El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-05-11
(By Special Correspondentl

Il. 80 NRtA0hOt ~ Va may .
The Thirteenth Census OF the United
States reported that in New Mexico
there were 531,625 domestic fowls, in.
GLIDING chickens, turkeys, ducks,
geese, guinea fowls, pigeons, pea,
fowls and pheasants. OF chickens
alone there were 500, 800, or $50 per
cent OF all fowls reported. These
chickens produced 2,976,23 dozen
eggs, valued at s6S3,441. To this
amount add $2S8,l79 as the value of
the chickens and the amount Of 1921
$40 represents the value of chickens
and eggs for the year 1909. This
figure represented 92.9 per cent of the
total value OF all domestic poultry for
that year, and was about three times
the value ($275,S51 Of the swine in
the state.
It is reasonable to estimate that the
number of fowls has increased in the
past seven years to three-quarters of
a million, and that the egg production
has reached a value of a million dol
lars. with chickens and eggs worth a
million and a quarter dollars.
The magnitude Of the poultry inter-
ests Of New Mexico is greater than
most people realize. However, as
large as it is, it is necessary for the
people of New Mexico to import as
many eggs as is produced here in or
der to bring the average allotment up
to that Of the entire United States.
In the United States the production
allows 214.7 eggs per capita annually,
while the production in New Mexico
grants each person but 1914 eggs per
year. Nor do the neighboring states
fare better; Arizona allows 104.2 eggs,
Colorado 1858 eggs, Utah 1885 eggs
per person annually.
Need Twice as Many
1t is readily seen, then, that twice
the number of eggs being produced
are necessary to supply the people of
this state. The advisability of foster
ing the poultry interests is evident
and in accordance to the various re-
quirements to be met by an AgricuI-
tural College and Experiment Statien,
the New Mexico State College Of Ag-
riculture and Mechanic Arts has es-
tablished a poultry department to con-
duct experiments and carry IN edura-
tional work in poultry husbandry,
The chief causes OF loss in poultry
raising are inexperienced p%oultrymen,
inherited weakness from unfit parent
stock, improper feeding, contagious
diseases, poor incubation, improper
housing and accidents. These causes
OF failure, then, will be the problems
for consideration experlmentally and
educationally.
For first consideration the problem
Of breeding, with the idea of in
creasing egg production In standard
breeds with the object of ultimately
increasing the total egg production of
the state. This will be done by breed
ing and rearing male birds from high
producing stock which will be dis
tributed, at cost, directly to the poul-
and farmers of the state.
Another method Of distributing inn
proved stock win be by selling hatch
ing eggs from pedigreed hens. The
two hundred egg hens is being set as
a standard Of satisfactory breeding
stock.
Since the advent OF poultry work
the College, many inquiries as to
the value OF milo, feterita, kafir and
cottonseed meal as poultry foods
have been received. This is an i'm
p~ortant question and a series of ex-
periments to determine the compara-
tive feeding value of these grains
wheat, corn and oats and the
place of cottonseed meal In a ration
are being conducted.
Standard Breads ?
The great task of inducing the
farmer to give up his mongrel birds
and supplant them with birds of one
Of the standard breeds is one of the
educational problems to be under
Most farmers look upon chick
ems as a rather necessary evil, but
statistics show that over so per cent
Of all eggs produced In the United
States are produced on the general
A farmer with a few dairy
is not content with a mixture,
he vents uniformity IN his herd and
increase in production which pure
bred animals usually give, So with
the farmer should not be CON
.ent with anything but the best for its
no more for maintenance, the
is more uniform, the appear
ance Of the farm is improved BY a
inform flock Of chickens, The surplus
;ockrels may be soldgat a higher price
or bTeeders,l and the s~production Of