Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-18
FINDS MUCH PROFIT
IN POULTRY RAISING
Experience of a Theater Man.
ager, Who Reduces Cost
of Living.

There is no apparent connection be-
tween managing theater and raising
poultry. although some irreverent folk
might say that they are both chicken
propositions. Diminishing this criticism
for what It, is worth. however, 1t is a
qualification to note that the two occu-
pations can be combined with both pleas
ure and profit. A conspicuous illustra-
ton Of this fact is furnished in the man.
ager Of Chicago theater who lives at
Park Ridge. His account of his expert
ence as given in the Inter Ocean, fol-
lows:
IT have been interested in chickens
from boyhood, but I was in the show
business and did not think had time to
bother with them. There are many other
people just like me In that respect, by
the way. But this spring 1 decided that
I would get myself a back yard and have
some chickens. 1 located at Park Ridge
and have just what many others have
a back yard and garden
Buys Good Stock.
'I now have 100 baby chicks and they
are all doing we'll No. I never had any
experience in poultry raising, but I just
bought good stock and the chickens have
done the rest. Now every one. almost.
has some sort of a garden, unless they
live In a fat and they can do just what
l have done. Let them plant any vege-
table they want and plant the seed thick.
When it comes time to thin the vegeta-
bles out feed them to your chickens. 1t
will do them good. ] put In row OF
dwarf rape, cabbages, turnips and mus
tard and gave them the lawn clippings.
/ spade up my chicken yard and SOW
oats in 1t. Then / turn them under, and
in three days / spade the ground up.
The oats have sprouted by that time. and
it Is worth the work to see my chickens
eat them. l say to every one: Get some
chickens in your back yard and cut the
high cost of living.
my father was a chicken fancier, and,
therefore. 1 suppose I come by my love
for the fowls naturally. But, as 1 have
said before, I was entirely without ex-
perience, and to say that l have been
successful puts the case mildly. What l
have accomplished any other man can
do. Any man who has a backyard
my record. and. incidentally, the pleas
ure he will get out of 1t will beat any
thing else he can do. besides cutting
down the high cost of living. What ad-
stock and take care Of the birds, and
they will do the rest. But in buying
stock do not overlook the fact that the
best is none too good. There is no
economy in buying inferior grades Of
birds.
Provide Proper Housing.
"Of course 1t is necessary that the
chickens shall be properly housed. and
here is how a practical chicken house for
city lot can be constructed, and this
is the kind of a house l built: Ten feet
long and five feet wide. set on posts
three feet from the ground. The front
elevation of the house is three and half
feet, facing south, the rear elevation Is
right and place the roost and dropping
boards in the northeast corner. In the
front have a door at the southwest cor
ner three and a half feet by two feet.
Mail a six-inch plank across the front
at the bottom, then have a twelve-inch
plank with hinges to open this out.
Place the nests just inside this opening,
SO that one does not have to enter the
house. Board up the bottom of the
house on three sides, leaving the south
open. Place litter on the ground and on
the floor. Cut hole In the bottom OF the
house and place a plank with cleats on
IL for the chickens to enter from the
lower scratch pen. BY this means you
will find that you have a place for the
birds to be out Of the sun in summer
and out Of the cold in winter. This kind
Of a GOOD gives one the entire use OF all
the ground instead Of losing that which
most houses stand upon. and VIII pro-
vide ample room for fifteen birds. This
is the way all my houses are con-
structed."