The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-04

Then Mr.. Tilley's grit came to his res
cue Something was wrong that was
evident but what? He determined to
locate the trouble. and right here he
learned the Dig lesson which has been
the foundation OF his later success. He
had kept and bred all his puilets re-
CARELESS OF strength and vigor. His flock
was below par In average quality. There
were too many culls and weaklings eat
ing their three meals n day and laying
but little, excepting during the breeding
season Then their eggs went into the
incubators and n large percentage Of
valueless chicks resulted.
After reaching this decision ne deter
mined to test the matter In the most
practical way. The flock was carefully
assorted, disregarding everything except
ing such points as development. health
and vitality. He was surprised to find
that among his 200 pullets he had but
300 which he Regarded as being really
good ones. This number produced about
40 eggs day: the remaining 400 but
seventy eggs daily. Still he chung to the
Weddings. expecting them to do better,
but they did not. and he later sold them
at heavy loss.
since that experience Mr.. Tilley has been
| merciless Judge and executioner. Every
sickly. weak poorly developed specimen
goes to the block. Nothing but strong.
vigorous stock Is retained. As he terseiy
states 1t: Better keep twenty good pull
loss"
Profting by this lesson the succeeding
years operations were more successful.
Tho profts were approximately $500
above the cost OF the feed, repairs taxes
hired labor insurance. express charges.
&C In other words. Mr.. Tilley's labor
Melted him $40 week. and his family
Inxu Too H..
above.
At present this farm has a capacity Of
1000 birds. and the. average net income
Is In the neghhorhood Of $4,000 Mr.
Tilley feels that this In about as large
a Farm as he can comfortably handle.
tnat further expansion involves depend
ence on hired help 70 large extent, and
this h" wishes 10 avoid. In any event
| he has snug little business. which reg
| ularly returns nice income. and he
| has built firm foundation upon which
he can build and expand to larger pro-
portions IL he ever desires to-
/ The experience OF this man merely
shows what an interested hard working
individual can do He was typical
city man. totally ignorant Of practical
! agriculture. He had no working capital.
He began poultry keeping on a most
modest scale; he studied his business.
learned the details through experience.
| watched the main chance and increased
his operations as opportunity offered. lie
| stuck on his Job, worked hard. kept his
expenses down. In dozen years he
has progressed from the ownership OF a
hen and a packing box coop to a beauti-
full fully equipped, profit paying poultry
farm. He Is healthy. happy and inde-
pendent. Who dare ask for more?
In practically every section Of this
| country one may find equally good OPP
portunities. a start may be made with
very limited amount OF capital and
progress made according to the ability
OF the individual.
In the management Of his farm Mr..
Tilley sticks closely to common sense
methods. Buildings and furnishings are
as simple and inexpensive as II IL posi-
| BILE to make them without sacrificing ef-
| fciency. The whole plant is arranged
! with view to economizing time and the
| necessary labor saving appliances are
| provided. The regular work has been
reduced to q system. There Is no lost
motion.
The breeding birds are kept In small
hocks and are quartered In scratching
shed houses with ample runs connected.
The layers are Quartered in largo build
| ings, several hundred birds In a fock.
| These large houses have double yards.
one In front and the other In the rear OF
| the buildings. These yards are used al
| ternately. each being cultivated and
seeded down when tho other 10 In use.
Such plan insures fresh soil and grow
ing green stun. and has much to do
with keeping the stock in tho best physi-
cal condition.
Each seasons crop OF chicks 10 raised
almost exclusively by artificial methods.
From the incubators the youngsters 90
to the brooder house. and when weaned
are moved to colony houses and placed
on the range. Here they remain, roam
ing at will over the fields and through
the pine grove until moved to the laying
house or sent to market
The ration used 10 we'll balanced. ana
particular attention IL paid to the quality
Of every ingredient entering into II. Mr..
T1lley regards oats as one OF the best
! grains for poultry feeding. and uses them
, literally.
Since Boston and Providence are the
natural outlets for the products OF this
farm, the stock consists largely Of Bun
! and White Plymouth Rocks, producers
a., of the desired brown eggs. Special eff
forts are made to secure q good esq
| yield during the fall and winter. when
tho best prices prevail. The eggs 90 to
high class trade and are always In de-
nand.
An examination Of Mr. Tilley's books
| business AZ to bring in some cash income
| every week In the year. Market eggs are
shipped tho year through. In the spring.
when egg quotations are low. many eggs
for Matching are sold. and these bring
up the average. After the chicks for the
J farm are Matched the incubators are
kept busy for . time turning out baby
chicks for sale. Tho cockerels from the
early matches are turned of as broilers
as rapidly an they reach the proper size.
thus swelling tho summer income. In
early fall the laying nocks are culled and
! hundreds Of hens sent to market Later
there Is a considerable sale Of pullets and
breeding c0ckerels. as we'll as roasting
chickens BY this time the pullets are
laying heavily and the cycle begins again.
II is planning OF this kind. coupled with
careful execution. which has made pos
able the notable success Of this venture.
(Copyrtght BY George A. AcDeVtt Com