Milford chronicle., 1915-09-24

from the small breeder. 1t is generally
asked at time when the average small
breeder. or rather the Indifferent breed
er, is getting very few if any eggs
from his flock
This is usually during the cold, or
what or termed the winter months, and
the question is generally answered,
Expensive. Few can really say that
they are profitable. However, should
this same question be put in the spring,
the answer would naturally be the re-
verse.
There is no particular credit due the
breeder who succeeds in getting a good
egg yield during the spring and summer
months, and who can then answer that
his fowls are profitable. For be it
known, that almost any old hen will lay,
and lay well during this period. Conse-
quently, the efforts of the hens along
this line are not in any manner due to
the work of the breeder How differ
ent, though, with the fall and winter
production of eggs. This is a time
when, from a natural inclination, the |
average hen remains idle, at least so |
far as her yielding qualities are con-
cerned. 1t is only the breeder who pays
attention to the many small details of |
the business, with proper care and feed
ing knowledge, who is successful in get
ting his hens to produce.
The man who does this is the one who
generally makes a fair profit from his
tlocks, and incidently, a success of the
business, and will never be heard to
make the assertion that chickens are
only expensive luXuries.
1t is probably true that chickens are
only luxury in great number of cases,
but you will find that those who keep ,
them constantly at a loss to themselves,
are the ones which give but little or no
attention to their birds, and invariably
omit the details necessary to success.
1t is most natural for chickens to pro-
duce eggs in greater abundance during '
the spring and summer than when they J
are compelled to fight against all the
elements that come with the winter /
months. There are few, if any, birds
that are prolific layers during the mout, t
and indeed just after they have emerged n
from it, as it is necessary that they put c
on their new coat of feathers and round p
into condition before they can again be t
expected to take up their strenuous bur Il
den of producing eggs. Birds that a
mOult late are particularly hard to get I
into condition to lay well before the Z
reason / have on a number of occasions "
advocated the slight Fastening of the r.
moult, but not to a degree which will Il
be a hardship on the birds. A slight O
forcing of the moult. however, | believe Il
to be all right but only with those birds e.
which you expect to use for the produc- II
tiOn of eggs. Those to be utilized as b
breeders for the building of the future r
stock should never be forced into the Il
mOult before nature causes them. Il
The average breeder who complains al
that his birds are only an expense is Il
generally the man who does not keepi o.
any record of the performance of his e.
1ocks, and naturally loses sight of that pi
portion of the year that his stock is to
active and produces heavily. He only pl
sees the birds during their inactivity, m
)r during the moulting period. In other llt
words, not keeping a record of the do 0u
ngs of the flock, he is not in a position 10
% truthfully say that they are an eX- tn
)ense. su
1t is true that eggs jump in price dur m
ng the winter, and so does the feed pc
'ills, but notwithstanding this, the pr
breeder who can and does produce sh
winter eggs is the one that makes the to
most out of poultry. Fresh eggs in the wi
winter are are always at premium.
The fact that most persons of little
experience, in additirn to not making
ny particular effort to keep their birds
lways in the pink of condition and
hereby yielding, will carry over during Nj
he winter large number of old hens, SUI
seless cockerels and non-producing or
ulls. All of these augment the feed Ja
ills, and coupled with the fact that the in
eason is naturally against the prOduc- ing
on of eggs, it stands to reason that 79t
ne is made to feel that the business is it ;
My luxury. car
However bad the conditions may seem, to
nd was apparently Improbable as the all.
Ocks may appear, the fact still remains Nc
rat chickens are profitable, and can be the
ade to yield a neat sum, provided the TIL,
-eeder is always on the job and pays anC
rict attention to his business, taking anC
Vantage of the many little points of Mo
lie game which means much in the end. Jot
ems ought, without any trouble what wo,
er be made to yield one dollar each Bro
real money per year from the sale of of
,gs alone, over and above their cost of fan
ep. This, when added to possibly nea
e or two brOOds which each hen will J
Use, will bring the profits per hen well mel
to the twO-dOlar mark. This shows at
at money can be made out of chick NJ
$, but in order to accomplish this re- pos
1t the breeder must understand and TEN
ze advantage of every opportunity as
iich presents itself whereby profit plaC
~ be derived. sud,
IN order to get the most from flock othe
chickens, the breeder must sell his mott
plus cockerels just as soon as they was
marketable. Broiers and fryers car
ng a much greater price than the of h
ne birds will after they pass this road
ge. The production of broilers is an ton
eptionally good business, and one eral
m which big money is made This were
only brings ready money to the BraC
eder, but does away with keeping a was
of worthless males over a long per- bile
consuming large quantities of food, Mr..
which their sale afterwards will not even
in to pay. paire