Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-12-09
POULTRY
CONSULTING DEPARTMENT
Conducted by VI. w. HICKS

IL is advisable for the beginner to
start with comparatively small houses
! for two reasons at least. The first is
that the cost OF housing the flock will
! be less at the start, and the second is
that a number of birds will be health
Ter and do better when separated and
sheltered in small fiocks in small
houses than where all are sheltered
in one larger house. Many of the
best poultrymen shelter all their birds
in small houses with only a COM
paratively few birds in each house.
This is called the colony system, and
ii has been proved generally to be a
good system of keeping poultry. With
the colony system of small houses, ac-
commodations for the flock as il in
creases in size can be provided for
cheaply, necessitating only a small eX-
penditure of cash at one time. Anoth-
er advantage Of the small house IL that
il can be hauled or carried easily to
new and clean grounds in case OF dis
ease of when the grounds should be
changed for any reason. Animals of
any kind always do better where only
a few are kept i'm one house. The
chances for disease are less.
Two Glasses of Chickens
There are two classes of chickens,
the so-called general purpose breeds.
which are grown for both meat and
eggs, and the laying breeds which are
grown for egg production mainly. The
general purpose chickens are larger
than the heavy laying breeds. They
are better for market purposes than
the lighter. heavy-laying breeds, but
not so good for egg production. Which
kind will prove the more profitable
will depend upon local conditions and
aptitude of the grower for handling
special kinds. The best way in begin
ming is to select the kind Of breed you
think you will like best and endeavor
to make this breed just as good in
every way as it is possible to make it.
Good Money i'm Eggs
There is good money in growing
and keeping chickens for eggs mainly,
and there is also good money in grow
ing and keeping chickens for both
eggs and birds to be sold for market
purposes. Chickens of all kinds sell
as meat animals at higher price
than is paid for beef, pork or mutton.
while at certain seasons good birds sell
for from two to four times as much
pound as do other farm animals
in growing market poultry if the bust
ness is handled right II is we'll
known that producing eggs is very
profitable when the laying flock is
handled properly, and each hen in the
flock made to lay from $50 to 200 eggs
a year
Start With Pure Breeds
1t will be just as well for the be-
ginner TO start with pure bred chick
ems as with mixed or inferior stock.
Pure-bred live stock of any kind is
better and more satisfactory to handle
than mixed or scrub stock. Where
one keeps pure bred chickens Of
good strain eggs from the flock dur
ing the regular incubating season can
be sold at home and at a distance at
higher than regular market prices.
Birds at maturity can also be sold for
higher prices than can be received for
common stock. BY keeping only
pure-bred chickens and good in
dividuals of the special breed, extra
money can be made with the flock
every year. Besides, there is more
pleasure in keeping the better kind.
There is practically no limit to the
success and money that can be made
with chickens in the hands of one who
learns how to handle them in q way
to make them profitable. The market
and breeding demands for high-class
poultry and eggs are increasing rapid
ly. In the chicken business is OPP
portunity for any young person to
develop the highest qualities in ami
NAL husbandry, and general business
management in business. The field is
very large and inviting to both young
men and women. There is good
money in it if you can get it out of it.
Success and Good Money
Success and good money are made
in special cases with all classes of
poultry-chickens ducks, geese, tur-
keys and pigeons. The last named
birds are very beautiful, easy to breed
and handle, and money can be made
with them in growing birds for sale,
for breeding purposes and squads for
market. Space here will not permit
giving details of growing squads for
market, yet the information is easily
secured Many boys and girls are now
engaged in pigeon and SQUAD raising
on both small and large scales. Even
small boys and girls can grow pigeons
successfully.
are very 1httitStAhb oiio
profitable birds to grow, although Of
late years in many localities repeated
failures have been made through
death of the young birds. Young
turkeys are very hard to keep alive.
Older turkeys are hardy and are very
cheaply grown. as they forage widely
and pick up most of their living from
waste OF the fields In hilly and
wooded sections turkeys can be kept
with more success than in level, open
sections.