Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-03-29
HUNDRED THOUSAND
DAY. OLD c HI CKS
SOLD IN COUNTY
Incubators Now Here Unable to
Hanole Eggs Offered for
Matching. He Says
BUSINESS is PROFITABLE
Industry Highly Technical One
Where Experts Services Are
Profitable

The rapidity with which the poul-
try industry is growing Sumter
county was outlined by Walt er Ry-
lander this week in a talk before
the Rotary CLUB. And the directors
of the Chamber of Commerce, in
which Mr.. Rylander said the great
est care and supervision should be
given. the industry to prevent fail
ure by those so far engaged.
ut would astound you to know
how rapidly poultry raising is sweep
ing this county," declared Mr.. Ry
lander. 81 am informed that more
than 100000 little day-old chicks
have been bought in the county This
spring, most of them imported
Our poultrymen are paying
from 10 to 20 cents each for these
day-old chicks, every one of which
should be Matched in this county,
Keeping this sum at home.
'Under circumstances now exist
ing, the Sumter county hatcheries
can not supply the demand. There
are two large incubators that [
know of which have been unable
to care for the eggs offered them
for Matching. These commercial
hatcheries get cents per egg for
Matching, a good price for the ser
vice, and yet they can not begin to
take care of the business offered
them by Sumter poultrymen.
h'By fall, we should have a large
community hatchery, capable Of
Matching, $4,000 or more eggs
every three weeks. The farmers
will buy the chicks or they will
furnish the eggs and pay for the
Matching service. '~'t
THAT the county is alive to the
possibility of profit to be derived
from poultry and eggs was demon
stfated to me very recently. l sent
out few letters through the Cham
Der of Commerce, offering to give
any one a setting of pure-bred eggs,
these to be paid for in the fall by
the return of one pullet, or by pay
ing me $3.50 per setting in cash.
1.-THE first week l was swamped
with requests. So great was the
demand that I could not begin to
take care Of even "a small part of
it. l did the best l could but my
supply soon was limited.
"Out on my own farm I have
5000 white Leghorns and l an
shipping 2-pound friers into Miami,
Fla, at As to 60 cents per pound.
These chicks l figure cost me 20 to
80 cents to produce and can not
supply the demand.
"The poultry industry is highly
technical one. 1t is a profession
requiring expert knowledge and
constant supervision, and therein
lies the danger We have made
fine beginning in Sumter county
and if we care for the beginners,
all will be we'll. If those who al
ready have launched into poultry
meet with failure, the industry viii
be badly handicapped.
"The immediate need as l see it,
is, first, the employment of an ex-
pert poultryman, and second, a
community hatchery.
SIN rearing little chicks, in mana
ging a yard of laying hens, we poul-
try men must have constant adj
vice. Disease creeps in quickly ano
unless immediate steps are taken.
flock can soon be wiped out. An
expert will find the cause of the
disease and show the poultryman
how to eliminate the cause, how to
treat the sick chicks and how to
prevent a recurrence.
"Another vital need is the expert
inspection of the layers. On a yard
there may be a large number OF
non-layers or hens Which will pre-
duce too few eggs to make her
keep profitable. These are elimi-
mated and sold for meat.
"A poultryman with large
number of non-layers soon will find
the industry Improbable. He loses
(CConfinued On pao.a Threel