The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08
Nv DIR. n. w. sANRoRN

By DIR. Y. w. SANBORN
The true facts, the real inside his
tory of the development of many u
Il our successful, proft-paying poultry
plants would make most Interesting
reading. In many cases such close
range view of the situation would
prove an inspiration to many who de-
sire to make a start, but fear to do
so because they lack capital. As a
matter of fact many of the leading
poultrymen of today were the strug-
Cling beginners of yesterday They
/ started on a modest scale, watched the
/ main chance, attended to business and
grew!
Unfortunately in the majority of
cases it is impossible to secure these
Interesting facts for publication. since
most people dislike to publicly discuss
their personal affairs, especially if
names are given. For this reason 1
cannot give the address of a young
friend of mine who has made good in
this line, but I can tell what he did,
since / know the facts Intimately.
They are fully and honestly stated
| below.
Not many years ago a country boy
drifted to a small town, obtained work
in harness shop and saved $3.50. That
ho saved money at all is a wonder, as
the young man who starts a bank ac-
count today is rare Usually he spends
as he gets. Just about the time l first
met this young man he was aware of
three things: First, that he loved a
Eirl of his native town; second, that
he wanted to get into the chicken
game" and, third, he had just $3.50 to
start in life. How could he get mar
led, start his home and farm and do 1t
on that small sum of money?
The girl was at home with her father
and mother, who needed her help in the
home. They lievd on farm of 40 to
so acres, poorly worked. because of the
serious lameness of the father The
girl could not see how she could be
spared; the parents wanted her to re-
main with them, and so it was pro-
posed that the young man come to the
farm and there start his poultry plant
and home.
The money saved paid the minister,
bought a few necessary things. partly
paid for good horse and a few dollars
for beginning with chickens.
A Modest Start
You may be sure that no big poultry
house was put up that year, that
large incubator was bought, that no
fancy poultry was purchased What
hid they do? Just made this simple
fI9rI. lie DOuRnt 0uU eggs OF a w mite
Wyandotte Light Brahma cross, had
them incubated at neghboring farm,
With a result of slightly over $50
,hielSs. Three broody hens were pur-
chased, and the chicks were divided
between them. 1t looked like crowd
ing to give 80 chicks to a hen but these
were big hens. and it seemed the best
way to brood the youngsters, There
was no money for brooders and no
cash to spend on "brooder systems"
So the simple plan seemed best.
An hour each day was all the time
the chicks demanded. AS a matter of
fact, the young wife did all the chicken
work that summer. The young man
worked on his father-in-law's farm
when needed, worked for the neigh
hors, carpentering, and when nothing
else pushed, took care of his own large
sarden. There was spare day or two
when he took the hours to build him
two or three "a houses to shelter his
pullets through the fall and winter.
He had never heard of the dry mash
plan of feeding, but even in those days
he had his box of dry feed, his hopper
of whole grain, with free range on the
pasture grass. to grow that first sea-
sons chicks. They did WELL grew
finely, and the sale of the cockerels
paid all the cost of the eggs and hatch
Ing, and the grain bill for themselves
and the pullets.
October found him with 60 fine pull
lets, divided into three nocks, In three
low priced houses. In the cellar he had
big bin of cattle beets for the hens
plenty of potatoes for his own table,
besides small lots of other vegetables
Out in the field he had a protected pile
Of cabbages for early winter green
food His outside labor had given him
S10O his work on the farm paid the
board of himself and Wife, and he
faced the future with confidence. No
sign of dissatisfaction from any of the
folks
The winter passed, the money went
In various ways and spring opened
with hard work ahead. A start has
teen made, and the sale of eggs would
add to the income of the second year.
Three hundred eggs were sent out to
be hatched, a few simple hot air brood
efs We're made at home and a few hens
We're set and allowed to brood a part
of the chicks.
The second autumn found them with
30 of the best yearling hens saved for
breeders, 20 of the best of the pullets
In the laying houses and all bills paid.
The .cockerels were sent to Boston and
to a nearby city also, and brought a
Detter return than the year before A
new market for the fresh eggs was also
found, returning cents more a dozen
than all thorugh the first year. The
garden had been increased in size a
small field of corn raised and a ton of
clever hay was in the barn to add to
the variety of feed furnished the poul-
try Less time had been given to out
side work, yet 1T brought in over a
$ic0 that second summer Three new
poultry houses We're built, several
small coops put together for the small
chicks and a start made in the getting
of few high class Rhode Island Reds.
Tie crosshred poultry was not left out
but the addition to the stock was
largely thoroughbred birds. I think
this young man never got the real
fancier fever; but pinned his hopes on.
the eggs and dressed poultry from his
first crosses.
Two more years went past. and we
find the family boasting the addition of
daughter, the farm showing a fine
flock of 500 laying birds and the bank