Milford chronicle., 1914-11-06
IS PROFITABLE
EVEN ON A LIMITED SCALE
Oats Are Fine For Green Food
BY J. H. MeFAUL. Jr.
al Righks Reserped1

II is the claim OF many persons that
chickens cannot be kept on q city lot at
a profit, and that the only way one can
have any success with them is by going
into the country where the birds may be
given free range. While il is, of course,
very nice to be able 10 allow the stock
free range, yet the assertion that they
cannot be kept at profit on a city lot is
indeed erroneous.
/ have personal knowledge Of many
persons who keep poultry on 8 back lot
and realize some little money from them
besides being able TO supply their table
with eggs and an occasional fry and roast.
While the persons who raise poultry
on back lot or in back yard are handi
capped to a certain extent, in 80 far as the
feeding is concerned. being compelled to
buy the greater portion of the feed, yet
it is still profitable to raise them. Ordi
narily q small flock of chickens will yield
greater returns pvr bird on the city lot
than will the larger flock on the average
farm or poultry plant.
Then too, one has a large quantity Of
the food necessary for the maintenance
of a flock. This food is in the shape OF
off falls from the table, which from the
average family usually amounts to quite
an item. In the case where it lie given to
the chickens, instesd OF being a dear
waste, it is converted into eggs and meat.
OF course, in order to yield profit,
chickens kept on a city lot or in back
yard, must receive the same care and
attention which it is necessary to give II
they are raised on a large scale. Don't
think because you have not as many
chickens as John Jones, who lives in the
open country, that you do not need to
attend to the details as does he. In the
attention TO details lies the secret Of sue
cess-whetheT the flock De large or small.
That it pays 10 raise poultry, even though
you are forced to limit the amOun' o. b rds
to a very few owing TO the lack OF space,
has been clearly demonstrated many,
many times
IL is wonderfully pleasant thing TO be
able to 90 to Size hen hOnse almost every
day in the Year and bring back hail
dozen OF 90 Of good fresh eggs. And just
think Of il, you do not have to rely upon
the word Of the corner grocer that the
product lie strictly fresh only TO be de-
ceived when once the egg is broken.
While Il is probably true that the habit
Of raising chickens on the city or subur-
ban lot is due to OF brought about by per
sons getting the fever" either from a
poultry exhibit or from contact with some
friend VITO is q bug on the subject,
nevertheless il is q good disease to have
and one from which profit can be derived.
II you have not already gotten 1.-THE
fever" then visit some fever-stricken
place and contract the malady, aud ever
after be spared the awful experience OF
breaking an over ripe egg,
The problem of supplying green iood
for chickens which are kept in contne
msnt is probably the hardest one with
which the back lot breeder is confronted
but there is no cause to lose any rest
over this most simple matter. OF course,
you cannot be expected TO store away
large quantities Of cabbage, beets, man
gels and such things. First, you have not
the room, and secondly, the expense OF
purchasing in sufficient quantities would
mean the outlay of too much money ana
this would add to the cost OF production
and greatly reduce the profits.
This problem, however, can be over
come and that too at very small cost to
the breeder Green food can best be sup
plied by the feeding of spTOuted oats at
very trifling cost. True, it is little lrou-
BILE, but then anything that is worth
while causes some trouble.
Most every person these days is equip
ped with furnace of some kind in the
cellar of his home, which gives plenty OF
heat for the sprouting of the oats.
Boxes may be secured for the purpose
Of sprouting them if you do not care to
make frame containing sufficient places
for about ten days feeding The oats
may be placed in these boxes, and each
day as one is emptied, it can be rehlledi
and thus keep up the daily supply oil
green food. II usually takes about ten
days under this system for the oats TO
sorout sufficiently for feeding.
Try this method during the coming
winter and note the improvement IN the
egg yield.