Milford chronicle., 1915-08-20

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raising. This is not only the thought Of
those who are making immediate prep
aration for entering the business, but
also of those who contemplate doing so
any future time.
Of course, any time is a good time to
begin to do anything right, and chicken
raising being both beneficial and prof.
table. is necessarily right. 1t follows
then. that at any time is a good time to
start into the business. But, there Is a
right and a wrong way to begin, and
unless checked or forwaned, the aver
age beginner with poultry usually
makes his first and most serious blum
der at the start.
While most persons advise the be-
giner to enter into the business IN the
spring. l differ some little, and advo-
cate The fall of the year. While you
might say it is not yet fall, which is
true enough, yet it is so close to it that
one cannot mistake by making the be-
ginning in the poultry raising game
now. This is just as good time as
any to make the start.
In some respects it is the best time,
as birds of a desirable kind may be pur-
chased cheaper now than at any other
season of the year. A flock started in
this way will be cheaper by far, IN the
end, than by purchasing both eggs and
incubator, or yet by purchasing day-old
chicks in the spring In either of these
cases, ones losses are not only eXpen-
sive, but tend in a great measure to dis
courage the average beginner, which
generally results in driving him out OF
the business almost before he has made
a start.
Some persons viii advocate purchas
ing a pen of birds in the spring, thus
forming the foundation for their future
stock. This is certainly, to my mind,
the very best way to begin, but l be
lieve that your results will be best If
these birds are purchased about this
time of the year. as by caring for them
through a winter YOU will learn some
thing about the business, about the
fowls. their wants and habits, and will
be in a better position to care for the
young when they come in the spring.
In this way your knowledge is gained
gradually, and you are in position toI
better care for the growing broods.
Nothing rarely, if ever, succeeds
which starts on with a rush. This Isl
probably as true in connection with the
poultry business as it is concerning
other endeavors. The greatest trouble
with most persons entering the poultry
business is that they are not satisfied
with a small beginning, but just like the
novice, want too large a flock to start in
with, which generally means their ultl-
mate loss.
Many beginners are misled by the
glowing accounts Of the profits to be-
derived from the business, and on the
strength Of these statements rush head
long into it, investing all they have,
without any knowledge of the game, and
invariably lose everything. Don t think
that / wish to infer that there is not
money to be made in raising of chickens,
for there is, but then there is a right
and wrong way to begin.
By purchasing a pen or two of some
good standard birds, and learning the
business in a gradual way, you Will
naturally increase the size of your tlocks
from year to year, thus getting an in
sight into the business which VIII serve
you well when knowledge is smostneeded.
This may. of course, be done in the
spring months, but my advice IS to be-
pin now. / believe that the fall sea-
son is by far the better time in which to
enter the game of chicken raising for
ulutU more kIlOM lEORE LElaAlNG " AleAAA7
ling the birds and learning their wants
can be acquired during the winter than
can possibly be done in the spring. At
that time you will be compelled to give
your thoughts and attentions to the
brooding and raising of the youngsters.
Then too, another and very serious
mistake is often made by the beginner
in the fact that he attempts to Outshine,
,,rtol,ee r,. rftro1 tho nlinr nqd r11Orn OK
perienced breeder who might happen to
be his neighbor, and who has been en-
gagged in the business possibly for years.
The result is that he Oversteps the mark
and, of course, a failure is the result.
The blame is then naturally laid at the
door of the birds, when in reality, it IS
the fault of the breeder; but he will
never admit it.
To all who are thus inclined, let me
say Be content to make your start in
poultry raising in g small way. With
care for your hocks, and attention to
business, you will in a remarkably short
time accumulate a large number of fine
birds that will not only be beautiful to-
look at. but at the same time be profit
able. You will likewise acquire quite a
knowledge of the industry, which will
serve you well in promoting profitable
paying business. Thus your knowledge
of the business is gained through eX-
perience, which is far better than a
theoretical one.
To the beginner, however, allow me
to remark that you cannot start into the
business with a pen or two of fine birds
without some little money to start with.
Fine birds are worth real money and
cannot be expected to be given away.
An investment in fine birds. however,
will soon pay for itself in the sale of
surplus cockerels alone, and in addition,
YOU have the ground work for building
IN a fine strain of standard fowls which
will be profitable.
Possibly the greatest difficulty with
the beginner starting at this season of ,
the year is the question of how toprop
erly house bis birds. This question
must be solved, and properly so, if you
expect to attain success. DOM { put up !
any kind Of a structure and think that
It will answer for the first winter, with