The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-07-09
POULTRY-RAISINC
ON THE DRY FARM
Written Expressly for Dry-Farnnine by
N. c. Herner, Manager Of Poul.
try Department, Manitoba Ag.
rleultural College, Winni.
peg, Manitoba.

western agriculture comes the oppor
tunity for the poultry Industry to de
velop into distinct branch of diver
sified or mixed farming. This method
OF farming seems to be the only hope
for future prosperity. We need scarce
ly refer to the effects of crop failures
for a few successive years on the
general welfare of certain sections of
country in which they occur. To re-
lieve this situation farmers must en-.
gage in something more than grain
farming, so that in case crops fail
they may have something else to fall
back on. In diversified farming they
could draw on the proceeds NJ ~
dairy and poultry products to meet
the current expenses.
Poultry raising works in splendidly
as profitable branch of dry-farming.
Very little is required in the way o,
outlay, and the returns in proportion
thereto are good many times larger
than in any other branch. The poultry
houses need not be expensive, just
so long as they are of the service
able kind-the kind that give results
There is much waste in grain and 9TH
er things on our farms every year
that could be converted into poultry
and eggs very easily at "a handsome
profit. Only about four pounds OF
grain are required to produce one
pound of chicken, which is less la.
is required to produce one pound of
beef, mutton or bacon. The labor re-
quired to successfully manage flock
of poultry is proportionately small.
The market demands are practically
unlimited, and the price of dressed
poultry and eggs is sufficiently high at
all times Of the year to make poul-
try keeping a paying business, even
when prices are at their lowest. From
these facts we see that poultry can
be made very profitable branch OF
farming, with but very little in the
way Vi lhitidtlNe expenditure
Best Way to Start.
To begin poultry raising on dry.
farm | would prefer to start with
few settings of eggs the first season
and hatch chickens from the eggs,
and then have my own stock the Sec
ond season. This way of starting is
the cheapest. Where a person wants
to invest little heavier a better start
can be made by buying 10 to 20 birds
and Matching chickens from these the
first year. This means, of course, a
heavier expense, but then one would
be year ahead in getting returns al
ready the first year.
The poultry house should be located
fairly close to the other farm build.
ings, and should be protected from
the north winds. or 1t may be built
as a lean-to against the barn. The
idea is to have the poultry house we'll
lighted dry, we'll ventilated and free
from draught, and also fairly cheap.
One OF the best houses for this eli
mate Is the straw loft poultry house,
built 16 feet wide and any length de-
sired. This house has peak or ga !
BILE roof, Is seven feet high from sill
to plate, and has the south side made |
Of one-third boards and the remainder
one-half glass and one-half curtain
Such house Is not very expensive
and answers the purpose very well
for the average farmer.
Supposing the dry-farm has already
well established poultry depart.
ment, then the work should be direct.
ed towards increasing the returns by
wedding out the poor layers, killing
all the hens over two years old, and
increasing the average egg produc-
ton per hen per year by carefully Sc
lecting the best layers and breeding
only from them. In this way the
poultry on the farm will give 25 per
cent larger returns in the course OF
few years, and at the same time It
Will become an important factor In
bringing diversified farming to the
front.
The equipment required to operate
a poultry department on a dry-farm
need not be very large. All appliances
should be as simple as possible. The
less machinery about poultry yard
the better 1t viii be. Drinking pans,
feed hoppers, nest boxes and so on
should be as nipple as possible.
The appliances required to raise
chickens are not very numerous. In
cubatros and breeders, of course, be.
come a necessity where large mum