Arizona republican., 1919-09-19
POULTRY RAISING PROFITABLE AT MESA

him a pig of the best stock on the Missouri farm The father, desirous i of assisting the son, built double crate. In one end of the crate he placed a pig-in the other end of the crate a bushel of corn. In letter to the son the father insisted that only the hog was in one end of the crate while the stock was in the other. I Keep plenty stock for your hog and you will prosper" he admonished the youth.
 So with poultry, without skillful and accurate feeding, the effort in obtain ing high quality hens will avail you l little. Millions of dollars have been l lavishly wasted in finding laying hens. Here is where the secret of success lies. / But here in the Salt Rive valley this 5 difficulty is more really overcome, t as the changes of season are so mild ] that but little change of your feed isl ? necessary from one end of the season r to the other.
 Green Feed.
 !, Alfalfa is the most common green l feed found in the Salt River valley farms being a natural growth and an
 abundant producer. I would advise the r building of the chicken run near the
 family home in an alfalfa field. Pro- 5 vide plenty of shade, with an ample r supply of fresh water piped to the shade where only forty or fifty fowls l will be forced to water from one small "y'' shaped trough If you have d l large flock provide plenty of watering } places.
 3 Amount of Feed.
 It requires from 65 to 80 pounds of
 solid food to maintain laying hen in
 good condition one year. Figure your l daily ration to your bunch of hens on . about that proportion. Find bal ? anced ration and the same everyday ? with only variation with the lay ] ing season, and the month. Finding 9 heavier while production is heavier and
 Tightening up little while in moult 3 I find so little difference in the feed e value of the various cane top grains, r that I would say of <hem, such as = maize, higera, feterita and so forth d mixed with an equal amount of wheat ,. will give a well balanced grain ration r for laying hens. This should be fed r twice daily while the run should be h well provided with mash hoppers kept y full of dry mash of about the follow t ing mixture by measure: measures n of clean wheat bran; 1 measure good t wheat middlings shorts; F measure n good grade meat scraps and about F n pound of table salt mixed thoroughly l. before placing in hopper. On a dry
 place in the run should be kept con- $ tinually before the birds a supply of 1T ground oyster shell, fine grits and c charcoal.
 il Shelter Tor Poultry.
 | Unlike many localities the housing h of poultry in the Salt River valley d is a simple and inexpensive proposi- 'r ton. Protecting them from the sun of d June. July and August being the most 1t difficult task. Buildings feet high r. with one way roof coming to within le feet of the ground in rear with a e full open front will afford all the pro- t. lection necessary for the production oi IS good results throughout the year. Ever It cottonwood trees where planted in sui ss ficient number will provide both g IS roasting place and ample protection 1- from the sun and weather. Some 'd keepers of large profitable flocks ot re poultry have other protection for theil le birds. Plenty of shade is the most es
 sential factor to consider.
 Marketing the Products. " Unfortunately for the poultry of tn he Salt River valley the marketing o ne their products to the best of advantag CT has been overlooked. A few of tn ld large producers have solved the prob
 lem fairly well for their own prod
 ucts by securing regular customers il out of valley towns for their product x In this way they have reaped the re ward of better prices without assist
 ing the majority of their neighbo poultrymen who do not have quantit enough to justify taking a regula \ customer
 An organization for the marketing 0 X the poultry products would greatl,
 increase the quality of products an
 add greater profits to the industry. Poultry Pays.
 Under the management of con
 scientious poultryman, even though h lack experience a flock of hens wi k produce about as follows here in tn Salt River valley.
 Leghorn hens in one year shout produce 12O eggs. Rhode Island Red \ and Barred Plymouth Rock 1O5 egg \ On the local markets these eggs woul \ bring about cents each as an averag X for the year or from each good Whit \ L.eghorn hen you should reasonabl \ expect $4.00.
 75 pounds of feed required to fee
 one hen one year at 3A cents per poun equals $2.44 her feed bill. From he \ products take her feed bill and yo have s1.76 for your effort in carin \ for her.
 This estimate is based upon fee purchased at the mill or feed store, an the eggs sold on the local marke Few poultrymen practice both of thes evils, however. Some practice one ( both of them.
 Poultry production in the Salt Rive valley should be doubled and treble within a few years. This valley is u most favorably adapted to it's produt \ ton and being surrounded as it is c
 almost all sides by mining and lumber
 ing centers, densely populated with X high class of laborers who have m - the opportunity to produce their ov - poultry, gives a continued guarant' - of an open market for an unlimits
 quantity of high class poultry and egg This valley is a natural distributir
 point to Arizona's greatest mines al
 in addition to the poultry and eg; \ produced here there are annually mar
 car loads of eggs shipped to Phoen
 for redistribution and the eggs so in
 ported are produced under climat
 conditions not nearly so favorable
 exist here. Yet they are produced
 profit.
 Essential in Home Building.
 While cotton has come to the va ley with a whiz-and many forum
 have emanated therefrom-I consid \ the poultry industry more valuable