Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-13
KEEPING THE WOLF FROM
. THE DOOR WITH POULTRY
A Minister'S Success With Chickens
When Illness Took Him
From His Work.
Importance of Selected Stock, Bust
ness Methods, Good Values to
Ones Customers.
BY E. B. TEMPLER.
Copyright. 1861

Having decided to go into this york
from a fancy utility standpoint. made
a selection Of what 1 thought to be
a popular variety. the White Wyan-
dottes. I obtained some of the best
stock. and paid more for them than
my purse seemed to warrant. but the
wisdom of this was seen later on. I
placed these birds in a makeshift coop
and bred them one1 season. retaining
the pullets for my next years work.
This gave me enough birds the second
year go that could advertise the sale
Of Matching eggs in the spring. The
first ad was placed in the classified de-
partment of local poultry journal,
and the results were awaited with high
expectations. AS I recall it now, from
a more experienced standpoint. 1t is a
wonder that l heard anything from the
small ad. which was packed in with
many other like advertisements; but 1
sold enough to encourage me going
into business on a larger scale.
Building the Poultry Houses.
There are so many different theories
relative to the proper construction of
poultry house that I was somewhat
puzzled when l really got to the point
where I was to build one. I decided
to have a semi-open-front coop, with
shed roof and an inclosed roosting
place. l built for the accommodation
of hundred birds, making the coop
12x30 feet. Each pen was lOx12 feet.
The whole top front of the house was
left open to the width of two feet. this
space being later covered with muslin
frames. The roosting quarters were at
the rear of the house, taking up the
entire length.
Increasing the Flock.
After my second year I found White
Orpngtons were also becoming very
popular. and, as I was associated with
a poultry firm that had excellent stock
in this variety. l secured my first birds
from these yards. My advertising was
beginning to bring better returns and
the demand for Matching eggs became
greater than my supply. l received So
aged to dispose of my entire output.
The eighty hens would give me an av-
erage of twenty eggs for Matching
purposes each day. and the balance
of Matching eggs helped largely to
make a success of the venture, and
each succeeding season meant return
orders and new business.
How to Be Successful.
l have shipped eggs and birds to near.
ly every state in the Union. to Canada,
and even as far as British Columbia
The real secret of the whole matter is
to have good stock. and then to adver-
tise it. Daily newspapers have classi-
fed departments where for a dollar or
so you can run an ad, and 1 have
found this kind of advertising valuable
for the quick sale of birds. To reach |
exclusively I discovered l |
must also use the regular poultry |
journals. When 1 found journals that |
did not pull 1 dropped them. The |
journals which drew the business 1 |
kept on with as long as I had any
thing to sell. Don't think, however, |
that you can do this with any birds |
you may happen to have. The show
room never held any great attraction |
for met. yet now and then. in order |
to see how well my birds stood the |
test of comparison, l would enter a few |
at some local show. It is difficult, |
however, to overestimate the value of |
the showroom as a medium of adver-
Using. If you have a good exhibit and
can stay there with your birds you
will get many people interested in
your stock and possibly make several
sales.