The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-17

Dr. Sanborn discovered an interesting case of this kind, and in his accompany ing story he presents the principal facts regarding it for the benefit of our read CTS.
 By DIR. NATHAN w. SANBORN
 Not many miles from my home in cen tral Massachusetts is small poultry plant It Is on a village lot, there being less than an acre in the whole plant. Half of this is given to the yarding of hens and the growing of chicks. The rest is given to dwelling and lawn
 The house accommodations for the poul- try comprise a single shed-roof building, perhaps 10x15 feet in size; barn that otherwise would be unused. and lean-to built against one side of the barn. Prac- ticaliy no money has been put into the poultry housing. The yards for the birds are small, bare of grass, with common wire fences. I have been hearing of this little poultry enterprise for five years; have passed it many times in my car riage, but never went into one of the yards or into any of the pens until very recently.
 The owner of this modest venture in poultry culture is a young man of per- hAps 90 years of age, doing office work in a city eight miles away. He is compelled to leave home on the 7:s0 morning electric, returning at 5:30 in the evening On Sat- urday he gets home at D. m. You may imagine that time Is not any too plentiful to undertake big stunts with poultry, but he uses 1t to the best advantage, and so secures good results.
 Good Local Reputation
 For three years I have heard many side remarks as to this young man and his poultry. If hatches generally were bad, his were good. If eggs were few in the nests of his neighbors' hens, he was taking them to the city in large numbers. As a matter of fact, the usual expression of his neighbors, as heard in public places, was to the effect that "he Is having splendid luckr' The desire to see for my self and get the facts at first hand led me to make an appointment to go over his pens get his methods and take look at his index cardcase of facts and figures. found much of interest, and am glad to pass the facts along.
 The first pen that I went into had 24 Rhode Island Red bullets, matched Feb ruary 2S, 1913 These laid the first egg July 21, and had produced 2S34 eggs to March 31 an average of 116 eggs each, with five warm months still ahead for better work. No fault to find with that pens work.
 The next pen had 50 bullets. matched March 31, laying the first egg on August "A, and had laid 336O eggs up to March 31. Not so good laying as the first pen, not so good house accommodations either, but still a paying flock. It will be noted that these bullets came to laying maturity at five months of age
 The third pen surprised me by their egg record It was made up of 25 yearing ftoxr bod loi hat Got nhnr 1 and March 31 just 1858 eggs. Think of 1t, Yearling hens, shedding feathers, growing a new coat, resting awhile and yet laying over 62 eggs each during the winter weeks. and when eggs were selling at to cents each. Money in outlets Yes Money in old hens? Yes in hens like these. Other pens were inspected until had seen them all making total of 200 mature fowls on the village plant covering but half acre.
 With the long hours necessarily spent away from the house the labor problem had to be thought out carefully From the start in 1907, no one has paid any at tention to the hens and chicks during the hours that the owner was absent in the city The birds simply had to care foi themselves. Dry mash feeding was early adopted, and two years ago the feeding of all scratch grains from feeders was tried out successfully. The hens now or
  mothers, have been raised and cared fol without any hand-feeding. Through the baby age, the growing stage, the adult period. from hatch to the killing knife the birds may get feed when they care to eat it.
 Weekly Duties
 The droppings- boards are cleaned, new litter put in, hoppers filled and other little chores done in the short Saturday afternoons of the year. The only morning work is to fill the water dishes and the early evening sees the only gathering o1 the eggs.
 Under the restricted yarding with the earth bare of growing grass or any other green stuff, on ground that has been ir constant use for seven years, what abou, getting chicks that would live? That is fair and most practical question, and investigated the matter fully.
 In 1913 there were set S90 eggs. matching EN chicks. This is an average of 60 per cent actually matched, and it certainly is . creditable record.
 Incubatng is all done with machines As in the case of the hens and chicks SO with the machnes-they are let se- verey alone during the hours of the day time Sixty per cent matched is good any time. and especially good when the man is eight miles away continuously from breakfast to supper. The chicks are all trooder raised with the same dry method of feeding They eat when they are hungry. drink when thirsty and get under the warm hover when they require heat Most practical poultrymen are deeply interested in costs. Upon this subject l asked many pointed questions. and re- ceived full accurate information. Pullets Cost Fifteen Cents At the time the bullets began to lay in 1913 each one had cost just 144 cents. How could they be raised so cheaply? Just the question asked, too. The cock erels were sold for broilers. netting alive in June 8 cents a pound and in July 21 cents. The codixerels were considered a by product and the profit from them was used in paying part of the feed bills of the bullets. On this basis the chicks left at the time the bullets began to lay had actually cost but IA cents each. This was what had been paid out for feed. for the eggs incubated. for the oil used by incubators and breeders. The first bullet, in 1913. began to lay at months and 2 n>annnH1lnHH