The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-02-14
by JOHN A. FISHEL.
Practical Poultrymaft

More meat More eggs The mouths
of an eating public will not be stopped
except by an adequate supply of ed
bles. Here, then, is our opportunity
When Uncle Sam sent out the call for
large supply of vegetable foods, the
best way to meet that call was found
in millions of small gardens-war
gardens. Not much wheat was pro-
duced in these war gardens, vet wheat
was the grain most needed They pro-
duced a dozen substitutes and saved
the wheat for the soldiers. Wheat was
left for the broad acres of the west
and the professional agriculturists of
the whole country; while cabbage, to-
matoes. beans, peas, beets, potatoes
and a dozen other things were raised
in abundance by the town gardener to
supply his own family and incidentally
to release other foodstuffs for expor-
alton.
If war gardens worked well with
vegetables. why not with meat and
eggs? Send the beef and pork to the
soldiers and live on chicken! If 1t IS
an act of patriotism to observe meat
less days so that more meat can be
preserved for the boys at the front,
1t is just as much an act of patriot
ism to avoid the meat markets alto
gether and raise your own meat for
the other days. If it is an act of pa
triotism to cook without eggs so that
the hospitals may have larger sup
ply for the weak and wounded, 1t is
just as much an act of patriotism to
produce your own eggs instead of rob-
bing the market by buying them; and
IL is still more an act OF patriotism
to produce more than you can use to
help with the supply in the market.
The logic of the home chicken yard
is unassailable. Cows and pigs cannot
conveniently be raised on every town
| lot. The cows are too large and cum
bersome and the town council might
| object to the pig sty. Chickens, being
small and friendly, are the logical
denizens OF every patriotic bacq yard.
| They go hand in hand with the war
garden, and do their bit nobly to help
| win the war. 1t is no wonder that
| thousands not heretofore interested are
casting their eyes about for hint as
| to whether and how to take the first
step in the chicken business. And 1t Is
no wonder that thousands of hereto
| fore small owners are hesitating on
the verge of larger investment.
NOW is THE TIME
| You who are thinking of beginning ara
asking yourselves. IF I feed my flock
| for six months without any returns how
| can | be sure they will make up for the
expense later?'
| There is but one criterion by whicf
| this question may be answered in a gen.
| eral way, and that is the actual accom-
| plishment of other poultry yards 1t is Q
| mistake to suppose that no returns arr
| possible within the first six months
| Reckoning that half your flock will b'
roosters, you have two possibilities. YOU
may market them at a good broiler age
1 1.-TWO or three months, thereby realizing
| Immediately on your investment enough
| to keep the remainder of the flock til
| they begin to lay; or you may caponz
them at the same age. thereby givin'
| them quiet disposition, avoiding al
fighting and similar trouble, and pro
| ducing within six months from brit
| birds of much finer quality for the tail,
as well as heavier by from one to tire
\ pounds each than your cockerels of tn
| same age. Leave these birds for year
and your ordinary Thanksgiving turKe.
will come in poor second so far a
| quality and weight are concerned
Where a market for capons is accessible
you will probably find these the mos
paying part of your flock.
But let us get back to the eggs. o.
the basis OF year, $50 eggs is reckonet
as a flock average" That is, larg
flock of good stock, we'll cared for, cal
be depended on to produce an averag
of $50 eggs per hen. Now 1t is know
fact in poultry circles that small floci
well cared for will ordinarily have
larger egg yield than large flock, Ia
for the sake of conservatism, let us sa.
100 eggs for the beginner. Now, the pric
of feed and the price of eggs will, as
rule, balance, and one should be able t
care for one hen on the price of so egg
thus leaving gain of so eggs per hel
each year above the cost of feed.
All this figuring may mean sometime
or it may mean nothing to you. The vita
fact is that your risk is covered il yo
have good breed, by the fact ina
whether they lay or not, you have tn
hens left to cover your Investment an
anytime you feel like dropping out. yo
can turn them into money very easily b
dealing with your nearest meat market
THE PERSONAL RISK
Thoroughbred stock. bred to lay, from
reliable firm, is absolutely no risk. The
have the blood. They have the inherite
tendencies. They have the machincr
to produce the eggs, and they can't he'll
producing far more than enough to pa
for their lodging and board il they hay
half chance. | would not advise a be
gnner who expects TO make money O
Gags to buy any other stock than in
best Otherwise there is the risk tina
the stock will not be able to produce egg
even with the best of feeding and care
You cannot be too careful about you
stock.
The market is no risk. 1t will be ther
when you come to dispose of your egg
and chickens. and from present indiea
tons it will be there strong on you
side. The big questions are those OF In
4 teliigence and perseverance. Here is You
real risk. Given an intelligent. wide
awake. perseverinG. investigating mar
and a flock of first-class thoroughbreds
and success is bound to come. Anythin
| else would involve a reversal of the lay