The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1931-07-23
POULTRY CULLING

! POULIRY CULLlNG
The two poultry culling meet
ings scheduled last week were held
| with a reasonably good attend
ance of poultrymen who were very
| much interested not only in the
technique of culling but in gener-
al outlook for the poultry indus
try for the coming year.
The culling meeting in the Pros
ser community was held at the
Blossom poultry farm, formerly
owned by Mr.. Carlisle. Mr.. Bios
som has flock which had laid ex-
ceptionally we'll throughout the
winter and spring months and are
still laying a little better than fiji
ty percent. Naturally this flock
had few culls in it and so not
much could be done toward remov-
al of culls and the housing of them
in aseparate place as a check on
the culling program.
The culling meeting in the ken
newick community was held at the
Twin City Poultry farm, where the
flock had gone thru an attack of
chicken-pox about the first of the
year and consequently the cuttings
were based on a little different
problem from that found on the
farm of Mr.. Blossom. This flock
has also produced very well and
comparatively few culls were
taken out.
Mr.. Buchanan demonstrated to
those present at each meeting the
principal points to look for, stress
ing the eye and the conditions of
the abdomen in hens more than
one year old. In the one year old
hens these factors with other
head characteristics including the
comb, wattles and beak, depth of
| body, and loss of augmentation
: from eye, beak and shanks were
stressed. Following the demonstra-
ton each poultryman was asked
to take hen and check over her
physical makeup, and report to
Mr.. Buchanan the class into which
she would be placed, that is, good
medium or a Gull. Those present
were able to tell quite clearly aft
er handling the birds to what class
they belonged in and just why they
would put them in that class.
As TO the general poultry OUT
look Mr.. Buchanan reported that
hatchery reports show that there
had been % percent less chicks
than last year. To offset a part of
this, however, there is the factor
that many poultrymen having
small incubators have used them
this year. 1t was Mr.. Buchanan's
opinion that there would be a
shortage of pullets this year suf-
ficient to bring an increase in the
egg price to point where one
would be able to secure as great a
net return on eggs this year as
was possible during the season of
| 1929. Should prices become lower,
it is probable that egg prices will
| be below the level of 1929, but
that profits will be equal to those
/ of that year. Of course, there is
always the unexpected factor and
| the factor which cannot be meas
ured accurately which is an opin-
ion of the factor which is causing
the most conjecture for the gener-
al financial situation and its re-
lationship to egg purchases during
the coming fall and winter.
Mr. Buchanan stressed very
strongly the point that the time
has passed when the careless poul-
tryman will be able to make much
if anything in the way of profits.
The industry has become SO highly
specialized and margin of profits
has become narrower until only
people giving careful attention to
the details can hope to succeed.
1t is probable that there will be
a rapid up and down movement in
the industry or a few years, but
according to Mr.. Buchanan's opin-
ion this is very good season for
the person really interested in
poultry to make start in the in
dustry or increase the size of the
flock.