Omaha daily bee., 1918-02-17

respective districts, setting forth til,
case for the hen.
, They are not talking to the pro-
fessional poultry man. He produces
what he can sell, and he knows what
and how much that is better than
anyone else. Furthermore he buys
> grain in large quantities for his chick,
j ems, and that grain would otherwise
be used for human food or converted
into some other kind of meat. There
is no real saving of food values that
would otherwise be lost in his op-
erations.
Feed for Millions.
But very different is the case oi
the small farmer, who raises chickens
incidentally, and still more so the case
of the city or town dweller who
keeps few hens. Both of these
classes, and especially the latter, are
annually throwing away great quaint.
ties of food in the form of table waste
1t is all good chicken feed. There
is believed to be enough of it avail
able to feed about 200,000,000 chick
ems. The department hopes to
actually increase the number of
chickens in the country by perhaps a
quarter of that number.
The laws which prevent the keep
ing of chickens within the limits of
cities are the most formidable barrier
to the icnrease of poultry, and the
conversion of garbage into eggs. The
cities and towns must change their
laws. For upon study of the question,
1t is found that the hen is not the
party who brought this legal disability
upon her kind. 1t was her noiser
half. 1t was the Growing rooster that
was exiled. He must stay in exile.
The ideal municipal law with regard
to chickens provides for inspection of
all poultry yards to see that there are
no roosters, and that they are kept
reasonably clean. The hen is a much
more cleanly animal than the bullpup
that eats the scraps in so many house
holds, and more useful one than the
parrot that consumes expensive feeds
in so many others.
Two Hens Per Member.
Neither of them, you will say. is
as much expense and trouble as
flock of chickens. But there you are
wrong. For you are not asked to
keep a large flock Two hens for
each member of the family is about
right. The table scraps will keep
these with a very little grain and |
green feed to supplement it. You will |
buy the hens in the market-younp
hens if possible. They will provide |
about an egg a day for each member
OF the family. That is more than the
average family eats. To be exact, the
average consumption per capita is Ia
dozen a year, and the average con-
sumption of poultry is two and one
half fowls per capita.
thus, If family of three keeps six
hens, it may in theory get more than
the average number of eggs. When
the hens quit laying, they can be
eaten, so that each member of the
family will be only half hen be-
hind his regular allowance of poultry.
1t the birds have been fed on the table
scraps, the only expense of the whole
operation will be the difference be-
tween the market value of the birds
when they were bought and when
they were killed. There may even
be a favorable balance of trade. Such
would be the case now with hens
bought in 1915.
Dog is an Enemy.
Of course, this theoretical operation
$ subject to many practical difficult
les. The neighbor's dog may cause
IN abnormal mortality among the ,
lock; they may get the pip or fly
'ver. the fence. But the thing can
,e done: 1t may be profitable, and
It isn't. you can comfort yourself
with the thought that it is patriotic. i
1t will be noted that there is no
connected with this
hen-keeping. This inspir-
ng phase of the chicken business is I
endered impossible for the city man +
" the unfortunate vocalizations of {
he rooster. The egg is the only in I
:rease possible from a single parent. {
II course, it is possible to buy fertile t
ggs IN the country and hatch them {
n an incubator. But in that case {
very youthful chanticleer would have a
o be disposed of before he reached
rowing age. Otherwise both the a
aw. and your neighbors will be '
gainst you. t
This city chicken farming is mat
er OF letting the farmer raise the z
hlckens, and the giving those of the
'entler sex the proverbial good home. t
Chicken Raising Necessary. S
The case of the man who lives in
ne suburbs or the country is differ
mt, He is urged to raise birds and 4
Q keep larger flock, raising feed for
hem on the premises.
This embarrassing and hen-keep- a
ng on small scale is really necessary
o save the situation. The high price
! chicken feed has caused thousands L
t farmers to kill all their chickens.
thousands of poultrymen to cut down =
he size of their focks. Corn, for ex- L
mple, which is an excellent fattening
eed largely used in the poultry bust =,
ess, doubled in price between the q
ummers of last year and the year be-
ore. You can see that such an in =.
rease as that has wiped out the profit :"
or many poultryman.
But it does not materially affect the M
ase OF the man who can feed small
ock on garbage and perhaps raise