Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1920-10-07
VASHON ISLAND TO BECOME
POULTRY MECCA OF u. S.
An Able and Authoritative Article on Actual
Poultry Conditions by Prof. B. P.krkland

get together anu DIouN'i lht MAI
liet for this stock. want to en-
phasizc the getting together part
especially. 1t will be impossible
for every producer to build up a
complete business, including the
breeding of high class fowls,
Matching baby chicks and raising
young stock. Such a business re-
quircs large capital, years of work
and most exceptional ability to be
successful. TO my notion the prin-
,ipal function Of successful breed
crS Of this type will be to pro-
ducc the highest class of individ-
ual pedigreed males. We are for
tunate in having well established
breeders who can perform this
work for us. For the average pro-
Queer specialization is the road to
success. The types and functions
If the various specialists deserve
some discussion.
"Thc work of the all-romd
breeder has already been mention
ID. These men are now supply
ng individual pcdigreed males in
quantity to meet the requirements
# other factors in the industry.
No males should be purchased
rom breeders unwilling to stand
behind their goods by a sworn
statement if necessary. 1t is also
particularly necessary that such
! breeder should be broad minded
'nough to be willing to have
,thers use his stock to build
breeding business. A man engag-
jng in this field should have suf-
fcient confidence in himself to be
lieve he will always keep among
he breeders and be able to profit
w broad distribution of his stock
through increase in the demand
For better cockerels Of his strain,
as well as holding his own in dis
,ribution of other stock.
"The second factor in an organ
ized poultry industry looking to-
ward getting the best returns pos
yible, is the plant producing first
class Matching during the hatch
ing season and, of course, COM
mercial eggs the remainder of the
year. Observations in the east
md my own conclusions point I'M
mistakably to the conclusion that
such plants should contine them
selves to one breed and one strain,
selecting of course the best, or the
ones having the best demand.
These plants in starting should
purchase chicks or pullets of the
best strain they can afford, but
need not necessarily pay such a
price that it will absorb their pro
fits from commercial egg produc-
ton for a year or two. In the
matter of cockerelS, they should
use as good individual pedigrced
cockercls as they can afford, pur-
chased from such breeders as al
ready discussed. The number Of
such plants on Vashon Island is
only limited by the capacity and
selling ability Of the hatcheries,
which eastern experience shows
must be relied upon for broad dis
tributiOn. The reason for this is
that specialized poultry districts
are relatively few, while the farm
demand for chicks is large. East
ern and local experience both
show that only large breeders and
the hatcheries are able to serve
this broad distribution. If all
these smaller plants attempt to do
their own Matching and compete
for local business the market soon
becomes flooded and ruined. |
will say further that although my
own interest is in pure bred white
leghorns, which l further believe
are by far the most profitable
breed for commercial egg produc-
ton, at the same time there is a
considerable demand for barred
Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, White
Wyandottes, and some others
which properly find their place on
farms and city lots. In order to
meet this demand there is a dis
tinct opportunity for breeders in
Continued on last parc)