Belding banner., 1915-01-20
woman,s Work with Poultry

Woman's Work with Poultry
Perhaps there Is no other work on
the farm with which women are more
familiar than that Of caring for poul-
try. Every farm woman has a flock
of some kind, while many have large
hocks and make considerable money
from them. Ii is the exceptional farm
woman who does not keep flock of
chickens and who takes no interest
whatever in domestic birds.
By nature women are peculiarly
fitted to breed, feed and care for birds
in general. They can do this work
more successfully than men, as has
been proven. on a good many farms
of this country women make more
from their fiocks than the men do
from their field crops and live stock.
Many and many flock of poultry in
the country keeps the family in groc-
cries, notions and often shoes and
clothing. Whatever may be said of
special poultry plants, il remains a
fact that the farm flock always is a
paying proposition. If poultry can be
made to pay a profit under any condi-
tions. il can be realized on the
farm under general farming condi-
lions, and in the hands of the women
folks of the farm.
OF course, on the average farm the
women folks have almost exclusive
care Of the poultry plant, such as it
is. yet no account is kept of the eggs
and birds sold and used at home. The
sales, if any, are quickly absorbed in
the family expenses. the woman Of the
farm never having chance TO handle
or keep the money for her own.
But any farm woman who will may
have a good-sized poultry plant and
manage the business as her own, just
as her husband handles hogs or cattle
and pockets the money from sales.
Ninety-nine farmers out of hundred
would not only be willing for their
wives or daughters to run a good
sized poultry plant on their own hook,
but they would take pride in the busi-
ness and its manager, often assisting
materially with labor, equipment and
feeds. The ownership Of a good poul-
try plant depends more upon the at
titude of the woman than upon other
conditions. 1t is easily possible for
the woman who wishes il strongly.
Hatching chickens in the farm home
is as easy as ironing clothes or baking
we run in the farm dwelling during
January, February and March. They
are not at all Objectionable in any
room of the dwelling, resembling good
furniture and being entirely sanitary
BY keeping the incubators in the
dwelling a woman can easily care for
them with her other household work
The extra work is really a pleasure
al Il INT inf
esting, surely.
The farm woman who understands
how to manage work can have a flock
of 200 or more laying hens. A flock
under this size will not bring in enough
TO make the business truly interesting
Some farm women handle a flock of
500 and do not find the work burden
some. The big flock means cash sales
for household supplies and a neat sum
TO put in the bank, if you wish.
Last year from our earliest incubat-
or matches we sold young chickens
early at 32 cents a pound. small
coop of such chickens brings anice roll
OF money. The thing to do after the
holidays is to set up the machines and
fill them with eggs as soon as enough
can be secured. The early hatched
pullets make fine fall and winter lay
ers.
Now we are shipping eggs to private
city customers by parcel post and re-
ceiving 5 cents a dozen more for them
than can be secured at our home town.
The woman who will can handle good
mail order business in fancy eggs for
table use or eggs and birds for fancy
breeding purposes. A neighbor woman
has a flock of pure-bred chickens and
has more orders for eggs than she can
fill. Selling eggs and breeding stock
through advertising are easy and pro-
fitable. The size of the flock, the sales
and the revenue are limited only by
the woman's capacity to manage the
business. The possibilities Of the
business are large for the person Of
skill and initiative. The demand for
good poultry and eggs is increasing.
One fine thing about chickens is that
money comes in from the flock every
day of the year. Eggs and birds can
be sold for cash at good prices all the
time. The sales for a whole year fig
ure a neat sunni. n. s.