The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-03-26
Profitable Poultry In Athens

Lecturer of Athens Grange. II was
read at a recent meeting of that so
eiety. The author is Gates S Austin
a young man who has made a special
ty of the poultry business and his ex-
perience cannot fail to be interesting
and profitable to our readers
POULTRY OR A NEGLECTED. OPP
PORTUNITY
After five years of close study and
care of poultry it is my honest opinion
that here is an opportunity offered 10
every farmer. and which by the aver
age is neglected.
Almost all keep Hens. but how
Generally speaking any old place and
little feed thrown down twice day
constitute the sum of the hen ques-
ton. OF course they don't lay during
the winter, never have. and its only
when the warm sun of spring begins
TO thaw out the frost of winter they
begin to shell out eggs. Let's look
at the thing in more reasonable
light Give them the same care and
it's perfectly safe to say that dollar for
dollar invested they will return more
net profit than any other stock on the
farm.
A strong statement you say Yes,
know, but right here let me say THAI
for $4,000 dollars invested. or 1870
hens last year gave me a net profit
for eggs and poultry of $4,000. Can
you with four COWS. or the same
amount invested in sheep show a like
result? 1t is because | speak from
an accurate account kept, that | make
such a statement and because | be
lieve that by little extra labor and
care, any one can accomplish the same
result even though it be on smaller
scale. For the benefit of any who
care | will give as briefly as possible
an outline by which one may MAKE
poultry keeping not only profitable,
but pleasure.
Cleanliness. care and speaking
acquaintance" with your stock. are
fundamentals absolutely necessary to
success. AS TO the house. all that one
needs is a room or building with
north, east and west ends tight and
warm. A roll of tar paper will do
wonders in small place. Have an
opening on the south side that will
admit air, and sunlight and with one
half of your window covered with
muslin you will find quite difference
in the health of your flock and the
odor of the house. Let us say for eX-
ample, you keep 80 hens A room
l0x10 is large enough for that number.
Now take any lumber you may have
and put up a platform on the north
side three feet wide the length of your
room, on this put two perches of TX
with slightly rounded edges. ! nave
them planed as it does away with any
harbors for mites should you get them.
Under the platform in front you can
built your nests, this gives clear
floor for scratching. Put about two
inches of common loan (dirD on the
floor during the summer and keep this
covered with six or eight inches OF
straw for litter
Now for Feed: believe after care
full trials of different systems, that the
dry mash system gives by long odds
the best results and is a great time
and labor saver, to say nothing of the
trouble so often experienced in the
feeding of wet. sloppy mixtures. |
keep a self feeding hopper (the plan
of which l will give and which any
man can make in one-half hour) hlled
with Park & Pollard dry mash before
them at all times | speak of this
particular brand. because with me 1t
seems to produce the best results. Any
good dry mash may do. After con
siderable experience with home made
mixtures | have chosen Park & Pol
lard, it obviates all danger OF the
ordinary winter troubles, and too, IL
is always the same. There are many
times when one cannot get all the
necessary grains to mix the home
made kind and change is very apt to
check egg production. The scratch
grain which is fed once daily is com
posed of equal parts of wheat, oats,
and cracked corn. | make it point
to feed as much of the scratch grain
as they eat of dry mash, In small
boxes above floor have oyster shells
and charcoal. After carefully watch
ing the fiocks | cannot see the need
of grit, but of course one may have 1t.
find the oyster shells all that are
necessary. fGeSn water DIT ali lllilV0
is absolutely essential to the produc-
ton of eggs and milk should you have
it will help to fill the egg basket. AL
ways feed milk one way, either sweet
or sour, do not alternate as this brings
on bowel trouble. Feed all scratch
grains in litter about two hours be-
fore roosting time and occasionally
put a little Permanganate of Potash IN
the drinking water, this almost lnVarl-
ably checks disease should any start.
Now as to the question of Vermln.
Given a box of road dust you will ma
hens kept under the above conditions
almost free from the pests. The DIRT
placed on the floor during the summer
will dry and in the winter whlle
scratching for grain the house Will De
filled with dust This | know does
not make a hen look nice and clean
but it is almost sure preventive OF
Vermin Once or twice a year 90
over your roosts and nests with
paint of grease and coal tar, this mis-
all cracks and crevices and prevents
49,, aauo from heinP deposited. spray