Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-10-09
KEEPING POULTRY IN YOUR
OWN BACK YARD


OWN BACK YARD
From the last issue of the Orleans
County Agricultural Association News
bulletin:
Increase the country's supply of
meat and eggs and reduce the high
cost of living! Poultry can be kept
in small focks in back yards at least
one-third cheaper than it can in large
commercial flocks says A. L. Smith,
Poultry Extension Specialist of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, who is now working in coopera-
ton with the Extension Service of the
University of Vermont and State Ag-
ricultural College. With eggs now
selling at fifty cents per dozen and
going higher, it is apparent that there
is good margin of profit in back
yard poultry. Your home garden plot
will soon be beyond the producing
point; why not utilize and enrich this
land by keeping a few hens?
The size of the flock which can
most efficiently be kept depends upon
the space available and the amount
of table scraps or other waste materi-
al which can be fed. For flock of
20 to rs hens a space 25x3O feet
would be necessary, or about 20 to 80
square feet per bird. If you have
not raised any young chicks, the only
course left open is to buy pullets this
fall. It is preferable to purchase
pullets, rather than yearlings or old
er, because as a rule they lay better.
Whichever you buy there will be a
certain amount of drones which can
be easily detected. By removing
these drones you will increase your
profits save grain and temper.
If you desire more detailed infor-
nation relative to separating the
Farmers i Bulletin $50 on dBack Yard
Keeping" issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture, write to
your county agent or to the Extern
sion Service of the University of Yer
mont and State Agricultural College.
CULLING OUT THE DRONES
The Importance of culling out the
drones in the poultry flock under the
present conditions of grain, labor and
the conservation of all grain, cannot
be overestimated. Do you realize
that about one-haf of the yearlings
and those older are generally thrown
out as culls, and about Is per cent of
the young pullets? These culling
features are simple, easily learned,
and are very effective. They have
passed the theoretical stage and are
now reduced to good common-sense
methods.
The yearling drones are generally
those that have the brightest plum
age, plenty of yellow in the beak and
shanks and a general sprightly ap-
pearance; while the heavy layers
from their beaks and shanks to make
raggled, and they present a rather
dilapidated appearance. The latter
are the ones to save. This is contrary
to the general custom and may &C
count to a certain extent for poor
winter egg production.
In culling the young pullets, you
haven't this data to help you, but |
there are other effective features
which give you the same result. To
be good layer, say four or five eggs
week, a hen or pullet must have the |
capacity to develop lot of eggs
her intestines and egg organs must
be very large, as she must have room |
for this increase. This is measured !
by the distance between the pelvic |
bones and the back end of the keel |
or breastbone; this space encloses the !
intestines and egg organs and must |
be deep, as her ability to lay is de- |
termined by her ability to feed the !
eggs.
There are other important points !
which will be taken up in detail at /
the fall culling demonstrations which
are now being arranged and will be
held practically all over the state.
This work is being carried on by the
Extension Service of the University
of Vermont and State Agricultural
College in cooperation with the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture.
If you are interested and wish to
see and learn in connection with this
work, notify your county agent di-
rectly, SO he may inform you just
when and where the demonstration