Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-05-02
POULTRY KEEPING
IN THE SUBURBS
How the Business Can Be Made ~ tn
Comparatively Little
Cost.

X,
poultry is most widely adapted to
suburban conditions for several rea-
sons: 1t can be handled successfully
on'a very small amount of land. The
waste products from the kitchen and
the table may be used to advantage
as feed. The care Of the chickens
is pleasant work, is comparatively
simple, and may be done by any mc:n
Der of the family. Eggs and dtessc
poultry are always in demand uIu
may be sold to advantage in any
quantity, or used at home, thus furn-
lhslng a strictly fresh product which
IS hard to- secure under general ma
ket conditions; and in addition, the
care of poultry may provide recrea-
ton for adults, employment and good
discipline for the children, and be Il
source Of income to the housewife,
or saving in the food account for the
family, say poultry specialists Of the
department Of agriculture
The following breeds are among
the most popular in this country:
plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes. Rhode
Island Reds, Orpingtons and Single
comb, White Leghorns. The Leg
horns belong to the egg-laying class
or fowls, lay white egg and are es-
pecially adapted to large, CONNER
clal egg farms, or to sections where
white egg brings a premium over
0t L>l
to the general-purpose class, and lay
brown eggs. They are better adapted
TO the average person, or the farmer
who keeps only a small number of
fowls, as they are good layers and
also make good table poultry. An
other advantage of the general-pur-
pose breeds is that they will hatcn
eggs and brood their chickens, while
the Leghorns, and other breeds oil
the egg-laying class are non-sitters
A great variety Of methods Of feed
ing and caring for poultry are used
successfully. Matching and brooding,
or rearing chickens under hens, is the
pest method to use where a small
number of chickens are raised, and
especially if the care is not to be ir
| regular. lncubators and brooders
may be used also, but they Increase
| the cost Of equipment considerably
Chickens can be reared under hens
successfully by keeping the hens CON
| fined in the brood coop, while allow
ing the chickens to room at will.
When many fowls are kept in a
small space, the ground becomes so
foul that in time it becomes difficult
to rear chickens with good success
In order to avoid this conditi IN, it is
advisable to divide the lot and SOW
part of it with some of the quick
growing grains such as oats, wheat
or rye. BY this method tho yards
may be rotated every three or four
weeks during the growing season,
turning the hens 20 the growing
grain when it is few inches high
A good combination of grains is oats
and wheat in equal parts, sowing +
or bushels to the acre (43,56O So
1T }, and using wheat alone for the
last seeding in the fall.
| The prime essentials In poultry
houses are fresh air, dryness, sun
| light, and space enough to keep the
birds comfortable Allow about 4
square feet of floor space per bird
| for the Ceneral-purpose breeds, and
| 3 square feet for the smaller breeds.
| A good egg-laying ration may be
| made Of Il dry mash of equal parts
OF corn meal, bran, m'ddliHgs and
beef scrap which is kept before the
BIRDS in hopper all Of the time;
| and scratch ration of equal parts
of corn, wheat and oats fed in
| litter to inches deep twice daily.
Regulate this feed SO that the birds
eat about one-half mash and one-half
scratch grain, which will mean feed
! ing about I quart Of mixed grains
daily to f2 Plymouth Rock hens, or
to IA Leghorns. In order to utilize
the waste table products to the best
advantage, moist mash may be used
in place Of the dry mash, feeding
| IL. l..