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.


tween managing a 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, it 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:
II have been interested in chickens
from boyhood. but l 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
would get myself 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.
II now have 100 baby chicks and they
are al doing well. No. 1 never had any
experience in poultry raising, but l 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 fiat, 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. l 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 it. 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 chicken fancier and,
therefore, l suppose l come by my love
for the fowls naturally. But, as / have
said before, l was entirely without ex-
perience and to say that l have been
successful puts the case mildly. What
have accomplished any other man can
do. Any man who has backyard
twenty-five feet square can duplicate
my record. and. incidentally. the pleas
ure he will get out OF ii will beat any
thing else he can do. besides cutting
down the high cost of living. What ad-
vice have 1 to give? Only this: Get good
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 nc
economy in buying inferior grades OF
birds. y
Provide Proper Housing.
"Of course it 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 house 1 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 halt
feet facing south, the rear elevation is
two and a half feet Have the flooring
boards in the northeast corner. In the
front have a door at the southwest cor
ner three and half feet by two feet
Nail 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 t. 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 OH
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 coop gives one the entire use of all
the ground instead of losing that which
most houses stand upon, and will pro-
vide ample room for fifteen birds. This
is the way all my houses are con-
structed."