Imperial Valley press., 1931-02-04
CREIGHTON SAYS HOUSING NOT
NEEDED FOR VALLEY POULTRY

same conclusions have been reached
quite Independently by numerous
Imperial Valley chicken ranchers.
The method of raising poultry in
the open without houses which
Ferguson's Poultry Ranch at Holt
Vile follow with success is also used
n Southern Arizona. This method
of raising chickens in the open in
| southern Arizona which is novel to
poultry producers in most parts of
| the United States has been the OBJ
/ Ject of study by the United States
Department of Agriculture. Many
tlockS are literally without roofs
! ever their heads, but because of the
mild, dry climate the birds don't
seem TO mind. In fact, an expert
ment in which this houseless meth
cd and the usual method of raising
chickens are compared shows that
the average egg production and
average feed cost are practically
identical. The houseless method,
however, is considered by DR.. NJ. A.
JUL, in charge of the departments
poultry office, to be practical only
in regions like southern Arizona,
where the rainfall is light and there
is no extremely cold weather.
A flock of White Leghorn pullets
was divided into two groups of $50
each when the experiment was be-
gun in the spring of 1923 under the
supervision of Burt Heywang at the
United States Poultry Experiment
Station, Glendale, Arizona. One
group was given access to roosts
which were entirely unprotected, al
though the trap nests, feed hop
pers, and water containers were
under artificial shade. The equip
ment for the other group was placed
IN a poultry house of the type re,
commended for this region. Both
groups were fed the same rations.
Trap nests were used to get an ac-
curate check on the egg production
Cf both flocks. The lowest tenn
Eerature for this region was 81 de-
grces Farenheit, and the highest 1l8
degrees during the IA months of the
experiment. The total rainfall dur
mg that time was 943 inches.
The average egg production of
the two groups showed that the
houseleSs group produced l9l eggs
per hen and the housed group 1874
eggs per hen. The egg production
during August. September and Oc-
tober was greater for the houseleSs
group, but the production of VIM
ter eggs was higher for the birds
provided with house. Only a few
CT the housed pullets molted dur
ing the winter but steadily in
creased their production until May,
while those in the houseleSS group
started to mott in October with
consequent lower production of
winter eggs. There was no signifi-
cant difference in egg weights, but
the incubation records showed a
greater per cent of chicks hatched
from the housed group
The houseless group had a lower
mortality, 20.7 per cent, while the
housed birds showed a mortality of
PAT per cent.
The University of Arizona Poultry
Tor the past several years at Tue
son TO determine the proper hous-
ing for birds under desert or arid
conditions. Their conclusions, / am
told. bear out quite closely those
reached by the United States Gov
ernment plant at Glendale. Arizona,
and by our progressive poultrymen
of ImDerial Valley
Poultrymen Of Imperial Valley
enjoy the benefit of selling on an
importing market. The local de-
mand far exceeds the local supply
of eggs. this condition assures the
producer good price because eggs
shipped in to balance the supply are
often out of storage and are usually
ancient, as compared to our own
yesterlaid supply.