The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-15
E. b. Aley and Sons Run N
Interesting Poultry Farm.
OUTPUT 1000 BIG EGGS DAILY
Fancy Prices Paid for Strictly
Fresh s<Hen Fruit"
Hundreds Of DrOilers Arc Sold
Annually by the Alleys.

That commercial chicken farming
can be carried on successfully IN
Shawnee county II demonstrated oy
e. b. Alley and his two sons. o. L. ana
w. b. Alley, who run profitable ousi-
ness two mile, south Of Topeka ON the
Kansas avenue road.
e. b. Alley IL q poultry entnuAas.:
The business, which IL based almost
entirely upon cackles. II run ON scten-
| tific principles.
Tho profits are in the esgs-the
dreds of ''frys' and ''broilers" annual
~ just about pays for the raising OF the
pullets.
An Interesting Place.
The Alley farm is an interesting
place. The neat white house on the
Hill to the left Of the road is an indi-
cation Of thrift and prosperity. Hun
dreds of White Leghorn and Ancona
birds in various stages OF development
city man. E. 8. Alley can talk by the
hour about the fine points OF the
fowls, and an hour spent with him IL
an hour well spent.
There are two thousand hens on the
farm. and the daily output Of ''hen
fruit is at least two cases or sixty
dozen. Prior tc the advent of the hot
weather IS dozen or 1.140 eggs were
gathered every twenty-four hour
period.
The eggs are gathered twice q day.
land their large size. together with
freshness and pleasing appearances.
brings q ready sale for them At more
than the regular Wholesale price In
fact the Alleys disposed OF their eggs
lin the now famous drouth season OF
1913 ut ten cents above the market
price. Topeka people were glad to
lpay the additional money for what
they knew to be strictly fresh eggs.
m La -
have been paying for them the price
that SOME stores have been receiving
for their eggs.
Grit Is Required.
Il In speaking Of the poultry busi-
ness, e. b. Alley said: I've been
} poultry crank nearly all my life. II
the business didn't pay I wouldn't be
in 1t. But it Is q fact that IS per
, cent Of the men who go into 1t quit.
Poultry need grit. and SO does the
D man who keeps them. A man must
know how to feed poultry to the best
D advantage He might give q lot of
, grain and other feed to his birds and
still be feeding at loss. AS far as
b possible. he must give balanced ra-
ton. There ID an advantage in buy
ing feed in large quantities. Last fall
bought 700 bushels Of wheat at S5
Icents q bushel; in the spring I paid
1916 q bushel for a small supply.
II have been selecting for type and
lfor size OF eggs for years. It II through
1.-The sale OF eggs that the money comes
in. aim to have the sale OF cOckerels
!pay for the raising Of the pullets. My
white Leghorns pullets frequently be-
gin to lay before they are five months
old: usually six months. The White
ILeghorns lay earlier and do not take
Iup 30 much space as the larger breeds.
They do not represent as large a cash
outlay, and consequently the percen-
a.. - b L.
greater.
I Hospital for Sick Birds.
/ The Alley poultry farm is well equip
ped with coops, bro0der houses, fat
tening houses, etc. There is even q
fowl hospital where all birds that be-
come the victims of diseases peculiar
to poultry are segregated and given
special treatment. There are special
coops where clucking hens are cured"
Of their desire to set.
The Alleys have 16 acres in feterita
some of which IL now growing on Land
that was in wheat earlier in the sea-
!, son. There are six acres on the farm
in choice blackberries, raspberries and
peaches. Two Jersey cows are kept
and four horses. There IL a good veg
etable garden. Space will not permit
of going into details. Suffice 1t to re-
mark that a visit to the Alley farm
would be an eye-opener to the aver
, ago city man who does not pretend
|. to be a poultry expert. Els.
Editors Note: This is the twelfth
; of q series OF articles on agriculture in
Shawnee county published in the
State Journal.)