The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10
RAISING OF POULTRY
MEANS REAL WORK
1t No Longer Is Regarded as
job Suitable Only to
Women and Children.
SMALL START Is BEST
by REESE v. HICKS.

in taking care Of his chickens was de-
risiveIy termed a chicken crank. In
the last decade the public attitude tow
ard the poultry business has undergone
"A radical change.
More and more each year IL Ia being
recognized that poultry raising on a
small scale IL an established source
of revenue to residents of villages and
cities as well as to farmers. Increased
interest in poultry keeping Is due To
many causes. The back to the farm
idea has been the subject of articles
In practically every daily newspaper.
Added to this has been the campaign
by Federal n State officials for bet
ter farm conditions generally. Boys
and girls poultry clubs and local poul-
try shows have aroused interest In
better poultry. All these have caused
hundreds Of people who previously
looked with disdain upon poultry keep
ing to investigate carefully the advis-
ability OF keeping "A few hens on the
back lot.
The soaring prices of meat gave i'm
petus to poultry keeping. In the last
ten years the price of beef has in
creased from 20 to 80 per cent. ac-
cording to locality and distributing IA
%cilit.es. The average citizen naturally
looks for "A cheaper source of meat.
When he goes to buy poultry or eggs
he comes face 70 face with the incrcas1
in prices there also. 1t is here that he
comes to the point of considering what
he can do in "A small way by kcopiur
n few hens and thus cut down U
size OF his meat bill.
The beginner or amateur should no.
conclude hat he requires a great deal
of money 20 make n start. because he
should not start on too large a scale.
While money usually can Ice made in
the poultry business. yet like every
other business Il requires hard work.
some experience and a little capital
to get adequate results.
The beginner Will make mistakes and
have ~setbacks, and II lie starts on too
large "A scale his enterprise. instead Of
proving "A source of revenue and profit,
will be more likely a sourco of loss.
The number OF hens that can he X pit
on any given ground space depends
largely ON the care that is given the
hens. \ space of ten by twenty feet is
sutlici Mt for from ten To- fifteen hen II
1t is spaded. up once "A week so as 70
keep the ground fresh ana clean. The
house should have not less han three to
four square feet OF floor space for each
bi?d.
For a house the cheaper the cost the
'NAA'A lh'F i'A''A ~ - "th'a tAstl 'AH'f u.s.
and has sufficient ventilation and light.
II should be not less than tive Get high
in the rear, and from seven to eight feet
high in the front. /. should rave a shed
roof. covered with the best grade OF pre-
pared roofing. and the front Of the hou~r
should face south. The roIsts should be-
In the rear. over dropping boards "
feet above the floor, So as TO allow the
fowls oportuu.,y TO exercise over the
entire floor space.
Thtre shout lie two win1oWs-o Q 81
glass to let In the light. and the other
covered with either muslin or hurltp
for ventilation, and this latter window
should he kept open all the time possible.
The door should lie at the sid or front.
Nest boxes should he under the windows
and arranged with a cover that can be
let down a. night TO prevent the fowls
from sDi!ing the nests. The fixtures.
n-st boxes, thinking fountain and feed
hopper should he simple. easily renoy-
able for disinfecting purposes and for
cleaning,
An economical house for twenty-five
hens may bc built FOR from $3o 10 $50.
The hens themselves will COS: from 81 TO
e. each. according To the quality. vdri-
ely and time whea bought.
The fall is as good a time as any To
start in the poultry business On a small
scale. \ beginner starting at this time
should buy hens that rave finished t.c.r
mouljlns ana arr ready 20 begin lay .l-
again. These should lay through the
winter. when the price of eggs j. high
Pullets will lay a few more Eggs than
he's. and when ready 10 lay 10y Mo-
vembor viii lay more winter eggs than
the older hens but usually they cost
more than hens.
1t Is not necessary to have male birds
with the mems unless 1t is desired go
breed yeung chicks. Many amateurs buy
pulletS annually. while Others buy baby
chicks each year and raise their own
layers. Waile 1t is cheaper t. have a
male bird in the breeding yard IN the
spring when 1t is desired to use tho eggs
for Matching purposes and raise laying
pullets for the mex fail. yet there i
considerable work and risk for the in
experienced poultryman in the ~incuhat-
ing and raising of chicks. The safer
plan is to buy either chicks or mlturcl
fowls. and sell the eggs produced by the
home flock.
Where "A surplus OF eggs is produced
there Is no t.oublr. in d!spus!ng ut I EN-
IN the neighhurhood at Il premium above
the price asked for so-called fresh eggs
at the stores, Any prudent houseWl ne
Will he glad to secure egg from a.
neighbur and pay a trIilc more f.r
them, knowing that she GETS eggs that
are absolutely flesh and depend thlr. and
hence worth a premium above what She
would ave 10 pay AT { " corucy grocery
for eggs not known 10 be new latl
AS eggs are highest IN price from pC-
toOer to January II Is important that
the oWl be given extra attention IN fan
and winter 50 they will produce the
most ggs during this period. on
stormy days the fowls should he kept I'm
the house, They should he fed three
times q day, In the mDruin- at noon
and late in the afternoon. The grain
feed should hc scattered in tie litter ON
the floor. This litter should he straw.
hut hay or dry corn STALKS CHOPPED up
also make Il fairly GOOD litter.
The grain feed should consist OF equal
parts of cracked corn. oats and wheat. nr
a good scratch feed can usually hc
bought At the local poultry SUNNY
store reasonably, at from Si15 e. 50 -
a hundrcd pounds, according To the con-
tents of the mixture, the quantity IN
which II is purchased and local prices.
\ dry mash should bc kept ma hop.
pers before the more active breeds like
Leglorus all the time. For HEAVIER
breeds, like rlymou h Rocks. the ctr,
mash hoppers should be kept closed
until IN o'clock, then opened. and CLOSED
again in tho afternoon. ~ tho fowls
may overcat and not exercise enough.
The dry mash should ho composed of
equal parts of wheat, bran, corn meat
and wheat middllugS, to which las
been added 10 per cent, of commercial
beef scrap
II "a large number Of fowls are being
fed u mixture Of alfalfa meal and
ground oats IN ouc-hnlf the prupor-