The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-16
TWO Big ITEMS IN
POULTRY EXPENSES
Feed and Labor Constitute by
Far the Greatest Part Of
Industry's Cost.
SAVING METHODS SOUGHT
SAVING METHODS SOUGHT
Type of Buildings for Housing
Of Fowls an Important
consideration.
ny rrof. FREDERIC n. sroSEBuRN.

ny rrof. FREDERIC II. sTOvEBURN.
When considering cost systems a. ap-
piled to the business Of poultry keeping
one 10 struck by the size of two items,
feed and labor. The interest on the In
vestment In enough land and buildings to
comfortably accommodate a large number
Of fowls Is not a great sum. but feed bills
pile UP day by day and the cost Of the
necessary labor TO care for the birds 10 a
charge which sometimes seems to be out
OF all proportion to tho returns
This is why the business poultryman Of
to-day 10 constantly seeking for labor
saving appliances and methods. II ex-
plains why the nooks are made larger.
from 100 20 500 birds in a fock instead of
the ten to fifteen which was the customary
number on up TO date plants a few
years since. Also the reason for the gem
eral adoption OF automatic feeders and
hopper. incubators Of large capacity
with labor saving features; self-regulst-
ing colony brooders which care for 300 to
1000 chicks In one brood. Everywhere we
see evidence OF a determined effort 20
cut down this great labor cost 70 the end
that profits may be increased.
Use Labor saving Appliances.
The use OF labor saving appliances and
methods presents another angle which Is
WOTlH III many NdSco ~
enables the manager to become indepen-
| dent OF experienced helpers. since he 10
| able 10 personally look after the more i'm
| portant matters requiring skill and judg-
ment and delegate the rest OF the work
| TO ordinary laborers.
Now this question naturally arises: VIII
! the Individual fowl or growing youngster
| do as we'll when handled in this wholesale
way? Is there not loss OF efficiency as
compared with more painstaking methods?
| This point may be open TO debate. But
admitting II for the purpose Of argument
| there is this to be said: The best policy
| is that which secures the greatest net re-
| turns from the business as whole, not
merely from the individual productive
| units.
II not iptrcquently happens that unusu-
ally heavy egg yields or rapid growth OF
! chicks are secured at an additional ex-
| penditure OF labor. which more than of
sets the value Of tho extra product Con-
| sIdered from tho strictly business stand
! point, the poultrynan best conducts his
AFFAIRS who uses those methods which
bring him the largest net returns rom
his flock
One OF the best examples ~ the use Of
simpl,hed methods on an egg farm Is to
he found in Connecticut. The traveller
| from Hartford TO Boston on the New
| York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
| will observe this plant near the Vernon
/ STATION. IN 1hC1. there ara TWO pldUlst oic
| on either side Of the railroad, though OPP
Grated by the same man. Here the labor
item, as well as the initial investment, is
| reduced to the minimum. The Leghorn
range is tho newer and represents the
owners latest ideas and this will he
described.
a tract OF eixty-hve acres Is enclosed
with slA foot fence No other fencing
Is used, the birds being perTnitted to range
al will over the whole field. The land is
light Ia character, rough and rolling as
to surface, has many patches OF brush
upon it aud Is well watered by q spring
fed stream which winds through y.
Cheap. simple Poultry Houses.
Tho build!ngs are all alike cheap struc-
lures. about l0x20 feet IN size. They
have Low side walls and even span roofs
which slope 10 tho north and south. A
full sized door Is cut In tho east end and
three single sash windows are placed In
the south wan near the east end.
These houses are constructed of cypress
lumber one inch IN thickness tongued
and grooved. They are not painted
neither are they covered with rc jfns
paper. The roof boards run from peal
to caves. During the hot weather o,
) midsummer thess roof boards often pull
2 apart slightly, but a good rain tighten'
! them up again, and no trouble is expert
enced during the winter.
Old railroad ties are made TO serve thu
double purpose OF foundation and sills
the side boards bling nailed to tlIe oute'
edges Of the ties Earth II then hllot
In TO the level OF the top OF the ties thu.
forming dry dirt floor. In AL cases IN,
houses are located on well drained knobs
so no water ever settles beneath them.
inexpensive Furnishings.
The furnishings are al, OF the s,1nples
tras SfNsE situ ~a.-ta ,Ngt
across the protected west end of tn
building, g few small store boxes To-
nests, large feed hoppers made from sho
cases. Nailed 10 the north wall OF Gael
house, outside, is II breaking up coop
for broody hens merely =. small box will
a wire netting floor.
Each house accommodates from fifty I.
ore hundred birds aud the whole poultr,
population ranges together.
The owner never has 30 worry over tn
possibility OF focks becoming rnlxet
through doors or gates being carelessl,
this plant, so he is satisfied to let tn
mixing process go on unhiEdered.
The methods Of management are Il
keeping with the simplicity OF the plant
When the birds are thirsty they go t
the stream and drink II this is froze
over they eat snow. No fountains l.
NIL. no worry over frozen drinking water
All feed Is given In hoppers, which ar
large enough 10 hold a supply sufficien
. 10 last several days. At certain interval
these are filled from a wagon white
! makes the rounds OF the plant.
The staple feeds are selected grades u
wheat screenings and beef scraps, occa
slonally other grains, as oats and corr
are added, provided prices are attractiv,
But beef and wheat form the standar
ration. To this the birds help themselve
az Will.
Green food is seldom II ever giver
During a large part Of the year this
found on the range. AZ other times
I is dispensed with.
The houses are cleaned only three G
four times year. The dropp!ngs IA
n directly upon the earth floor and az
Ia soon covered with dry earth through tn
II activities of the birds themselves
n Consider for a moment how nearly sell
,o operating this plant is the great numb,
OF birds one man can care for under tn
/, system, how greatly tho labor cost he
"A Ia reduced Feed once week, pick Il
~ the eggs daily, clean occasionally as tin
~ permits That about covers the routine
"a Now how about possible profits? tt
~ owner states that year after year h
:. birds pay him an average OF ~ each ne
Naturally he does not secure many whit,
eggsr but M gets big yield from ear
y spring right through to fall And the