The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-10
Every Season Finds Thou sands More Keeping Hens in Effort to Reduce High Cost of Living
Start May be Made With Little Expense, But Sue cess Depends Upon Care Given the Fowls
Ny RTEsE V. HICkC Former President of the American Poultry Association
(Copyright. 19l5)

raising py ainaleufS seareeiy Shi pe eo.i- mated. It is known that the number who Keep chickens for their own use is incr easing by thousands every season. MT
 Hicks points out some of the reasons for this increase. and gives suggestions for the amateur engaging in poultry keeping.
 Ten years ago poultry raising was re- garced as work fit only for women and children. The man who devoted his en- tire time to the poultry business. or who spent few hours each day in taking care of his chickens was derisvely termed "a chicker crank" In the last decade the pr bile attitude toward the poultry busi- ness has undergone a radical change.
 More and more each year it is being rec ogrized that poultry raising on small scale is an established source of revenue to residents of villages and cities as well as to farmers. Increased interest in poul- try keeping is due to many causes. The ''back to the farm idea has been the sub ject of articles in practically every daily newspaper. Added to this has been the campaign by federal and state officials for better farm conditions generally. Boys and girls poultry clubs and local poultry shows have aroused interest in better poultry. All these have caused hundreds of people, who previously looked with dis daln upon poultry keeping to investigate carefully the advisability of keeping few hens on the back los.
 The soaring prices of meat gave impetus to poultry keeping. In the last 10 years the prioe of beef has increased from 20 to 30 per cent, according to locality and dis tributing facilities. Tho average citizen naturally looks for cheaper source of meat. When he goes to buy poultry or eggs he comes face to face with the in- crease in prices there also It is here that he comes to the point of considering what he can do In a small way by keeping a few hens and thus cut down the size of his meat bill.
 Start Need Not be Costly The beginner or amateur should not conclude that he requires great deal of money to make a start, because he should not start on too large a scale. While money usually can be made in the poultry business. yet like every other business 1t requires hard work, some ex- perience .and little capital to get ade- quate results.
 The beginner will make mistakes and l have setbacks. and If he starts on too | large scale his enterprise, instead of proving source of revenue and profit, | will be more likely a source of loss. l The number of hens that can be kept on any given ground space depends largely on the care that is given tho hens A | space 10 by 20 feet is sufficient for from &A hAn Ia AnA inn. nrn n
 week. so as to keep the ground fresh and | clean The house should have not less than three to four square feet of floor space for each bird.
 | For house the cheaper the cost the better, provided it is wind and raintght, and has sufficient ventilation and light. | It should be not less than five feet him { in the rear, and from to feet high in
 the front. It should have shtd roof. covered with the best grade of prepared | roofing, and the front of the house should face south. Tho roosts should be in the
 rear, over dropping boards two feet above
 the floor, so as to allow the fowls oppor- | tunity to exercise over tho entire floor
 space.
 | There should be two windows; one of
 glass to let in the light and the other
 covered with either muslin or burlap, for
 ventilation, and this latter window should
 be kept open all the time possible The
 door should be at the side or front. Nest
 boxes should be under the windows, and
 down at night to prevent the fowls from
 soiling tho nests. The fixtures, nest
 boxes. drinking fountain and feed hopper should be simple, easily removable for
 disinfecting purposes and cleaning.
 Hens Cost From $1 to $3 Each
 An economical house for 25 hens may | be built for from $30 to $50. The hens
 themselves will cost from s1 to B each,
 according to. the quality. variety and i time when bought.
 The fall is as good time as any to
 start in the poultry business on a smoll
 scale. A beginner starting at this time
 should buy hens that have finished their molting and arc ready to begin laying again. These should lay through the win ter when the price of eggs Is high. Full let's will lay few more eggs than hens, end when ready to lay by November will lay more winter eggs than the older hens, but usually they cost more than hens. | It Is not necessary to have male birds with the hens unless it is desired tu breed young chicks Many amateurs buy outlets annually, while others buy baby chicks each year and raise their own lay
 CTS. While 1t is cheaper to have a male bird in the breeding yard in the spring I when 1t Is desired to use the eggs for
 
 let's for the next fall. yet there is con
 siderable work and risk for the inex- | perienced poultryman in the incubating
 and raising of chicks The safer plan ia to buy either chicks or matured fowls.
 and sell the eggs produced by the home
 flock.
 l Where a surplus of eggs Is produced, there Is no trouble in dIsposing of thct. in the neighborhood at premium above the price asked for so-called fresh eggs at the stores. Any prudent house. wife will be glad to secure eggs from a neighbor, and pay trife more for thorn, knowing that she gets eggs that are abso- Hutely fresh and dependable. and hence worth . premium above what she would have to pay at the corner grocery for | eggs, not known to be new-laid.
 Give Extra Care in Fall Il As eggs are highest in price from Octo- Der to January. 1t is important that the fowls be given extra attention in fall and winter 90 they will produce the most eggs during this period. On stormy days | the fow'S should be kept in the house. They should be fed three times day, in the morning, at noon and late in the aft ernoon. The grain feed should be scat tered In the litter on the floor This litter should be straw, but hay or dry
 corn stalks chopped up also mako fairly
 good litter.
 The grain feed should consist of
 equal parts of cracked corn. oats and |CONKEY SAYS:
 DON'T woRRy-CoNKEY's POULTRY