Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-03-19

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
The keeping of small flock of lay
Ing hens ON a town or village lot or
in city back yard is an important
branch of poultry keeping. Though
the value of the product from each
flock is small of itself the aggregate is
large. The product of such a flock,
both in the form of eggs and fowls for
the table, may be produced at a rela-
lively low cost, because of the posi-
bility of utilizing table scraps and
kitchen waste which would otherwise
be thrown away. A small flock of hens,
even as few as. six or eight. should
produce eggs enough where used eco
nomically, for a family of four or five
persons throughout the entire year. ex-
cept during the Noting period of the
fall and early winter. BY the preser-
walton of surplus eggs produced dur
ing the spring and early summer this
period of scarcity can be provided
for. The keeping of pullets instead of
hens also will insure the production of
eggs at this time. Not only will the
eggs from the home flock materially re-
duce the cost of living, but the SUI
periOr freshness and quality of the
eggs are in themselves well worth the
effort expended. Eggs are highly
nutritious food and are SO widely used
as to be almost Indispensable, and an
occasional chicken dinner is relished
by everyone.
Where conditions render it feasible
and cheap small flocks of poultry
should be kept to a greater extent
than at present by families in villages
and towns. and especially in the sub
urbs of large cities. The need for this
extension of poultry raising is partic-
ularly great in those sections where
the consumption of poultry products
exceeds the production wi" the result
that prices are high.
Kind of Fowls to Keep.
HOusehOlders usually desire not only
eggs for the table and for cooking, but
also an occasional chicken to eat. For
this reason one of the general purpose
UI6btlS, SUCH dH tic ~ InOuII INONh
Wyandotte. Rhode Island Red, or Or
pingtOn. is preferable to the smaller
egg breeds, such as the LeghOrns. Not
only do the mature fowls of these
breeds. because of their larger size,
make better table fowls than the Leg
horns, but the young chickens for the
same reason make better frierS and
roaSters, whereas chickens of the egg
breeds are only suitable for the small
or broilers. The general-purpOse
breeds are also "broody" breeds the
hens making good sitters and mothers,
which is a decided advantage when it
is desired to hatch and raise chickens,
since the hens of the egg breeds sell
dom go brOody and are in any event
rather unreliable sitters and mothers.
IT, however, the production of eggs
outweighS the desire for an occasional
table fowl the lighter egg breeds I'M
ioubtedly will be found better, be-
cause they lay as many eggs and do
30 on less feed, with the result that
they produce the eggs more cheaply.
L
some pure breed or variety Where
This is done, sales at profitable fig
ure can often be made of breeding
stock which it is intended to market
or of eggs for Matching.
Size of Flock.
The size of the flock which can be
most efficiently kept will depend first
of all upon the space available and,
secondly, upon the amount of table
scraps or other waste which is avail
able for feed. 1t is a mistake to try to
overstock the available space. Better
results will be obtained from a few
hens in a small yard than from a
larger number. The backyard poultry
flock rarely will consist of over 20 or
25 hens and in many cases of not more
than eight or ten, or occasionally of
only three or four. For flock of 20
to 25 hens a space of not less than %
by 80 feet should be available for a
yard Where less space is available,
the size of the flock should be reduced,
allowing on the average 20 to 80
square feet per bird. few hens are
sometimes kept successfully with
smaller yard allowance than this, but
if the space is available yard of the
size indicated should be used.
Procuring Stock.
The best way for the city poultry
keeper to procure hens is TO purchase
them in the fall. An effort should be
made to obtain pullets rather than old
err hens. and the pullets selected should
be well matured. so that they will be-
gin to lay before the cold weather sets
in. Evidences of the maturity of pull
lets are the development and red color
of the comb and size and growth
which are good for the breed or va
riety. Hens will lay little or no eggs
during the fall and early winter. while
they are melting. Well-matured pull
lets, however. should lay fairly well
during this period, so that an imme-
date return is realized from the in
vestment The purchasing of pullets
in the fall is preferable in most cases
10 purchasing day-old chicks or TO
Matching chicks in the spring Usual
Iy there is little space available for
the raising of chicks, and, moreover,
many city jewellers have had no expert
ence in raising them Under these
conditions the results are apt to be
very poor. Matching and rearing chicks