Milford chronicle., 1916-06-02

One OF Lne most serious OF all mistakes
made by the average poultry raiser. and
one that is most easily made without
Fealising ones error, is that of over
crowding the poultry yards.
In his ambition to get flock of good
producing birds around him, and thus
increase his already good profits from
the business, one will lose sight of the
fact that the rapidly growing flock is
becoming crowded and fail to see the
harm that is being wrought upon them
as a whole until it is too late.
This is not only true of those who at
tempt to raise birds for show purposes,
case where one is anxious to keep
every individual specimen until able to
determine just which are the best and
most profitable to keep, but also of the
man who is in the business from the
standpoint of commercial eggs and meat.
One is lOath to give up or do away with
a single bird that might yield a profit,
and thus, almost before he knows it, his
yards and runs are crowded to such an
extent that what profit there might be
in them is lost and many birds succumb
as a result. Thus his efforts for success
have been in vain.
Many persons who enter the poultry
business, and indeed quite few who
have had some little experience along
this line, somehow get the idea that
while there is room on the roosts or in
the yards for another single bird they
will add it to the flock. This is a very
serious mistake and one which should be
carefully guarded against.
No flock can do its best when crowded,
nor will the birds keep in good health if
this condition is allowed to exist. The
proper way to come to conclusions as to !
| just how many birds should be kept in a |
given area is best determined by the |
housing. You might have ample yard i
room for 100 birds and houseroom for i
only fifty. If you attempt to put more
than the latter number of fowls in this
place you are overcrowding, and the re-
suit will be serious.
You say then, How can a person de-
termine how many birds to keep"
The standard adopted for determining
just how many birds should be housed
is based on the amount of floor space.
Each bird should be allowed four square
feet of floor space-thus, if your house
is IL feet by 20 feet, you have 240 square
feet of floor space. This divided by four
will give go, which is the number of
birds you should put in the house. 1t
may be that you have roOsting space
for many more than that number, but 7
don't attempt to house them, for if you
do, they will be crowded and harm will
result. If your yard space is sufficient
to keep more than that number, then {
build additional houses before attempt
ing to increase your fiocks.
1t is just as necessary to have ample
room in raising show birds as when the a
object is utility purposes. One class of .
poultry raising is no different from an I
other when it comes to the matter of I
care, attention, feeding and housing. If 2
this is not given them, it makes but lit. Z
tie difference how good a class of speci- .
mems they might be, they will amount I
to but little. 81
The care and attention necessary to e
produce show birds, as well as good p
utility stock, cannot be given if your Sc
locks are too large or if your plant is ID
For that reason one must
'esort to culling in order to get rid of
he specimens which show no signs of
becoming profit earners. us
The job of culling cannot be done all te
It once, but on the contrary, must ex- su
end over a period of several weeks, in
md sometimes cannot be judiciously -
lone even in that length of time. This of
5 job that should be started when the to
hicks are very young. Select from
our several broods all those youngsters
which have the "earmarks" of good
irds. The rest of the birds should be IA
ed for rapid development, and as soon WI
s they are of marketable size, be ship IN
ed off and converted into real meney. 4e
q this way you will not only turn them eq
ito ready cash, but at the same time,
Onsiderably reduce the size of your
eed bills, which is by no means a small th
EN-. of
This first process should be followed ar,
ithin few days by a second and closer mi
llling. Use considerable more care in is
lis than in the first culling, and again Tn
arket the undesirables. This process thi
lould be continued until nothing re- Low
aims but the finest specimens. Of vii
'urse, the process of culling for the
Using of show birds should be done
ith great deal more care than where =!
ility birds alone are desired, but even @ eni
the latter be your desire, culling. and te lol
ose culling at that, is very important Ne
order that a good laying strain be toa tSa
tilt up. The process of elimination III III
ould be continued in either case until pI 1n.
ose remaining come close to the re- see s.sl
irements Of the Standard of Perfec- 'e
~ 90 ASkoAuo Tic several DEEEuSs
If close calling is done each year, and
oper attention is given to your mat the
gs. you will build up a beautiful and eau
Ofitable flock within a few years.
me and perseverance accomplish all p. ]
Ings, and to him that strives will come
innate success. The average breeder
10 only raises birds for utility pur-
ses, and cares nothing for show birds, say
i often be heard to remark that, as of ,
does not intend to get into the fancy min
me, it is useless to Gull his focks. It il
IS IS certainly most serious mistake, bey
one that is very often made by the wou
erage breeder. ther
t matters little whether you are rails ing
|, fancy birds or utility ones, culling is We
and upon it depends abso- es i
ely what kind Of birds you will have cak,
'ut you within a short time and it 25c.
refore figures largely in the amount The
profits you will derive from them.
! may have a large flock Of fowls BI