day old
chicks and mind you I would greatly
prefer to sell the eggs instead OF the
chicks, and do no Matching except for
my own needs. Aside from the loss,
accident, expense and tremendous
work in operating a good sized hatch
cry to it's capacity for five consecutive
months the worry and strain is enOr-
nous and has broken down more than
one healthy man. But the day old
chick business is here to stay
least until displaced by the three
months pullet, and its no use trying
to block the wheels of progress.
Another question of Importance,
judging by the number of queries, is:
What is the best time to hatch pullets
for winter layers? All [ only wish I
knew for sure myself. To begin with;
this is purely a commercial PROPOSE
ton and virtually all the focks in
the Northwest of commercial proper
tions are Leghorn flocks. If this
were not the case | would not attempt
to discuss the subject, for all serious
efforts of my own have been confined
to that breed of fowls. [ confess to
knowing less now about the most
profitable Matching date than L
thought | knew several years ago. l
have been compelled to revise the
opinions | held on this subject then
because, with every season, the fowls
seem to reach laying maturity in
little less time than was the case a
year before. And, unfortunately,
with this earlier maturity comes an
earlier moulting so that it becomes
extremely desirable to hit upon
date of Matching that will combine
freedom from moulting with as early