The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-19
False Economy to Buy Stock Simply Because It Is Cheap-Good Birds Are More Profitable
Several Varieties Are We'll Adapted for the Home Flock, Providing Eggs, Br0ilers and ROasters
By !. HARRY woLsIEFFER Poultry Editor, Lecturer and Author


 This Is an ideal time to start keeping poultry, says the practical poultryman whose advice to beginners Is given here. He advises care in the selection of the stock, so that only fully ma tured bullets, ready to lay through the
 winter will be obtained, and he makes suggestions regarding the care of the l flock
 Eggs-strictly fresh, fresh or storage are high In price every fall and win ter often 1t is impossible to obtain new laid eggs, even at top prices; and eggs that are offered as strictly
 fresh" are Frequently days or even weeks. old
 The difficulty of securing eggs known to be new laid. at a price within reach of the ordinary purse, leads thousands every year to keep poultry to supply the home table. Now Is an ideal time to start. Almost every one | with a little space and few min l utes spare time night and morning eggs at cost considerably below that of the market price of eggs Buy Only Matured Pullets In choosing the stock for the home flock the beginner should be careful to select only fully matured bullets. in order to insure a steady yield of eggs throughout the fall and winter; and he should see that they are from breed that 1t known to lay well in winter l At the same time he should choose a | breed that will furnish meat for the table. so that the surplus cockerels
 may be used as broilers and that the
 hens. when supplanted by younger l birds, may be used for roasting or
 stewing.
 | The home flock bird should be an all around fowl and these desired quail ties are found in the heavier breeds. such as Plymouth Rocks. Wyandottes, I Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons. Light | Brahmas and Sussex. All of these are hardy. stand confinement well, will lay during the coldest weather and ma ture early for their weight. There are many varieties that have one or
 more desirable qualities. and no one
 breed has all the good qualities of every. other breed, but none is better general purpose variety than those named. Their characteristics are much the same.
 Plymouth Rocks mature early and produce brown eggs of good size When properly grown and from good strain they are beautiful birds. The amateur may have his choice as to color as the varieties include the barred. white, | buff silver penciled. partridge and Co., | lumbian. The barred variety Is most popular, and may be seen in largest | numbers at the poultry shows. Wyandottes weigh one pound less than Plymouth Rocks, generally ma ttrr 1oI V1t tnr nd a we'll. and make excellent broilers. Here. too. the beginner has wide range for choice of colors and mark ings, there being White, Silver, Golden, Buff. Black. Partridge, Silver Penciled and Columbian Wyandottes. Rhode Island Reds are popular, and nearly every one admires their deep. rich red plumage. They, too, are good layers of brown eggs during the win ter months. make excellent broilers and coasters, and are hardy and yig- orous.
 The orpington has fine meat, with white skin. Bluffs, black, white and blue are the varieties to choose from. with the bun and whites most com monly grown.
 Light Brahmas are an old variety again beginning to boom. They are
 unusually large but when properly cared for they are good layers of mature as early as some other breeds, they are worthy of a place in the home flock
 Sussex are new to the American pub lie. but have jumped into favor be- cause of their utility qualities. Choose Breed You Like Best The beginner will succeed best with the breed that he admires most. be- cause with liking for his flock will come the desire to care for them prop erly. Satisfactory results never can be obtained from neglected flocks. High grade bullets of good weight healthy and vigorous-should be pur- chased, so the owner will be able to get eggs regularly in November, De-