The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-03-12
The Poultry Outlook.

Poultry Association Saturday aft0r
noon the following papers upon III
subject, 1.-THE Poultry Outlook II
Our Neighborhood," were read:
We have been located at eros,
roads country store for the last thirtJ
years. We have certainly had much
opportunity for observation Of AK
growth of the chicken industry ~
the first five years we handled eggs
but no poultry. One-half dozen cases
shipped back and forth to the city
were carriers enough for the whole
community. Paid sometimes in the
summer as low as S cents and never
higher than Zoe at Christmas tor 2
few that some thrifty house wife had
been saving all fall for Christmas
prices. After that the hens quit lay
ing for want of care.
We commenced to buy poultry
about Is years ago; paid at first 500
a dozen as they were all about one
size, the old fashioned mongrels.
When hens first brought Sc pound
it was time of rejoicing. Turkeys
then brought SC on foot in Thanks
giving season and lie dressed in Kan
sas City in January and February
market. We now buy egg cases by
the hundred and never see them
again, and have not near the territory
to draw from as the Kansas City
Southern was not built then. Amoret,
Amsterdam and other markets have
claimed a part Of our territory, be-
sides many farmers now ship. And
yet the poultry industry is only in its
infancy. Owing to the high prices
and scarcity OF other meat foods and
the great increase in city population
to be fed and fewer people handling
cattle and hogs, makes it sure grow
ing business.
The people seem much interested
and anxious in our community to
market eggs and poultry, but are
very slow to learn the best methods.
Do not provide Biddy with a nice dry
clean sunshiny home all her own with
clean room covered with straw to
scratch in, and find the variety Of
good feed she needs. Much of the
food comes only in dirty place and
not half enough Of that, and fail to
give plenty Of pure warm water in
winter and clean, cool water in the
and then grumble because
Biddy does not pay all the grocery
bills and buy the old mans tobacco.
Our customers who have taken care
of their hens this winter have many
of them paid for most supplies and
also had some money to loan to their
husbands while others with larger
flocks have scarcely had enough for
home use for lack Of feeding, proper
housing with sunshiny sheds for ex-
ercise. Many~still have the one old
time one-roomed dark building in
stead Of the long shed tightly closed
except the curtained south side for
sun and air and at least three rooms.
Many will not buy the commercial
shells or sand and keepa clean house.
Only very small minority are try-
ing to keep thoroughbred chickens,
do not take poultry journals and after
all that has been published from re-
liable sources to the contrary even
yet think scrubs lay the best. After
our great state spending thousands of
dollars experimenting for our benefit
we ought to avail ourselves of the |
knowledge and save great losses toll
individuals.
A few people raise most OF the
young chicks they hatch but most Of
them have heavy losses from feeding
too much the first week and too little
ever after. Seven out of ten, l would
be safe in saying, die from lice and
mites. '
W Es3
Every summer the farmers in our |
community lose heavy in egg hand
ling and cause merchants heavy loss
es by keeping male birds with hens
after breeding season is over and hot
weather sets in. It is the main cause |
of so many rots in eggs, when tenn
perature of weather is up to ther-l
mometer heat for an incubator Il
could not be otherwise. Some APP
parently intelligent old men are sol
foolish as to think the hens would
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