ALBERT R. MANN 
 LIBRARY 
 
 New York State Colleges 
 
 of 
 
 Agriculture and Home Economics 
 
 at 
 Cornell University 
 
 JAMES E. RICE 
 
 MEMORIAL 
 
 POULTRY LIBRARY 
 
Cornell University Library 
 SF 487.P962 
 
 Profitable poultry keeping or i a "JV 'J' 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003181900 
 
K 
 
 
from Tire Library of 
 
 OfcOlney Brown Kent 
 
Profitable Poultry 
 Keeping 
 
 On a City Lot 
 
 $297.00 a Year 
 
 from 
 
 Twenty-four Hens 
 
3F 
 
 Copyright 1914 by 
 
 "c. B. ANDERSON 
 
 Kansas City, Mo. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction 5 
 
 The Initial Experience 6 
 
 Raising Poultry the Ordinary Way 10 
 
 The First Year's Experience 10 
 
 Receipts and Expenses for First Year 13 
 
 The Second Year's Experience 14 
 
 Receipts and Expenses for Second Year 19 
 
 Fresh Air Colony Coop and Movable Scratching Pen 20 
 
 The Third Year 23 
 
 Trying Out the New Colony Coop 23 
 
 Improving the Chick Pens 23 
 
 Movable Chick Shelter and Runway 27 
 
 Receipts and Expenses for Third Year 31 
 
 The Fourth Year 31 
 
 A Clear Profit of $12 from Each Hen 31 
 
 Caring for the Fowls 34 
 
 Sprouted Oats 37 
 
 Caring for the Small Chicks ■ 38 
 
 More Profit in Matured Fowls 41 
 
 Fattening the Market Birds 42 
 
 Feeding Chicks for Maturity 43 
 
 Receipts and Expenses for Fourth Year 45 
 
 Helpful Hints for the Beginner 47 
 
 Keeping a Small Flock of Poultry 50 
 
 Location • 50 
 
 Housing 50 
 
 Fowls '. 51 
 
 Disinfectants — Insecticides 51 
 
 Medicines 53 
 
 Water, Grit and Charcoal 54 
 
 Food Supply 55 
 
 The Morning Meal 55 
 
 Green Food 56 
 
 Mash Food 56 
 
 The Evening Meal 57 
 
 Broody Hens 58 
 
 Eggs for Hatching 58 
 
 When the Chicks are Hatched 59 
 
 Market Fowls 60 
 
 Chicks for Maturity 62 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The author has no intention of posing as a porltry 
 expert, nor is this little book intended as a treatise on the 
 poultry industry. Its purpose is only to show what an 
 ordinary person can do with a few fowls when simple 
 rules, based on proven facts, are followed. We have not 
 discovered any new system of poultry raising, but have 
 applied a little common sense to old methods. 
 
 The book does not deal in generalities. It relates, 
 in direct language, our experience during five years of 
 "back yard" poultry raising. 
 
 We began the work with no practical knowledge 
 whatever to help us in caring for the fowls. By reading 
 innumerable books on the subject and putting the knowl- 
 edge so gained into practical use and noting the results, 
 we were able to separate false theories from facts and 
 to profit thereby. By exercising perseverance, we suc- 
 ceeded in making a clear profit from each hen, of more 
 than twelve dollars a year. 
 
 This should offer some inducement to the wage 
 earner who has difficulty in making both ends meet, and 
 to any man or woman willing to devote a few minutes 
 each day to a pleasant occupation. 
 
 By following the suggestions and information on 
 the following pages, the usual mistakes made by the be- 
 ginner can be avoided and success is possible from the 
 very first. 
 
 A flock of twenty-five or thirty fowls can be well 
 cared for on an ordinary city lot, and without interfering 
 with the occupation of the bread winner in any way, pro- 
 viding some member of the family attends to them reg- 
 ularly during the day. At an average profit of twelve 
 dollars for each hen, a flock of thirty should enable the 
 beginner to buy a home or to enjoy luxuries that would 
 otherwise be out of the question. 
 
THE INITIAL EXPERIENCE. 
 
 I contracted the poultry fever by reading alluring 
 advertisements in poultry journals and magazines. These 
 advertisements and the fact that I needed the money, 
 finally brought the fever to an acute stage, and I became 
 so enthusiastic over the large profits to be made, "as per 
 advertisements," that my family could no longer resist the 
 proposition, and we decided to embark in the poultry busi- 
 ness at the earliest possible moment. 
 
 We knew little or nothing about the care and treat- 
 ment of poultry, except the information we had gained 
 by reading books on the subject. These dealt with the 
 matter only in a general way, and made the business seem 
 so easy and success so certain that we did not think our 
 lack of practical experience any serious handicap. As is 
 generally the case with the beginner, we did not think it 
 was necessary to start from the bottom and learn the 
 many details of the work. We wanted to get rich quick- 
 ly; so, naturally, we had to start on as large a scale as 
 possible. Had we been able financially, we would prob- 
 ably have bought a large number of adult fowls; but our 
 circumstances would not permit this, so we concluded to 
 get an incubator and a brooder, and to hatch three or 
 four hundred chicks the first season and raise them to 
 maturity. This, we figured, would give us a good foun- 
 dation upon which to build our future success. 
 
 For an outlay of eighteen dollars, we bought a first- 
 class incubator and brooder, together with a "Book of In- 
 structions," telling how to hatch 90 per cent of the eggs 
 and how to successfully raise the chicks after they were 
 hatched. 
 
 The next step was to procure fertile eggs for the in- 
 cubator. This question was settled by answering several 
 advertisements in the daily papers, and choosing what 
 appeared to be the most reasonable offer. The best prop- 
 osition came from a lady living in the suburbs of the 
 town, who agreed to give us one hundred fertile eggs for 
 five dollars, the eggs produced by pure bred Buff Orping- 
 
 6 
 
ton hens. To satisfy myself that the fowls were thor- 
 oughbreds, I went out one evening to inspect her flock. 
 I did not know much about the various breeds of poultry, 
 so I had secured a copy of the "American Standard of Per- 
 fection," and by comparing her fowls with the illustra- 
 tions in the book, I judged the birds to be of good stock. 
 The flock consisted of twelve or fourteen hens. The daily 
 supply of eggs was limited to this amount, or less ; and as 
 the lady had only a small stock on hand, it was necessary 
 to wait a few days before the order could be filled. 
 
 We waited, and in the course of a few days, paid her 
 five dollars for one hundred supposedly good eggs. The 
 eggs were brought home and carefully placed in the in- 
 cubator, as per instructions in the book. They were 
 turned and treated and tested as per instructions. But, 
 alas, the lady must have sold us cold storage eggs. Only 
 twenty-six chicks were hatched from the lot of one hun- 
 dred. This put an awful damper on our enthusiasm, but 
 we placed all the blame on the eggs and the lady, and de- 
 termined to try again. Of course, we told the lady of our 
 ill fortune, but that did not help matters ; she had the 
 money, we had the eggs. 
 
 The twenty-six chicks were placed in the brooder, 
 kept at the right temperature, where they were fed and 
 watered and looked after as per brooder manufacturer's 
 suggestions, and we looked around for more eggs. 
 
 This time we were the prey of a farmer, and paid 
 four cents each for one hundred eggs. These eggs were 
 turned and tested and worried about until they hatched 
 forty-eight chicks. This was quite an improvement over 
 the first trial, but we were not bursting with enthusiasm. 
 We had learned by this time that newly hatched chicks 
 are not always destined to live to a useful maturity. Of 
 the twenty-six chicks hatched in our first trial, only six 
 remained. The others had died — from what cause we did 
 not know. We had "mothered" them to the best of our 
 knowledge, and had followed the instructions of the brood- 
 er manufacturer to the letter. 
 
 The forty-eight chicks were placed in the brooder 
 with the six older ones and attended to faithfully. In 
 
the meantime, we cleaned the incubator, studied poultry- 
 books, and lay awake at night trying to figure the possible 
 profits in our poultry venture. 
 
 The brooder had been placed in the back yard and 
 a small runway built from it, so that the chicks could 
 have room in which to run and scratch during the day. 
 
 With the exception of a certain percentage of deaths, 
 the flock got along very nicely until the third week. 
 About this time a severe rain storm came up one night 
 and the brooder lamp was extinguished, in spite of all 
 the precautions we had taken to prevent such an acci- 
 dent. The chicks were chilled, as a result, and in a short 
 time only eight of the latest hatched chicks remained. 
 This left us a total of fourteen chicks from the two set- 
 tings of two hundred eggs. Very discouraging, but we 
 decided to try at least once again. 
 
 The incubator was set the third time, with eight 
 dozen eggs. This time we did not attempt to get eggs 
 from thoroughbred fowls. We figured that, as it was 
 harder to raise the chicks than to hatch them, we might 
 as well experiment as cheaply as possible ; so we bought 
 the eggs at the nearest grocery store and at the market 
 price, first satisfying ourselves that the grocer bought his 
 eggs from farmers and not from cold storage plants. 
 
 This necessitated three more weeks of constant care 
 and attention during the day, to say nothing of nights 
 of broken sleep. As a sleep destroyer, an incubator full 
 of eggs to be kept at the right temperature, can't be 
 beaten. Many a night I have gone to bed with a clear 
 conscience, to dream of mammoth flocks and mountains 
 of eggs, to awaken in the small hours with the foreboding 
 that something was wrong with the incubator. Then to 
 crawl out of bed, grope my way to the basement, and 
 find the thermometer off three or four degrees. There I 
 had to wait half an hour or more and regulate the lamp 
 to give the proper amount of heat. All this we had not 
 foreseen, in our eagerness to hatch chicks by the hun- 
 dred, and it became very, very tiresome. 
 
 From the eight dozen store eggs, we eventually 
 hatched forty-three chicks — black, white and yellow, of 
 
various breeds and cross-breeds; but this fact did not dis- 
 turb us in the least; the only thing that worried us was, 
 how to keep them alive after they were hatched, regard- 
 less of breed or pedigree. 
 
 When the last flock of chicks was ready for the 
 brooder, we transferred what remained of the first and 
 second lots to a coop with a large yard, and gave the 
 small ones possession of the brooder; first taking the pre- 
 caution to clean and disinfect it thoroughly. By exercis- 
 ing the utmost vigilance, we succeeded in raising twenty 
 of these chicks until they were old enough to leave the 
 brooder and run with the. older birds in the large yard. 
 
 It was too late in the season to set the incubator 
 again even if we had wanted to, which we certainly did 
 not, so we contented ourselves with the care of the fowls 
 we had. 
 
 In the course of the season we had graduated a 
 total of thirty-four chicks from the brooder to the large 
 yard. Before they were large enough for the table, ten 
 more had died from some of the hundred and one ills 
 to which poultry, and especially young chicks, are subject. 
 This left us twenty-four fowls for the season's work. At 
 sixty cents each, this would make a total of $14.40. Our 
 expenditures, including $18 for the incubator and brooder, 
 $5.00, $4.00 and $2.00 for eggs, and $5.00 for feed and oil, 
 totals $34.00. By leaving the incubator and brooder, 
 which could be used again, out of the reckoning, the ex- 
 penditures were $16.00— a loss of $1.60, to say nothing 
 of our work. 
 
 Thus ended our dream of sudden wealth in the poul- 
 try business. It is safe to say that we were about as 
 badly discouraged a lot of poultry raisers as could be 
 found in the length and breadth of the land. We decided 
 to sell the incubator and brooder as soon as possible and 
 to dispose of the fowls also before the winter set in and 
 increased the cost of feeding. 
 
 Our experience convinced us that it is well-nigh im- 
 possible for a beginner to successfully raise poultry on a 
 large scale. It requires knowledge — not book knowledge, 
 
but knowledge gained by years of practical experience, 
 to raise poultry on a large scale and make it profitable. 
 When the beginner attempts to raise fowls by the whole- 
 sale, with the aid of machines, failure is invited. True, 
 if there is no regard for expense and loss of time, success 
 may be attained by this method ; but numberless eggs and 
 many chicks will be sacrificed before success comes. It 
 is much better to start with six or eight adult fowls and 
 to learn how to feed and care for them properly. When 
 this knowledge has been gained, through every-day exper- 
 ience, the flock can be increased, not by employing ma- 
 chines, but in the natural way, with every assurance of 
 profitable returns for time and money invested. 
 
 RAISING POULTRY THE ORDINARY WAY. 
 
 The First Year's Experience. 
 
 As the spring of the following year approached, our 
 thoughts again turned to poultry. The disappointment 
 resulting from our initial experience had not been for- 
 gotten, but we could see more clearly where, if we had 
 used a little common sense and given less attention to 
 misleading literature, the results would have been dif- 
 ferent. At this time we were not attacked by the "fever,'* 
 nor did we see any "easy money;" we simply had a de- 
 sire for fresh eggs and good, wholesome spring chicken. 
 
 We fortunately possessed, or rather rented, a cottage 
 with a fair sized back yard, about 50 by 60 feet, including 
 a shed that, with a little repair, would do service as a 
 poultry house. We bought a quantity of fence posts, 
 poultry netting, roofing paper and other supplies, and in 
 a short time, by working after business hours, we had, so 
 we thought, a model poultry farm, lacking nothing but 
 the poultry. 
 
 The selection of the fowls was an important step 
 and gave us some worry, because we were determined to 
 have thoroughbred birds, but could not afford to pay 
 fancy prices for them. Not being particular about any 
 certain breed of fowl, so long as they were pure-bred, we 
 
 10 
 
overcame this difficulty by following the advertisements 
 in the papers, and succeeded in picking up a bargain 
 from a party preparing to leave town. This bargain 
 consisted of six hens and one cock, full-blooded, healthy 
 looking Barred Rocks. The birds we brought home and 
 turned loose in the yard. They were given the best of 
 care, in fact, too much care for their own good. We fed 
 them, watered them, and waited on them untiringly. The' 
 results in one week were ten eggs — hardly enough to pay 
 for their food. The second and third weeks showed 
 an improvement in the egg yield ; we gathered fifteen 
 eggs the second week, and nineteen the third week ; this 
 was probably due to the feeding. During the first week 
 we were in constant fear that the fowls were not getting 
 enough to eat, and fed them early and often. After the 
 novelty which attended the first week's experience had sub- 
 sided, and the feeding became more systematic, the re- 
 sults were proportionately better. 
 
 The fourth week, three hens took a decided notion 
 to set. We accommodated two of them, but the third 
 we decided to break, as we did not have enough eggs to 
 set her on. This made the total egg yield for the fourth 
 week, ten eggs. The third broody hen was fenced off 
 in a coop for eight days before she was broken, and two 
 weeks had elapsed before she started to lay again. 
 
 The following week, shortly after the two setting 
 hens had hatched their chicks, three more of the hens 
 became broody. We had saved every available egg for 
 such an emergency, but had only twelve or fourteen 
 which we considered fresh enough for this purpose. We 
 then decided to make the most of the proposition, and 
 bought settings for two of the hens. In buying these 
 eggs, we remembered our first experience along this line, 
 and were cautious to get eggs that were guaranteed both 
 as to fertility and stock. 
 
 This left us only one hen for egg laying, the fowl 
 we had broken of setting; and we must give her credit for 
 doing her duty. Her average was better than five eggs 
 weekly, for a period covering several weeks. 
 
 11 
 
We attached a leg band to this hen, so that we could 
 distinguish her from the rest of the flock; and later on, 
 when she became broody again, we gave her a setting 
 of her own eggs. The excellent showing made by this 
 hen convinced us that she was a much better egg pro- 
 ducer than any other hen in the flock, or else had decided 
 to work overtime to make up for past deficiency. In any 
 case, we kept watchful eyes on our fowls after that, in 
 order to pick the good layers from the indifferent ones; 
 and, by so doing, we succeeded, in the course of several 
 seasons, in breeding fowls that were far ahead of the ordi- 
 nary in egg production. 
 
 We gave each of the hens that were set twelve eggs 
 apiece. From this total of 72 eggs, the hens hatched 67 
 chicks. This demonstrated the superiority of the hen, 
 when compared to the incubator. Aside from the fact 
 that a greater percentage of chicks were hatched, it must 
 also be taken into consideration that all the care and at- 
 tention that the incubator required was eliminated when 
 the hens were used. No worrying about moisture and 
 temperature ; no turning and cooling of eggs ; the hens 
 attended to all that much better than we possibly could; 
 and what is more, when the chicks were hatched, they 
 were all perfect and full of vitality. No cripples or sickly 
 ones, such as we found in all of our incubator hatches. 
 
 Although we had splendid success in hatching the 
 chicks, we cannot boast of our success in raising them. 
 Upon taking an inventory of our stock in the fall of the 
 year, we found we had but 41 of the young fowls left from 
 the total of 67. This meant a difference of 26 chicks, 
 that had been lost from various causes. Some had been 
 trampled, when very small, by the adult fowls. Others 
 died from disease, and quite a number were drowned in a 
 sudden rain storm. The largest percentage simply turned 
 up missing, and were probably carried off by cats or 
 other animals. We will state here that the chicks, when 
 hatched, were not turned loose, but were kept in a coop 
 for several days, until quite strong. The mother hen and 
 her brood were then given the liberty of the yard. 
 
 12 
 
Our flock of six hens laid something like 540 eggs 
 for the entire year, an average of about ten eggs per 
 week. The largest percentage was, naturally, laid in the 
 spring and summer seasons. With the approach of win- 
 ter, the yield grew less with each succeeding week, and 
 by the time winter had set in, we were obliged to buy 
 eggs to keep the table supplied. This state of affairs was 
 due, as we found out later, to two causes — lack of exer- 
 cise and improper feeding. 
 
 We had read many articles in poultry books, relating 
 to feeding, and used the information to the best of our 
 ability. The flock was given plenty of grain, green 
 food and mashes, without increasing the egg yield to any 
 extent. It was not until we had learned by experience 
 and experiments, the food value of different grains and 
 mixtures, the proportions to feed and when to feed, that 
 we were able to increase the egg yield in the winter 
 months. 
 
 From the chicks that were hatched that season, we 
 picked out ten of the best looking pullets in the lot, to 
 be used for the next season's work. This picked flock 
 included five that were hatched by our best laying hen. 
 The rest of her brood were cockerels. The remaining 
 spring fowls were used for our own table, or sold to neigh- 
 bors at the market price. We also sold the flock of old 
 birds, with the exception of two of the best laying hens. 
 We intended to start the next season with a brand new 
 flock, but thought it advisable to keep the two old hens 
 for breeding purposes. 
 
 We went over the receipts and expenses very care- 
 fully at the end of the year, and found the following re- 
 sults : 
 
 EXPENSES RECEIPTS 
 
 1 cock, 6 hens $ 8.00 4 hens, 1 cock $ 4.00 
 
 Fence and poultry house 31 market fowls at 40c... 12.40 
 
 repairs 7.00 41 doz. eggs at 2Sc 10.25 
 
 2 settings of eggs 2.50 Value of 10 pullets 10.00 
 
 Feed for adult fowls 5.00 Value of 2 hens 1.50 
 
 Feed for chicks 2.50 $38.15 
 
 $25.00 25.00 
 
 Profits $13.15 
 
 13 
 
Figuring nothing for time and labor involved, the 
 season's work netted us $13.50. This would not be very- 
 encouraging to some people, but it demonstrated to us 
 that it was possible to raise poultry and supply our table 
 with strictly fresh eggs and healthy spring chicken, with- 
 out losing money ; and this fact satisfied us and repaid us 
 for our time and labor. 
 
 THE SECOND YEAR'S EXPERIENCE. 
 
 A Few Improvements and Better Success. 
 
 Cleanliness is the most important factor in poultry 
 raising; this much we knew to be a fact. We resolved, 
 therefore, to give the flock the advantages of clean, whole- 
 some quarters, by regular and systematic cleaning; and 
 started the new season by giving the poultry house and 
 yard a thorough overhauling. We sprayed the inside of 
 the coop with disinfectants, taking pains to give every 
 crack and crevice a liberal share of the solution. The 
 fowls were also treated, by dusting them with an insect 
 powder prepared for the purpose. This was done to rid 
 them of that troublesome parasite known as the "chicken 
 louse." We had not looked after our fowls as well as 
 we should in this respect, during the first season, and the 
 result was that they were pretty well supplied with the 
 insects. It required several applications of the powder to 
 get rid of them, and we kept up the treatment regularly, 
 to prevent a reappearance of the trouble. 
 
 We put the finishing touches to our spring cleaning 
 by investing a few cents in paint, and spent several hours 
 painting the weather-stained poultry house and fence 
 posts. This improved the looks of our poultry farm won- 
 derfully, and was well worth the little trouble it gave us. 
 
 In the meantime we had procured a male bird for 
 our flock of twelve hens, at a cost of three dollars. Con- 
 sidering the fact that we were not well posted on poultry, 
 we were very fortunate in our deal ; for, in less than three 
 months, we received several offers of five dollars for the 
 bird. These offers only encouraged us to keep him. 
 
 14 
 
We were trying to build up the qualities of our own 
 stock, and if the fowl was worth five dollars to someone 
 else, he certainly was worth as much to us. 
 
 Several of our hens began to lay in February, and 
 by the second week in March the whole flock was supply- 
 ing us with eggs. They kept at it very industriously, 
 averaging about eight eggs daily for several weeks. Along 
 about the middle of April, half the flock had become 
 broody, and each hen was given a dozen eggs to hatch. 
 We figured that it was more profitable to accommodate 
 them than to lose a week or more, trying to break the 
 habit. This, of course, cut the egg yield in half; and 
 when the balance of the flock began to set, we were 
 again obliged to buy eggs for this use. 
 
 It may seem strange to the reader that we were 
 short of eggs to set our broody hens on, when the 
 balance of the flock were laying almost every day. The 
 reason of this was not exactly a lack of eggs. We could 
 have had plenty of eggs on hand for this purpose, if we 
 had saved them for several days ; but in this case they 
 would not have been strictly fresh, and we did not think 
 it good policy to set the hens on doubtful eggs. It was 
 not until the following year, after we had found a way 
 to preserve the eggs without affecting the fertility, that 
 we had the courage to set our hens on eggs that were, 
 often, two weeks old. 
 
 When buying eggs for the broody hens, we took 
 time to investigate the stock that produced them, and 
 proved to our own satisfaction that they were at least as 
 good, if not better than our own fowls. 
 
 Our flock of twelve hens hatched 124 chicks out of a 
 possible 144 eggs. This we considered a fairly good 
 percentage, and we determined to bend every effort to 
 keep them alive and well. We thought, at first, of sep- 
 arating the chicks from the hens and raising them in a 
 brooder; but decided this was too risky a proposition, and 
 would also require more time and attention than we could 
 spare. However, we could not afford to let twelve hens 
 lose practically five weeks in raising their small broods 
 
 IS 
 
of chicks, so we compromised the matter by giving six 
 hens two broods each. This gave us the use of half the 
 flock for laying purposes. 
 
 It often happens that one hen will not mother a 
 brood that is not her own. This is usually the case when 
 the chicks are of a different color or of a different size 
 than her own. We experienced no difficulty in this re- 
 spect. The chicks were identical in color, and the differ- 
 ence in the ages of any two broods mothered by one hen 
 was not more than ten days. 
 
 In caring for the young chicks, we recalled the ex- 
 perience of the previous season, and decided not to give 
 the chicks the liberty of the poultry yard. We con- 
 structed six pens, six feet long, three feet wide and 
 eighteen inches high, and covered the sides and top with 
 one-inch poultry netting. To one end of the pens we 
 attached small, rain-proof coops, the same width and 
 heighth as the pens, and about two feet long, with the 
 roof sloping away from the pen. A wood flooring was 
 fitted in the coop, and this was covered with several 
 inches of litter, making a warm, comfortable shelter at 
 night and affording a refuge in rainy weather. The pens 
 and coops were light and very easily moved about. By 
 simply sliding them a few feet several times daily, the 
 chicks could enjoy practically free range, and at the same 
 time were well protected. 
 
 We allowed the hens to mother the chicks for about 
 five weeks ; by that time they were large enough to take 
 care of themselves, and we were anxious to gather a full 
 supply of eggs. 
 
 The chick pens proved very satisfactory ; in fact, 
 the chicks appeared to do so well that we decided to keep 
 them in the pens until they were large enough for the 
 table, and a number of the birds were also raised to ma- 
 turity by this same method. The pens relieved us of con- 
 siderable time and worry in looking after the safety of 
 the little chicks. Stray cats and dogs could not injure 
 them and the older fowls could not interfere with them 
 in any way. It was not necessary to run out in the 
 
 16 
 
yard every few minutes to see that the chicks were get- 
 ting along nicely. The pens also simplified the feeding 
 of the birds to a great extent. When they had the lib- 
 erty of the yard, they had to contend with the adult fowls 
 in order to get their portion of the food, with the result 
 that many of them were severely injured, by being pecked 
 and trampled on; and they often picked up food that was 
 intended for the adults fowls only, thereby causing trou- 
 ble in the form of indigestion and bowel disorders. 
 
 When the chicks were about three months old, or 
 large enough for the market, the total of 124 had shrunk 
 to 104, a loss of 20 chicks. Three of the chicks died from 
 accidental causes, partly due to our own neglect ; six died 
 from exposure during a rain storm ; and eleven from white 
 diarrhoea, a malady that causes the death of thousands 
 of young chicks every year. We would probably have 
 lost more of our chicks from this cause, if we had not 
 found the proper remedy to prevent and cure this disease. 
 
 In order to prepare for the next season's work, we 
 went over the flocks of young fowls very carefully before 
 disposing of them, and picked out sixteen of the best look- 
 ing pullets we could find These we separated into two 
 flocks and we gave each flock of eight a separate pen. 
 We did this to prevent crowding, as we intended to raise 
 the pullets to maturity, and did not think the pens would 
 safely accommodate a larger number of growing birds. 
 
 In proportion to the number of eggs that were 
 hatched, we raised a much larger percentage of chicks the 
 second year than we did the first year; and inasmuch as 
 we were striving for better results, we were well pleased 
 with our success. 
 
 Our flock of twelve hens gave us a good supply of 
 eggs all summer, averaging about five eggs daily. This 
 average, however, held good for the summer months only ; 
 during the fall and winter months the yield was very 
 poor, sometimes only two or three eggs in a week. For 
 the entire year, we gathered 1,320 eggs, or an average of 
 about twenty-five a week. This was considerably better 
 than the first year' ; record, and demonstrated that our 
 
 17 
 
efforts to better the conditions of our fowls had not 
 been in vain. 
 
 One cause of the increase in the egg yield the second 
 year was the method we used in raising the small chicks. 
 It must be remembered that in the first year's work, 
 each hen lost, practically, two months' time in hatching 
 and rearing her brood of chicks. During the second year, 
 by making one hen take care of two broods of chicks, six 
 hens lost eight weeks and six hens only four weeks each. 
 This gave us the use of six hens for laying purposes for 
 one month which would otherwise have been lost. Al- 
 though the egg yield was better for the second year, the 
 increase was noticeable only during the spring and sum- 
 mer months ; for the winter months the average was 
 practically the same as the first year's yield, and this in 
 spite of many experiments with various systems of so- 
 called scientific feeding. 
 
 We finally came to the conclusion that the egg yield 
 did not depend upon the feeding alone, but that a great 
 deal also depended upon the size of the flock and the 
 system of housing. It was with this theory in mind that 
 we set about devising ways and means by which we could 
 keep our fowls under ideal conditions. 
 
 We had read quite a number of articles in poultry 
 journals, pertaining to small colony coops, in which the 
 fowls were confined summer and winter, like so many 
 delicate plants in a hot house ; but we did not put much 
 faith in the broad statements made in regard to their effi- 
 ciency. While it is true that we had, so far, had no 
 experience with coops of this kind, we had, nevertheless, 
 ample opportunity to investigate their merits, as several 
 of the coops were used in our immediate neighborhood 
 and the owners were not overly enthusiastic about them. 
 In fact, very few coops were used more than one season, 
 except for dog houses — for which purpose they were ad- 
 mirably suited. 
 
 In our short experience with poultry, we have found 
 out several facts worth remembering, facts that cannot 
 be disputed. To keep poultry in good condition, they 
 must have fresh air and plenty &i it; and they must also 
 
 18 
 
have plenty of room in the open air, in which to exercise. 
 It is foolish and cruel to keep them penned up in prac- 
 tically air-tight boxes. Nature has provided the birds 
 with a warm covering of feathers. They can stand cold 
 weather much better than an ordinary human. It is only 
 necessary to protect them from rain and snow and to pro- 
 vide a coop, free from drafts, where they can roost at 
 night. 
 
 While exercise in the open air is essential, it is not 
 necessary to have unlimited range; a large yard would 
 probably please the fowls, but it does not increase the egg 
 production. The size of the yard must be governed by 
 the size of the flock, and should be large enough to allow 
 scratching room for the whole flock without crowding 
 the birds. If the yard is made movable and can be de- 
 tached from the roosting house, it is much better; it is 
 then possible to give the flock fresh range every day, by 
 simply moving the yard a few feet. 
 
 We spent practically all our spare time the second 
 winter building and experimenting with different styles 
 of coops, and wasted considerable time and money before 
 we found what seemed to us the ideal. We then decided 
 to use this new style of poultry house the whole of the 
 following season, in order to prove that our theory was 
 not at fault. 
 
 Our receipts and expenses for the second year weqe 
 as follows : 
 
 EXPENSES RECEIPTS 
 
 1 cock $3.00 12 hens $10.00 
 
 6 chick peris 18.00 88 market birds at 40c... 35.20 
 
 4 settings of eggs 5.00 102 doz. eggs at 25c 25.50 
 
 Food for adult fowls 12.00 Value of 16 pullets 16.00 
 
 Feed for chicks 6.00 Value of 1 cock 3.00 
 
 $44.00 $89.70 
 
 44.00 
 Profits $45.70 
 
 The expense account does not include the cost of 
 experimenting or the cost of the new coop to be used 
 in the third season's work. The other items are prac- 
 tically correct, with the exception of the food cost for 
 
 19 
 
the adult fowls. This would probably have been more if 
 we had depended entirely upon grain food. We made use 
 of all table scraps ; dried bread, meat and vegetable scraps, 
 even potato peels were prepared in various ways, and 
 greatly relished by the fowls. 
 
 In the column of receipts, will be noted an item of 
 $10 for twelve hens. The hens we had used during the 
 second year's work were sold before the third season, 
 not because they had outlived their usefulness, but be- 
 cause we wished to start the third year's work with two 
 flocks of fowls ; one flock to have the liberty of the large 
 yard, the other to be penned up in the new colony house ; 
 and we wanted both flocks to start with the same advan- 
 tage in regard to age and number. By starting both 
 flocks on the same footing and giving them the same 
 quality and quantity of food, we could prove beyond any 
 doubt, whether or not our colony house theory was right. 
 
 Our second year's results in dollars and cents was 
 very encouraging. The profits were almost four times 
 greater than the first year's profits, although only twice 
 the number of hens were used. This was due chiefly to 
 the fact that we saved a larger percentage of chicks — 
 thanks to the movable pens — and we had learned more 
 about feeding for better results. 
 
 Fresh Air Colony Coop and Movable Scratching Pen. 
 
 Our experiments led us to believe that by providing 
 the fowls with a small coop for roosting and a movable 
 yard for exercising purposes, we could get the best pos- 
 sible results from the birds and practice economy as well, 
 in the way of building material. It was necessary to 
 allow the fowls a certain amount of space, but there was 
 no need of building a large coop to meet their require- 
 ments. 
 
 Having determined upon the number of birds to 
 be used in the flock, we constructed the coop accordingly, 
 allowing sufficient room for roosting and nesting purposes, 
 with a little space to spare, to prevent crowding. We 
 were particular to allow for plenty of ventilation, without 
 
 20 
 
drafts, and offered no hindrance to the sunlight. We 
 took into consideration the fact that the coop should 
 be kept in a sanitary condition, and provided means by 
 which it could be easily and thoroughly cleaned. 
 
 In dimensions the coop was 6 feet long, 4 feet wide 
 and iy 2 feet high at the ridge board. The ridge board 
 ran the length of the coop and was located \y 2 feet from 
 the front side of the coop. The roof sloped from both 
 sides of the ridge board, so that the height from the 
 ground to the eaves was 3 feet at the front and 2 l / 2 feet 
 at the back of the coop. The roof at the rear side was 
 hinged to the ridge board and formed a shutter that could 
 be opened and adjusted to suit weather conditions. A 
 light frame of wire netting was fitted under the roof to 
 prevent the fowls escaping when it was open. 
 
 The roosting board and droppings board were hinged 
 to the inside of the rear section of the coop and about 
 one foot from the floor line, so that the fowls had the 
 use of all the floor space the coop afforded. A narrow 
 section of the rear wall of the coop was hinged ; and 
 when this shutter or door was let down, the opening cor- 
 responded with the droppings board support, and the 
 board itself could be taken out, cleaned and replaced with 
 very little trouble. 
 
 An opening one foot square was made at both ends 
 of the coop, so that the scratching pen could be attached 
 on either side. The openings were fitted with hinged 
 doors and could be closed when necessary. The front of 
 the coop was left entirely open, with the exception of a 
 light frame work, to which a section of wire netting was 
 fastened. This frame of netting could be removed by 
 simply turning two thumb latches. This made thorough 
 cleaning possible, because every portion of the interior 
 could be reached. 
 
 A curtain of muslin, large enough to cover the front 
 of the coop, was fastened above the wire netting frame, 
 and a strip of wood was attached to the lower edge, to 
 serve as a roller. The curtain was used as a sunshade 
 in summer, and was let down in winter after the fowls 
 
 21 
 
had gone to roost. As long as the weather remained mild, 
 the curtain was kept rolled up day and night. 
 
 The scratching pen or yard was made of four sec- 
 tions of netting covered frames which, when fastened 
 together, formed an enclosure 6 feet square and 2 feet 
 high. Two sides of the pen were built to a peak one 
 foot higher and connected with a ridge board. Two more 
 netting frames were used to form the roof; these frames 
 hinged at the ridge board, and sloped down so that they 
 rested upon the side sections of the yard. A piece of 
 heavy duck cloth, sufficiently large to cover the top and 
 two sides of the yard, was tacked to the ridge board, and 
 a wood roller was fastened to each end. This cover 
 could be rolled up, and fastened at any place on the side 
 or the roof of the pen. In summer it provided shade on 
 hot days and shelter in rainy weather; in winter, it kept 
 out the snow and protected the fowls from the freezing 
 winds. 
 
 The two ends of the pen were provided with sliding 
 doors, to be used when feeding the flock; and these doors 
 corresponded with the small doors on both ends of the coop, 
 when the pen and coop were attached. 
 
 The scratching pen was firmly built and very light, 
 so that it could be very easily moved about. When 
 cleaning the coop or to give the fowls fresh range, it was 
 only necessary to close the sliding door and move the pen 
 to the desired location. The doors were made on both 
 sides of the coop, so that the movable pen could be used 
 on either side. By changing the location of the pen 
 every two or three weeks the soil could be spaded and 
 given a chance to purify. The coop was not floored with 
 lumber; we sunk 6 inch foundation boards into the ground 
 and filled the enclosed space with gravel and cinders, 
 so that it was several inches higher than the outside sur- 
 face. The coop was set on top of this foundation and 
 a trench was made around the outside edges. This pre- 
 vented moisture from settling in the coop, and we had no 
 trouble on this account. 
 
 22 
 
Fresh Air Colony Coop and Movable Pen 
 
 THE THIRD YEAR 
 
 Trying Out the New Colony Coop. Improving the Chick 
 
 Pens. 
 
 The third year's work was begun with sixteen year- 
 ling hens and one male bird, somewhat older, but still in 
 fine condition. The cock and eight of the young hens 
 were given the full liberty of the yard. The eight remain- 
 ing hens were transferred from the chick pens to the 
 new colony coop, and in the course of a few days, were 
 mated to a good male bird that cost us in the neighbor- 
 hood of five dollars. The birds were transferred to their 
 new quarters in the early part of February, and so far 
 had produced no eggs. It was not until several weeks 
 later, after we had given them a more invigorating grade 
 of food than the ordinary, that we began to get results. 
 Both flocks began to lay at practically the same time ; 
 and for three weeks or a month the egg yield was about 
 the same, if anything, slightly favoring the flock in the 
 large yard. 
 
 When the spring rains set in and prevented the flock 
 from exercising in the large yard, the advantages of the 
 colony coop, with its sheltered exercising pen, became 
 apparent. The wet, disagreeable weather lasted, off and 
 on, for something like three weeks; and the difference 
 in the egg yield between the two flocks, even in this short 
 time, gave us much encouragement. For the twenty-one 
 days in question, we gathered 71 eggs from the flock of 
 eight hens in the large yard, and 110 eggs from the flock 
 
 23 
 
of eight in the colony coop. This made a difference of 
 39 eggs in twenty-one days. In other words, each hen in 
 the colony coop had given us about five eggs more than 
 the average hen in the large yard. 
 
 The good showing made by the colony coop hens 
 pleased us greatly, but could not be taken as conclusive 
 proof that the coop was a success. During the rainy 
 weather, the flock in the coop had by far the best end of 
 the bargain. They could scratch and exercise to their 
 heart's content in the covered pen, while the other flock 
 remained inactive in their closed quarters. Whether or 
 not the colony coop flock would continue the good work 
 during the entire summer in their limited space, when 
 their natural instincts called for freedom and large range, 
 was the question that had to be settled. By special atten- 
 tion to the food proposition and proper methods of feed- 
 ing, this question was settled, and settled to our un- 
 bounded satisfaction. 
 
 For the six months, from March to August, inclusive, 
 we gathered 1,211 eggs— 548 from the flock in the large 
 yard, and 663 from the flock in the colony coop. This 
 made a difference of 115 eggs in favor of the flock in the 
 coop. The average hen in the coop produced 14 eggs more 
 than the average hen with the liberty of the large yard. 
 This statement may surprise the reader, but it is, neverthe- 
 less, a fact. 
 
 We did not slight the fowls in the large yard ; both 
 flocks received the same care and attention and the same 
 quality and proportion of food ; the only difference lay 
 in the manner of feeding grain food. When the fowls in 
 the colony coop were fed grain, we took pains to rake it 
 thoroughly into the loose soil of the pen, so that the 
 birds had to work for it. This induced exercise, prob- 
 ably more of it than would have been possible if the fowls 
 had been allowed to run at large, and this served to keep 
 the flock in the best of condition. 
 
 The new colony coop had been designed, and was 
 especially adapted for use during the winter months — the 
 season of the year when our fowls were usually unpro- 
 
 24 
 
ductive. We certainly had not expected such good re- 
 sults for the summer months, and our success pleased us 
 immensely. As for the egg yield in the winter, our an- 
 ticipations were fully realized. We were not obliged to 
 buy eggs for our table. On the contrary, the eight hens 
 kept us well supplied, and we were able to sell several 
 dozen, as well. Even in the dead of winter, when the 
 ground was covered with snow for days at a time, our 
 eight hens, secure and comfortable in their quarters, did 
 not disappoint us. We seldom passed a day without 
 gathering a fair number of eggs. 
 
 For the four months, from November to February, 
 inclusive, our two flocks produced 487 eggs. Of this 
 number, 372 came from the colony coop flock and 115 from 
 the flock in the large yard — a difference of 257 eggs be- 
 tween the two flocks. These figures speak for themselves. 
 The flock in the yard had barely earned their food ; while 
 the flock in the coop not only earned their food, but had 
 almost paid for the cost of their coop in the four winter 
 months. 
 
 We had our usual experience with broody hens, in 
 our third year's work, and we accommodated each and 
 every hen. There was good profit in chicks, if they could 
 be raised to market size ; and, with our previous year's 
 success in mind, we were encouraged to try again. 
 
 The hens in the large yard were provided with extra 
 nests in the poultry house, when they became broody. 
 Lack of space prevented us from placing more nests in 
 the colony coop, so we made nests in the shelter houses 
 of the small chick pens that we had built the year before, 
 and transferred the broody hens to them. By placing a 
 partition through the center of the pens and building 
 another shelter at the opposite end, we were able to set 
 two hens in each pen ; the center partition prevented the 
 hens from changing nests. 
 
 When the chicks were hatched and several days old, 
 one hen was returned to her flock; the partition was re- 
 moved, and the remaining hen mothered the two broods. 
 
 25 
 
Owing to the large number of chicks hatched during 
 the third season, we were obliged to build several more 
 chick pens. These pens were patterned somewhat after 
 the large colony coop, and were a great improvement over 
 the pens built during the second year. 
 
 The new pens were 6 feet long, 3 feet wide and 1 foot 
 high at the eaves ; the peak, or ridge board, was built 
 one foot higher. The yard, or runway, was 4 feet long- 
 and 3 feet wide. The shelter formed one end of the pen, 
 with a floor space of 2 feet by 3 feet. The floor, roof and 
 four sides of the shelter were made of %-inch matched 
 lumber, and afforded the young chicks a safe retreat in 
 cold weather. The end of the shelter that faced the run- 
 way was made with a hinged door and when this was 
 open, it formed the running board from the yard to the 
 shelter, so that even the smallest chicks had no trouble 
 in finding their way to the nest. 
 
 Both sides of the roof were hinged to the ridge 
 board, so that either side could be opened and adjusted 
 to suit weather conditions. A shutter, about 6 inches 
 high and the full width of the coop, was made in the rear 
 section of the shelter, and, when necessary, this could be 
 opened and the flooring taken out and cleaned. Plenty 
 of ventilation, without drafts, was provided for, even 
 when all doors and shutters were closed. The two wire 
 covered frames that formed the top of the runway were 
 also hinged to the ridge board, and proved very handy 
 when feeding the chicks. 
 
 A piece of water-proof cloth, about 4 feet wide by 
 5 feet long, was tacked to the ridge board and reached to 
 the ground on both sides of the yard. A small strip of 
 wood was attached to both ends, to serve as rollers, so 
 that the cloth could be rolled up or down as desired. We 
 saved many chicks by this simple arrangement ; it not only 
 served as a sunshade in hot weather, but protected them 
 from sudden showers, as well. 
 
 26 
 
Movable Chick Shelter and Runway 
 
 With the experience we gained during the first and 
 second seasons, we succeeded in raising a good percentage 
 of the chicks that were hatched. From a possible 192 
 eggs, our hens hatched 165 chicks; of these, 153 were suc- 
 cessfully raised. With the exception of 24 pullets that 
 were raised to maturity, and twelve month-old chicks that 
 were sold at a good price, the balance of the young fowls 
 were fattened and disposed of when they were three or 
 four months old. 
 
 Our good success was not due to any "newly discov- 
 ered system" of poultry keeping. The sum and substance 
 of the matter lay in the fact that we used a little common 
 sense in our work and profited by past experiences. It 
 was very seldom that we made the same mistake twice. 
 
 As we have stated before, we knew practically noth- 
 ing about raising poultry when we started, but we had 
 ample opportunity to learn after the start ;was made. 
 Every day we added to our scant store of knowledge. 
 Every mistake was a lesson to be remembered. When 
 certain conditions or certain food seemed to affect the 
 fowls unfavorably, we did not stop until we had found 
 out the why and wherefore of the matter, so that we could 
 remedy the fault in an intelligent manner. The extent 
 of our progress was only in proportion to the amount of 
 interest and application we put into the work. This fact 
 is the secret of success in any line of endeavor. To make 
 good, it is necessary to unbend and "dig in." 
 
 27 
 
Our success in raising the small chicks was due to the 
 following facts : 
 
 When chicks are raised in small flocks of not more 
 than twenty-five, the percentage of loss is much smaller 
 than would be the case where the flock is larger. We 
 could have saved much space by raising them in larger 
 flocks, but found it was poor economy. We kept our 
 chicks in the small pens to prevent the larger fowls from 
 trampling them ; to keep stray cats and other animals 
 from carrying them off; and to prevent the small chicks 
 from picking up the food intended for the adult birds. 
 
 The coops were covered, to give shade on hot sum- 
 mer days and especially to protect the small chicks from 
 sudden rain storms. Adult fowls are not gifted with a 
 very high order of intelligence, and we must not expect 
 too much from the young fowls. We lost chicks several 
 times simply because they did not know enough to get 
 under cover when it rained; and it takes very little water 
 and exposure to get the best of a newly-hatched chick. 
 
 Above all things, the most important factor is clean- 
 liness. We discovered this fact early in our poultry 
 raising career, and made it our business to clean the 
 coops and yards regularly. The condition of the setting 
 hen has much to do with the future life of the chick. Tf 
 the coop or the hen is full of mites and lice, it is impos- 
 sible for her to set faithfully, or to give the eggs proper 
 attention ; and the result is, either no chicks or chicks with 
 very poor vitality. If the chicks are hatched, the parasites 
 take immediate possession of them and make them uneasy 
 and fretful, with the result that they fall victims to the 
 slightest disorder of their systems. 
 
 We sprayed all coops and pens regularly with a so- 
 lution of lime, water, and crude carbolic acid. This 
 proved a most effective way of ridding the coops of mites. 
 The solution soaked into the wood and, while not af- 
 fecting the fowls, it made existence impossible for the 
 mites. For the riddance of any body lice that might 
 have found lodgment, we used a prepared insect powder. 
 
 28 
 
This was sifted into the feathers of the fowls and rubbed 
 in thoroughly. 
 
 When setting a broody hen, we took care to make 
 the nest of good, clean straw, and gave it a sprinkling 
 of the powder before the eggs were placed. The hen was 
 also given an application, and we were pretty certain 
 that the chicks would not be handicapped at the very be- 
 ginning of life, by thousands of vitality-sapping parasites. 
 
 The feeding proposition is, perhaps, the most trou- 
 blesome problem with which the beginner has to contend. 
 In fact, the majority of the thousands of young fowls 
 that die annually are lost from improper feeding or from 
 causes that can be traced directly to it. The main trouble 
 lies in overfeeding the young chicks. It would not be 
 stretching the truth in the least, to state that for every 
 chick that dies from lack of food, at least one hundred die 
 from overfeeding. 
 
 When the chick leaves the shell, nature has provided 
 it with sufficient food for at least thirty-six hours; after 
 that time food should be given in small quantities every 
 three or four hours during the day. As the chicks grow 
 older, the rations are gradually increased and the time 
 between meals lengthened. As to the nature of food 
 to be given young chicks, there is a wide difference of 
 opinion. Every successful poultry raiser has his own ideas 
 on the subject. We used several kinds of food, with 
 more or less success, and finally decided to try a certain 
 brand of prepared chick food which was widely adver- 
 tised, and guaranteed to be of the best quality. This 
 proved very satisfactory to us and we have continued to 
 use it. 
 
 When the chicks were two days old, we scattered 
 about two tablespoons full of this grain before each brood 
 of 24 chicks, four times daily. The amount was increased 
 or diminished as the occasion demanded — the supply be- 
 ing governed by the appetites of the chicks. The only 
 way to gauge the amount of food to be given is to watch 
 the chicks eat. The grain scattered before them should 
 
 29 
 
not be more than they can clean up in a few minutes 
 time; if a quantity of the grain is left untouched after 
 the chicks have satisfied their hunger, it shows overfeed- 
 ing, and will result in trouble, if not remedied. 
 
 Plenty of fresh, clean water should be kept before 
 the chicks from the first day. A small hopper of pulver- 
 ized charcoal should also be placed where they can get 
 to it handily. This does much to prevent diarrhoea — a 
 disease very common to young chicks. 
 
 It is absolutely necessary that the young fowls get 
 a certain amount of small grit, in order to digest their 
 food properly. If the soil on which they run is sandy, 
 it answers the purpose very well ; if not, the grit must be 
 furnished them. It should be given to them very spar- 
 ingly at first until they learn its value. The grit should 
 not be placed before them in hoppers the first few days 
 or they will eat too much of it. We lost several chicks 
 on this account before we suspected the trouble. It is 
 best to mix the grit with the chick food when feeding. 
 After five or six days, it may be set before them in hop- 
 pers or scattered around in the pens, and the young chicks 
 will pick it up whenever they require it. 
 
 Before the end of the third year, we built two more 
 colony coops, in preparation for the next season's work. 
 We had proved to our complete satisfaction that the coop 
 used the third year was of genuine merit, and we were 
 anxious to increase our flock and our profits. 
 
 The two flocks of hens and the oldest male bird were 
 sold at a good price before the beginning of the fourth 
 season ; and the twenty-four pullets we had raised to 
 maturity were transferred from the small pens to the 
 three colony coops. These pullets had been chosen from 
 the several flocks because of the good laying qualities of 
 the hens that produced them ; and we had high hopes 
 that the average egg yield per hen would be increased 
 considrably in the coming season. 
 
 30 
 
Receipts and Expenditures for the Third Year. 
 
 EXPENSES RECEIPTS 
 
 1 cock $ 5.00 16 hens and 1 cock $15.00 
 
 1 colony coop 8.00 117 market fowls at 40c. , 46.80 
 
 New chick pens and im- 140 doz. eggs at 25c 35.00 
 
 provements 10.00 12 month-old chicks ... 3.00 
 
 Food for adult fowls 20.00 Value of 24 pullets 24.00 
 
 Foor for chicks 7.50 Value of 1 cock 5.00 
 
 Tonics and medicines 1.50 
 
 $128.80 
 
 $52.00 52.00 
 
 Profits $ 76.80 
 
 We sold our eggs and fowls at the highest price 
 obtainable, to neighbors and markets in the neighbor- 
 hood, and the prices varied considerably with the season 
 of the year and the condition of the wholesale markets. 
 Forty cents each for market fowls and twenty-five cents 
 per dozen for eggs was usually the average. Our own 
 table was supplied with fresh eggs and poultry from the 
 season's output. This value is included in the receipts 
 for the year. 
 
 The third year's work shows a profit of $76.80. With 
 a total flock of sixteen hens, this gives a profit of about 
 $4.80 for each hen, or about one dollar more per hen 
 than was realized for the second season. This increase 
 was not due to better weather conditions or to luck, but 
 simply to the fact that we were very much interested in 
 the work and left nothing undone that would serve to 
 better the conditions of the fowls. 
 
 THE FOURTH YEAR 
 
 A Clear Profit of $12.00 From Each Hen. 
 
 When we set up the three colony coops, we were 
 careful to take into consideration the amount of yard 
 space required to give each flock fresh range every day, 
 and planned the location of the coops so that it would be 
 necessary to move the pens but a short distance to ac- 
 complish this. 
 
 31 
 
The dimensions of the original poultry yard that we 
 had fenced was 60 feet east and west and about 50 feet 
 north and south. Each colony coop and scratching pen 
 required a space 12 feet long by 6 feet wide, besides the 
 extra allowance for fresh range. 
 
 Coop No. 1 was placed 9 feet from the west fence 
 line, with the front of the coop facing south and about 
 14 feet from the south fence line. Coops Nos. 2 and 3 
 were set on a line with Coop No. 1, from east to west, and 
 were spaced about 6 feet apart. 
 
 By this arrangement it was possible to give each 
 flock fresh range every day for seven successive days, 
 without moving the pens more than 12 feet from the 
 coops. In five or six days the vegetation on the ground 
 first used was renewed, and the pens could be moved 
 over the same route again] 
 
 It is well to state here that the entire yard had been 
 sowed in clover, and our poultry fed on this all summer, 
 repaying us many times over for the little trouble and 
 expense to which we had gone. 
 
 On the north half of the yard we located our small 
 chick pens. Owing to the lack of space, we were obliged 
 to limit the number to eight. We could have used sev- 
 eral more of these pens, but it would then have been 
 impossible to furnish sufficient range for the chicks; 
 and plenty of fresh range, especially for young chicks, was 
 a matter that we had found of much importance. 
 
 The small pens were placed in a row, about three 
 feet from the north fence and about three feet apart, 
 with the open scratching yard facing the south. This 
 gave us plenty of space to move the pens for five suc- 
 cessive days, and the chicks enjoyed fresh, clean range 
 at all times. 
 
 The northwest corner of the yard was occupied by 
 our original poultry house. This was cleaned and fitted 
 with shelves, and used as a store room for grain, straw 
 and other supplies needed for every day use. 
 
 32 
 
c 
 
 c 
 
 c 
 
 c 
 
 c 
 
 c 
 
 "1 
 
 A 
 
 
 B 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A B 
 
 i A 6 
 
 i — ! . --I 
 
 Illustration of Poultry Yard and Coops 
 
 This plan of the poultry yard shows where the three colony 
 coops and the eight chick coops were located; the dotted lines 
 illustrate how the pens were moved each day to give the fowls 
 fresh range. 
 
 Two flocks of our hens were kept without male birds 
 until the latter part of March. We had decided early 
 in the year to get two of the very best birds we could 
 afford, and placed an order with an out-of-town poultry 
 raiser with a reputation as a breeder of fine birds. For 
 some cause, the shipment was delayed and we were 
 obliged to wait several weeks before the birds arrived. 
 
 These two fowls cost up $15.00. This may seem a 
 bit extravagant on our part, from one point of view. 
 When one takes into consideration the uplift it gave to 
 the quality of the fowls hatched during the fourth season, 
 it places the matter in a different light. It would have 
 been a lucky investment indeed, considering the small 
 amount of money involved, that would have given us the 
 returns that we realized by mating these two fowls to 
 our two flocks of hens. 
 
 33 
 
Caring for the Fowls. 
 
 A vessel of good, clean water was kept before the 
 fowls at all times ; during the hot summer months, a 
 fresh supply was furnished five or six times daily ; on 
 cold winter days we gave them warm water several times 
 a day, or as often as necessary to keep it from freezing. 
 
 Grit, in the form of crushed stone and ground oyster 
 or clam shells, was always before them, in small hoppers. 
 
 To prevent bowel trouble, a hopper of crushed char- 
 coal was placed where the fowls could get to it easily. 
 We saved space and simplified matters considerably by 
 using one hopper with three separate compartments for 
 the charcoal, crushed stone and ground shells. 
 
 A well filled hopper of dry wheat bran was kept in 
 the pens at all times, winter and summer. This formed 
 the principal bulk food for the fowls, and great quanti- 
 ties of it were consumed. This is not only one of the 
 most inexpensive poultry foods, but it is also known as 
 a preventive of indigestion. Its liberal use will do much 
 to keep the fowls in good health. 
 
 For the first meal in the morning, we gave the fowls 
 a liberal amount of mixed grain — such a wheat, barley, 
 cracked corn, millet and Kaffir corn. Wheat was fed 
 every morning, but an equal portion of some other grain 
 was mixed with it. 
 
 In order to get the best results from poultry it is 
 necessary to give them a variety of food. They will not 
 thrive on a certain diet day after day. One day we used 
 wheat and barley; the next, wheat and millet. We some- 
 times fed three or four kinds of grain at the same time. 
 In winter we added buckwheat to our list of grain food, 
 but this was not fed in summer, because of its heat pro- 
 ducing qualities. 
 
 The feeding proposition was watched closely, to pre- 
 vent any waste of grain. If the fowls refused to eat any 
 certain grain, we discontinued it for a few days until there 
 was a desire for it again. 
 
 The scatching pens were spaded often and the soil 
 kept loose. After the grain was scattered in the pens, 
 
 34 
 
it was immediately covered with soil and the fowls were 
 obliged to work for their food. This method of feeding 
 grain was practiced at all times. When fowls are kept 
 in small quarters, with no opportunity for foraging, the 
 exercise induced by this manner of feeding is absolutely 
 necessary for the health of the fowls. 
 
 Shortly after the morning meal we moved the pen a 
 few feet from the coop, so that the fowls could pick up 
 what green food they required. The cloth covers were 
 then adjusted to give shade, and the birds were cool and 
 contented even on the hottest summer days. 
 
 The second meal was served after midday and was 
 usually in the form of a mash. We followed no set rule 
 in preparing the mash food ; like the grain food, the in- 
 gredients were varied each day. The mash consisted 
 mainly of table scraps — not garbage, bear in mind — but 
 clean, wholesome food left over from the table. Bread, 
 vegetables and cereals, mixed with wheat bran, ground 
 oats, corn meal, middlings, steamed clover or alfalfa, and 
 seasoned with salt and pepper. To give the reader some 
 idea of the proportions used, we obtained good results 
 from the following mixtures : 
 
 Table scraps 1 part 
 
 Wheat bran 4' parts 
 
 Table scraps 1 part 
 
 Corn meal or middlings 3 parts 
 
 Table scraps 1 part 
 
 Ground oats 3 parts 
 
 One part steamed clover or alfalfa was frequently 
 used with any of the above mixtures. Meat scraps were 
 fed three or four times weekly; only lean meat was used, 
 and this was cut into small strips and scattered in the 
 pens, so that every fowl could get a share. We some- 
 times varied the program, by mixing the meat scraps with 
 the mash food; ten parts mash to one part lean meat. 
 It is surprising to see how greedily fowls go after meat 
 scraps. It must be fed with caution. A little will do 
 
 35 
 
much good; too much at a time will cause trouble. In 
 preparing mash foods, care should be taken not to make 
 it sloppy; it should be moistened just enough to make it 
 crumbly. 
 
 The pens were moved back to the coops about the 
 middle of the afternoon, and a small portion of grain was 
 buried in the loose soil to keep them busy for a time. 
 
 The last meal for the day was fed just before the 
 birds went to roost, and consisted of cracked corn ; a lib- 
 eral amount of this was fed, so that their crops were well 
 filled for the night. 
 
 On account of the early sunrise in summer, the fowls 
 were often kept waiting several hours for their morn- 
 ing meal. We overcame this by burying the grain in the 
 pens at night after the fowls had gone to roost. The coop 
 door was closed during the operation to prevent the birds 
 from leaving the roost. They could then enjoy their meal 
 at the first break of day ; and by the time the family was 
 up and about, the fowls were scratching and singing con- 
 tentedly. 
 
 In wet and doubtful weather the yards were not 
 moved away from the coops. The cloth covers were 
 rolled down to keep out the rain, as it was necessary to 
 keep the floor of the yard quite dry in order to feed the 
 grain properly. In winter we experienced some difficulty 
 in this direction, on account of the ground freezing; but 
 we remedied this by filling in the floor of the pens with 
 dry gravel and ashes to the depth of several inches. 
 
 In setting up the colony coops, we had taken the pre- 
 caution to dig trenches around the outside edges of the 
 pens, to prevent water running in during heavy rains. 
 This, and the fact that we let the covers down in wet 
 weather, kept the coops and pens dry and free from 
 moisture. 
 
 The winter feeding differed somewhat from the sys- 
 tem followed in summer. The fowls required more heat- 
 producing foods and were given plenty of corn chops, 
 buckwheat, and warm mashes. Barley was also used 
 quite often. The mash food was fed twice a day in 
 
 36 
 
winter, and a larger portion of corn meal was used in 
 making it. The morning meal of wheat and mixed grain 
 was continued throughout the year. 
 
 To keep hens in good laying condition, it is neces- 
 sary to keep them supplied with a certain amount of 
 green food; we found this to be so very early in our 
 experience, and gave our fowls a daily allowance. In 
 the summer season this was easily accomplished by mov- 
 ing the yards each day. When the natural supply gave 
 out, we substituted sprouted oats. This proved equally 
 as good, if not better than the growing grass and clover 
 and was an invaluable aid to the winter egg production. 
 
 SPROUTED OATS. 
 
 It is not a very hard matter to sprout oats and no 
 special equipment is required. The following features 
 are essential: A good quality of oats; several properly 
 constructed boxes or trays ; and a warm room — preferably 
 a cellar or basement that admits plenty of light. 
 
 To supply our twenty-seven fowls, we constructed 
 four boxes, each 10 by 12 inches square and 6 inches high ; 
 the bottoms were not boarded, but were covered with 
 screen. To allow for drainage, two strips of wood were 
 fastened to the bottom of the boxes, one at each end, so 
 that the screen on the bottom of the boxes cleared the 
 floor about one-fourth of an inch. Four pieces of ordi- 
 nary window glass were used as covers, to admit light 
 and to retain the warmth and moisture. From 2 to 2j/£ 
 pints of oats were spread in one of these boxes and thor- 
 oughly sprinkled with warm water. The oats were then 
 covered with three thicknesses of burlap and again sprin- 
 kled. The oats were sprinkled once a day and the bur- 
 lap left on until the sprouts were about an inch high ; the 
 burlap was then removed and the box covered with the 
 window glass. The glass was kept on the box until the 
 sprouts were about three inches high, when it was taken 
 off and the box left uncovered. 
 
 Feeding was begun when the sprouts were about 
 four inches high. With a sharp knife we cut down 
 
 37 
 
through the sprouts and divided the contents of the box 
 into five sections, each two inches wide and twelve inches 
 long. One of these sections was divided each day be- 
 tween the three flocks. One box would last five days. 
 By planting the four boxes about five days apart, and 
 replanting as soon as one was empty, we had no trouble 
 in always keeping a supply on hand. 
 
 In sprouting oats it is necessary that only new, 
 heavy grain be used ; and care should be taken that an 
 oversupply is not sprouted, for if the grain is not used, 
 after a certain time it becomes sour and is unfit for feed- 
 ing. Fowls should not be fed too much of the sprouted 
 oats at one time or it will cause bowel trouble. 
 
 Caring for the Small Chicks. 
 
 During the hatching process, we did not disturb the 
 hens by trying to help them. In the first and second sea- 
 son's work we made this mistake and found that more 
 harm than good resulted ; it only served to excite the 
 hens, and often resulted in death and injury to the young 
 chicks. We came to the conclusion that the hens knew 
 much more about hatching chicks than we did, and they 
 were left alone until the hatch was over. 
 
 About twenty-four hours after the first chick was 
 hatched, we removed broken shells and unhatched eggs 
 and made the nest as comfortable as possible for the hen 
 and her brood. For the following twenty-four hours they 
 were left alone to rest and gain strength. 
 
 A fount of good, clean water was placed in the pen 
 after the first day and we were careful to keep the water 
 fount in a sanitary condition, especially during the first 
 week after the hatch. 
 
 A two-compartment hopper, containing wheat bran 
 and pulverized charcoal, was placed before the chicks 
 after the third day. The birds were supplied with this 
 at all times during their whole life. 
 
 The pens were well spaded and the soil liberally 
 mixed with sand; this allowed the chicks plenty of grit, 
 and we experienced no trouble on this account. 
 
 38 
 
The first meal given to the young chicks consisted of 
 a variety of mixed grain, commonly called "Chick Food," 
 Several brands of chick food are sold on the market, 
 and we were careful to get the best grade possible. When 
 the chicks were forty-eight hours old, a little of the pre- 
 pared food was raked into the soil in the pens, and the 
 little fellows were soon scratching busily for it. 
 
 For the first four or five days a small portion oi 
 the food was given to them five times daily. In three 
 weeks this had been cut down to three times daily. This 
 does not mean that the rations were cut down ; the chicks 
 were always given as much as they could safely eat, but 
 the time between meals was lengthened. In feeding 
 young chicks it is very important that too much is not 
 given them at one time ; they should be given just enough 
 to satisfy their hunger for the time being, and no more. 
 We always made it a rule to mix the grain with the soil 
 or litter in the pens, so that the little fellows had to hus- 
 tle for it. Small chicks, as well as adult fowls, must ex- 
 ercise in order to retain health. If all food is given to 
 them in hoppers and no inducements offered for exercise, 
 poor results may be expected. 
 
 Th young fowls were not given green food until 
 six or eight days old. After that age the pens were moved 
 daily, so that they could pick up what green food they 
 required, and to give the original site of the pen a chance 
 to purify. As the chicks grew older, a small amount of 
 green food, such as onion tops, cabbage and lettuce were 
 chopped fine and given to them several times a week. 
 
 When two hens hatched their chicks a few days 
 apart, we gave one hen both broods of chicks to take care 
 of, and returned the other to the colony coop. We often 
 bad a number of chicks, whose ages varied from six to 
 eight days, all mothered by one hen, but in these instances 
 the youngest chicks were at least eight or ten days old 
 before they were mixed with the others. 
 
 After the third week the mother hens were returned 
 to their respective flocks and the chick shelters given a 
 thorough cleaning. A fresh litter of short cut straw and 
 
 39 
 
clover was placed on the floor of the shelter to insure 
 warmth and comfort for the chicks. 
 
 Heretofore we had allowed the hens to remian with 
 the chicks for at least four weeks ; this was done prin- 
 cipally to prevent the young fowls from becoming chilled 
 at night, for at this season of the year the weather was 
 very unsettled, and we thought it best to take no chances. 
 We found, however, by experimenting, that we could 
 provide sufficient warmth for the chicks at this age with- 
 out using the hens, and we were thus able to use twelve 
 or more hens for egg production for one week. 
 
 This seems a small item at first thought but it is 
 really larger than it seems. In the seven days saved, 
 the twelve hens produced, practically, five dozen eggs. 
 At this time of the year setting eggs were in great de- 
 mand and we had no trouble in disposing of them at 
 $1.50 for fifteen eggs. This netted us six dollars, — almost 
 one dollar for each day saved. 
 
 The device we used to keep the chicks warm was 
 simply a light frame covered with burlap. This frame 
 was made of four strips of wood, % in. by 2 in., and when 
 put together, measured about two feet in length and one 
 and one-half feet in width, or just large enough to fit 
 loosely into one end of the chick shelter. The piece of 
 burlap was tacked to the frame so that it sagged at the 
 center. To hold the frame in position, we fastened four 
 nails to the inside walls of the shelter, two on either side, 
 and the burlap frame rested on the projecting ends of 
 these. The distance from the floor to the frame depended 
 upon the size of the chicks, and was gauged so as to al- 
 low the burlap to rest upon their backs. With a good 
 litter of straw under foot and the burlap overhead, the 
 small chicks were kept snug and warm in the chilly 
 weather. If the weather became unusually cool, we add- 
 ed another layer of burlap to the frame, so that more 
 heat would be retained. In using an overhead cover of 
 this kind, it is important that no closely woven or heavy 
 cloth be used, or the chicks are liable to smother, unless 
 some other means are taken to provide ventilation. 
 
 40 
 
More Profit in Matured Fowls. 
 
 During the three previous seasons we had given but 
 little attention to any particular branch of the poultry 
 business. We had simply gone ahead in a general way; 
 gathering eggs, hatching chicks, and disposing of our 
 stock at the earliest possible moment and at the regular 
 market price, without regard and, in fact, without think- 
 ing of the several more profitable angles of the work. 
 When we stop to consider, however, that we knew prac- 
 tically nothing about poultry when we started, and that 
 what success we had was attained only through hard ex- 
 perience, we feel that we did very well indeed as it was. 
 
 In our fourth year's work we resolved to use a more 
 profitable method in disposing of our stock ; and, with 
 this end in view, we sorted our flock of young chicks into 
 two groups — one group, ordinary market fowls, and a 
 second and much smaller group of cockerels and pullets, 
 to be raised and sold at maturity. By using what knowl- 
 edge we possessed, and with the aid of the "American 
 Standard of Perfection," we succeeded in picking out the 
 most perfect specimens in our flocks, and separated them 
 from the other fowls. 
 
 It had been our aim from the beginning to build up 
 the quality of our fowls and, to a certain extent, we 
 had been very successful. The adult fowls used in the 
 fourth season were exceptionally fine looking birds. To' 
 judge from the parent stock, the picked lot of chicks would 
 develop into still better fowls, and we felt certain that 
 our profits would be much better if we raised them to 
 maturity, even after deducting the extra cost of feed- 
 ing, than would be the case if we sold them as market 
 fowls. 
 
 Having graded the chicks to our satisfaction, we 
 bent our efforts towards fattening the fowls intended for 
 the market, so that we could dispose of them as quickly 
 as possible; we were somewhat cramped for room, and 
 there was more money in them if sold early in the season. 
 
 41 
 
Fattening the Market Birds. 
 
 When chicks are not to be raised to maturity, their 
 digestive apparatus can be taxed to the utmost in order 
 to fatten them quickly, without injury to the birds, pro- 
 viding the forced feeding is not carried on for too long 
 a period. 
 
 We began the feeding when the chicks were about 
 four weeks old and continued the work until they were 
 ten or twelve weeks old ; at that time, if conditions were 
 right, the fowls weighed in the neighborhood of two 
 pounds each. In fattening the birds we depended mainly 
 on mash food, but grain and green food was also given 
 to induce exercise and to keep them in trim. 
 
 We started the fourth week by giving them one 
 mash feed daily." The next week this was increased to 
 two ; and when the chicks were eight weeks old, we were 
 giving them four mash feeds daily. Green food was pro- 
 vided for them regularly, and grain was buried in the 
 soil in the pens every day, to induce exercise. Lean 
 meat, chopped up fine, was fed several times a week, 
 either mixed with the mash or scattered in the pens. 
 
 Milk, when it could be spared, was often used in 
 preparing the mash food. It is an excellent food for any 
 kind of fowl, and can be fed either sweet or sour. Sev- 
 eral kinds of mash food were tried. The one that proved 
 most satisfactory was a mixture of corn meal, wheat 
 bran, and ground oats (without hulls) ; equal parts of 
 each were used, and a pinch of salt was added for sea- 
 soning. This mash should not be sloppy, but just mois- 
 tened enough to make it crumbly. If a little charcoal is 
 mixed in the mash, it will help to keep the chicks' bowels 
 in good condition. 
 
 In fattening chicks, the beginner is liable to make the 
 mistake of feeding too much at a time. This should be 
 guarded against. The idea is to feed just enough at a 
 time so that the chicks will be hungry for the next meal. 
 
 We began to dispose of the market fowls shortly 
 after the tenth week and sold the last bird in less than 
 
 42 
 
two weeks. We could have disposed of them in much 
 less time to any of the many commission firms in town, 
 but this would have meant less profit to us. We made 
 arrangements with several market keepers in our neigh- 
 borhood, and through them, the fowls were sold six or 
 twelve at a time, or as many as they required to fill their 
 orders. By doing this, we realized about ten cents more 
 for each fowl than would have been possible if we had 
 dealt with the commission people. For the flock of 142 
 fowls this amounted to $14.20, an item worth looking after. 
 After the market fowls were sold, the pens they 
 had occupied were used for the growing cockerels and 
 pullets. The 3 by 6-foot pens provided ample room for 
 twenty to twenty-four three-months old chicks; but as 
 the fowls grew older and larger, the pens became quite 
 crowded and we were obliged to reduce the number of 
 birds in each to eight or ten. 
 
 Feeding Chicks for Maturity. 
 
 Until the sixth week, the food given to the growing 
 cockerels and pullets consisted principally of "Chick 
 Food," with the daily allowance of green food when the 
 pens were moved. The dry wheat bran was supplied at 
 all times, and lean meat and sour milk were fed occasion- 
 ally when we had it to spare. After the sixth week we 
 gradually stopped feeding the "Chick Food," and sub- 
 stituted coarser grain. 
 
 For their morning meal, wheat, corn chops and hulled 
 oats were used. This was buried in the loose soil, and 
 kept the birds busy for several hours. At noon, a mash 
 made of equal parts of corn meal, wheat bran and ground 
 oats and two parts of alfalfa, was fed ; a pinch of salt and 
 pepper was added to the mash to season it. Corn chops 
 and oats were fed for the evening meal. They were given 
 all of this they could eat, so that their crops were full 
 for the night. 
 
 When the growing fowls were ten weeks old, we 
 added barley and buckwheat to their grain food. At this 
 age they were also given unhulled oats, without injurious 
 
 43 
 
results. When the coarse grain was substituted for the 
 small chick food, we supplied them with coarse grit also. 
 Crushed stone, clam and oyster shells were placed in the 
 pens, and a larger grade of charcoal was used instead of 
 the finely crushed article. 
 
 As the birds neared maturity, we sorted the several 
 flocks once more. At this age their bodies were well 
 developed and their good points could be readily dis- 
 tinguished. We decided it was good policy to separate 
 the more perfect fowls from those that were not up to 
 standard, and found later that this was a wise move, as 
 it had considerable influence over prices. 
 
 When the fowls reached the proper stage of develop- 
 ment, we inserted an advertisement in one of the Sun- 
 day papers, describing our stock and giving prices. 
 
 The results were even better than we had expected. 
 The demand was such that the entire flock, with the ex- 
 ception of eight pullets for our own use, were sold in less 
 than three weeks. 
 
 The finest cockerels brought $3.00 each; the pullets, 
 $2.50 each. For the birds not quite up to standard, we 
 averaged $2.50 each for the cockerels and $2.00 each for 
 the pullets. We refused many good offers for the eight 
 pullets we had retained for our own use, from people 
 who came after the other fowls had been sold. One party 
 went so far as to offer us $25.00 for the flock, which we 
 refused. We had the pleasure, several months later, of 
 selling the same gentleman an entire flock of our birds, 
 including the colony coop and pen. 
 
 So great a following has the poultry industry, and so 
 great is the demand for well-bred fowls, that the sale of 
 the birds is by far the easiest part of the business. 
 
 The egg yield for the fourth year was a record 
 breaker, so far as our experience had gone. The three 
 flocks of eight hens produced 292 dozen eggs, an average 
 of 146 eggs per hen for the year. 
 
 Twenty-four hens had been set on 288 eggs, hatching 
 278 chicks ; and 240 of the chicks were successfully 
 raised. 
 
 44 
 
After the final sorting and grading, our stock con- 
 sisted of 142 market fowls, 18 first class cockerels, 25 first 
 class pullets, and 28 cockerels and 27 pullets not quite 
 up to standard, but nevertheless, fine looking fowls. Eight 
 first class pullets were kept for our own use. The two 
 cocks we had bought at the beginning of the fourth year, 
 and two flocks of hens were also kept for service during 
 the fifth year. The other flock of eight hens and the 
 male bird were sold before the close of the fourth year. 
 
 The Fourth Year's Results. 
 
 EXPENSES RECEIPTS 
 
 2 cocks $ 15.00 8 hens and 1 cock $ 16.00 
 
 2 colony coops 16.00 142 market birds at 40c. 56.80 
 
 Food for adult fowls and 255 doz. eggs at 25c 63.75 
 
 growing fowls 88.00 10 settings of 15 eggs 
 
 Food for chicks 30.00 each 15.00 
 
 Tonics and medicines. .. . 5.00 Value of 16 hens 24.00 
 
 Value of 2 cocks 15.00 
 
 $154.00 Value of 8 pullets 20.00 
 
 18 first class cockerels.. 54.00 
 
 25 first class pullets 62.50 
 
 28 second class cockerels 70.00 
 
 27 second class pullets.. 54.00 
 
 $451.05 
 154.00 
 
 Profits $297.05 
 
 The fourth year's work gave us a profit of $297.05, 
 or about $12.37 for each hen in the three flocks. This 
 substantial increase in our profits was, of course, due to 
 the fact that we received good prices for the fowls raised 
 and sold at maturity ; and these prices would not have 
 been possible if our birds had not been well-bred. 
 
 Another cause that promoted the sale of our stock 
 and influenced prices was the condition in which we kept 
 the poultry yard. The coops and pens were nicely paint- 
 ed and kept clean and orderly. When giving fresh range 
 to the fowls, the pens were not placed about in haphazard 
 fashion. System was the rule in everything. The pens 
 
 45 
 
and coops were placed in regular lines, and presented a 
 pleasing appearance at all times. Prospective buyers 
 were favorably impressed from the first glance at our 
 fowls, and this helped considerably in making a sale. 
 
 In the expense account is an item of $5.00 for medi- 
 cine ; this includes disinfectants used in spraying the 
 coops, and also the insect powder with which we treated 
 the fowls, to prevent lice trouble. 
 
 Aside from the annual loss of young chicks, we ex- 
 perienced no trouble from poultry diseases. Thorough 
 cleanliness, proper feeding, and plenty of fresh air kept 
 our fowls in good health. 
 
 We also considered an ounce of prevention to be 
 worth a pound of cure, and gave our fowls, young and 
 old, a good tonic several times a week. The cost was 
 but a trifle and it could do no harm, whereas, its regu- 
 lar and persistent use probably did much to keep our 
 fowls in good condition. 
 
 In our expense account for the past year and for 
 the previous years as well, we have endeavored to give 
 the exact figures, as nearly as possible, of our receipts and 
 expenses. The receipts show what we actually received 
 for our stock, not what we should have received ; and in 
 no instance has anything been deducted from the expense 
 accounts. The various items show every dollar expended 
 in the four years' work, with the exception of experi- 
 menting on colony coops. No account was kept of the 
 time and labor involved ; this was, of course, furnished 
 gratis. Personally, I did not lose an hour's time from 
 my regular business. The family attended to the feed- 
 ing and gave the fowls practically all the care required, 
 aside from the heavy work, such as cleaning and spading ; 
 this I found time to do in the mornings and evening be* 
 fore and after business hours, and on Sundays. 
 
 The only time the poultry required really close at- 
 tention was during the breeding season, when the chicks 
 were very young. It was then necessary to attend to 
 them four or five times daily, and this gave the family 
 
 46 
 
but little time for visiting or shopping. This period lasted 
 for several weeks and then the work was less confining. 
 
 When a limited number of fowls are used and the 
 caretaker is interested in the work, poultry keeping be- 
 comes a source of pleasure; and, as our experience shows, 
 it can be made to yield a substantial profit, if common 
 sense methods are used in caring for the fowls. We do 
 not consider our ability to make each hen yield a clear 
 profit of $12.37 a year to be anything out of the ordinary. 
 This much profit, or more, per hen, is the rule rather 
 than the exception among poultry keepers who have 
 made it their aim to build up the good qualities of their 
 fowls. It is nothing unusual to hear or read of people 
 paying several hundred dollars for a single fowl, or five 
 dollars each for setting eggs. 
 
 It would, of course, be next to impossible for the be- 
 ginner to get returns as large as this; but it shows what 
 can be accomplished by patient and persistent effort. 
 We would suggest that the beginner get started with as 
 good a quality of fowls as possible, and apply himself to 
 the task of upbuilding the flock. A few seasons of in- 
 telligent work to this end will bring certain reward. The 
 aim should be to win a reputation as a breeder of high- 
 class fowls. When this has been accomplished, there will 
 be no difficulty in selling the stock at good prices. 
 
 Helpful Hints for the Beginner. 
 
 Well-bred fowls are essential to success. A small 
 flock of hens in a fair sized yard give better results than 
 a large flock with unlimited range. Clean coops and 
 pens, plenty of fresh air, with protection from rain and 
 snow, will win half the battle; careful and economical 
 feeding will win the other half. Good results should not 
 be expected when fowls are fed on corn chops and water 
 the whole year round. Fowls should not be allowed to 
 tire of a certain food. Give them variety. Grit, char- 
 coal, and wheat bran should be kept before the fowls at 
 all times. Green food, in the form of grass, clover, grow- 
 ing grain or sprouted oats, is necessary every day in the 
 
 47 
 
year for good egg production. Exercise should be in- 
 duced by covering all grain food with soil or litter. 
 
 When the hens are restless at night on account of 
 mites, and spend half the day fighting lice, the egg basket 
 will never be full. Use plenty of insect powder and dis- 
 infectants before it is too late. 
 
 Be liberal with fresh litter for the coops; it pro- 
 vides warmth in winter, and the fowls like to scratch in 
 it. 
 
 Drinking water should not be allowed to become stale 
 or dirty. 
 
 It pays to know which hens in the flock are the best 
 layers, and to mark their eggs and keep them for setting 
 purposes ; this is the only way to breed a good laying 
 strain of poultry. 
 
 When a hen becomes broody, provide a good, clean 
 nest, and give both fowl and nests an application of in- 
 sect powder. Do not place the nest where the hen will 
 suffer from the heat. Provide a cool spot as close to the 
 ground as possible, and provide protection from the 
 weather and from animals. 
 
 Eggs to be used for setting should be gathered as 
 soon as possible and kept in a cool place where the tem- 
 perature is between 40 and 50 degrees. Hens will hatch 
 a better percentage of chicks from a given number of 
 eggs than any incubator on earth, and without any trou- 
 ble or care to speak of. 
 
 Some poultry keepers place 15 or 16 eggs under the 
 hen ; we had better results when using only 12 eggs ; the 
 hen could cover them much better, and a greater per- 
 centage of chicks were hatched. 
 
 Except to feed and water, it is best not to disturb 
 the setting hen. It sometimes happens that certain hens 
 leave the nest for too long a period and allow the eggs to 
 become chilled. When this is the case, it is necessary to 
 watch her closely and if possible, to give the nest to an- 
 other hen. 
 
 48 
 
Some poultry raisers claim many chicks can be saved 
 by helping them out of the shells. We did not have 
 any success at this. Without exception, every chick we 
 helped from the shell died a few hours later, or was crip- 
 pled and unfit to live. 
 
 If eggs do not hatch, don't blame the hen ; the trou- 
 ble is probably infertile eggs. 
 
 Chicks should not be fed until at least thirty-six 
 hours old. It is better to feed too little than too much. 
 Chicks, as well as adult fowls, must be made to exercise. 
 Cover the chick food with soil or litter. 
 
 Provide shelter from the weather and protection 
 from animals and insect parasites. 
 
 It is not economy to keep more than 25 chicks in 
 one flock. 
 
 Do not allow the brood house to become damp or 
 filthy. Plenty of clean, dry litter should be provided reg- 
 ularly. Plenty of small grit, ground charcoal, wheat 
 bran, and good water are every day necessities in the 
 chick pens. 
 
 Early spring chicks bring the best prices on the 
 market. When fattening chicks for market, the forced 
 feeding should not begin too early nor last too long, or 
 the fowls will not do well. 
 
 It pays to grade and sort the fowls to be raised to 
 maturity. When the fowls are kept in one flock, one 
 price usually holds good for all, and buyers insist upon 
 picking out the best looking birds. If they are graded 
 into several pens, it is possible to obtain better prices 
 for the best birds. 
 
 Well kept coops and pens not only help the fowls, 
 but also make the prospective buyers more willing to buy 
 the birds. Never misrepresent the stock to customers if 
 you wish to establish a reputation for fair dealing. One 
 dissatisfied customer will do more harm than the good 
 will of several satisfied ones can counteract. 
 
 49 
 
KEEPING A SMALL FLOCK OF POULTRY. 
 
 To the beginner who wants to start poultry keeping 
 on a small scale, we offer the following suggestions and 
 information : It is presumed that the reader has no 
 practical knowledge of the work. If such is the case, the 
 information given will undoubtedly prove of value; it 
 is based upon our own experience and is the exact course 
 we would pursue if we were to start over again. 
 
 Location. 
 
 Any level piece of ground containing 20 by 25 feet of 
 space or more — a part of the back yard, a section of the 
 lawn, or any available space not too far from the resi- 
 dence. It should be open to the sunlight, and have suf- 
 ficient drainage to allow the water to escape during heavy 
 rains. Grass or clover should be sowed, to furnish the 
 flock green food during the summer season. If a light 
 fence of poultry netting is built around the entire space, 
 it will serve to keep curious people and stray animals at 
 a distance. While the fence is not absolutely necessary, 
 it is of considerable benefit in a crowded city or town, 
 where people are continually coming and going and mis- 
 chievous children are always on the lookout for some 
 prank to play. 
 
 Housing. 
 
 If the beginner wants the best possible results from 
 the poultry, an open-front colony coop and pen should 
 be used. These can be made by any one without much 
 trouble, provided the person is handy with tools. The 
 material required is of standard size, and can be obtained 
 in any town or village. 
 
 The colony coop can be set up at any place in the 
 yard, provided due allowance is made for the movable 
 pen. The front of the coop should face the south, to give 
 the fowls all the sunlight possible in the cold winter 
 months. The foundation boards of the coop should be 
 sunk into the ground almost their full width, and the 
 
 SO 
 
inside floor line raised several inches higher, by filling 
 in with ashes and gravel; the floor of the pen should also 
 be filled in with the same material, so that it will be 
 higher than the outside surface. A trench should be made 
 around the outside edges of the coop and pen, so that 
 there will be no possible chance of water running in dur- 
 ing heavy rains. Several inches of short-cut straw, hay 
 or clover should be spread over the floor of the coop for 
 the fowls to exercise in. 
 
 Fowls. 
 
 The beginner must first decide what breed of fowls 
 to use, and then endeavor to get the best possible birds 
 the purse will allow. In choosing the breed, the first and 
 most important matter to consider is their ability to stand 
 confinement ; after that, their qualities as layers, setters 
 and market fowls. There are many breeds. Each have 
 their good points, and poultry raisers naturally claim their 
 favorite breed the best. In our experience we have used 
 only one breed of fowls, the Barred Rocks, and found them 
 perfectly satisfactory in every way ; we would, therefore, 
 prefer them to any other breed of poultry. 
 
 In choosing the fowls, it would not be wise to pur- 
 chase them from some breeder of fancy stock and pay ten 
 or twenty dollars for each bird. A hen costing twenty 
 dollars cannot lay more eggs than one costing one or two 
 dollars, if the latter is well bred. For ordinary purposes, 
 fowls that are worth one or two dollars each will prove 
 satisfactory to the beginner. With proper handling and 
 breeding for several years, it is possible to raise prize- 
 winning birds from this stock. 
 
 If the reader lives in a large town or city, it is no 
 trouble to pick up excellent bargains almost every day, by 
 following the advertisements in the papers. 
 
 The hens and male birds should not be related; if 
 there are any doubts in this matter, it is best to buy the 
 hens of one party and the male bird of another. 
 
 Disinfectants — Insecticides. 
 The value of clean coops and freedom from parasites 
 cannot be overestimated. The coops should be cleaned 
 
 51 
 
every day if possible, especially in the summer months. 
 They should never be allowed to go for more than one week 
 without a thorough cleaning and spading and a change of 
 litter. When first set up, the inside of the coop and pen 
 should be sprayed or painted with a disinfectant. An inex- 
 pensive and satisfactory solution can be made of water, 
 lime, and crude carbolic acid. Five cents worth of lime, 
 dissolved in one gallon of water, and five cents worth of 
 crude carbolic acid added when the lime has dissolved, will 
 be sufficient for one colony coop and pen. It can be ap- 
 plied with either spray pump or brush. It is important 
 that corners, cracks and crevices are not overlooked in 
 applying the solution, because these are the hiding places 
 of mites. 
 
 Before the fowls are placed in their clean quarters they 
 also should be treated for insects. Aside from the mites, 
 which attack the fowls only at night and drop off when the 
 birds leave the roost in the morning, two other parasites 
 must be guarded against. The insects in question are 
 known as "body lice" and "head lice." The same treat- 
 ment will not prove effective for both, because of their dif- 
 ferent habits. 
 
 Body lice are found on all parts of the fowl but espe- 
 cially around the fluffy feathers. The fowls should be 
 treated with an insect powder especially prepared for the 
 purpose. The powder should be applied by holding the 
 fowl by the legs, with the head down, and dusting it into 
 the feathers. It should be rubbed into the skin thoroughly, 
 particularly among the small, fluffy feathers, where most of 
 the lice find lodgment. 
 
 Head lice should be looked for on the heads of the 
 adult fowls. They are blood suckers and a few of them 
 fastened to the head of a fowl will quickly reduce its vital- 
 ity and usefulness. 
 
 The greatest care should be taken that small chicks 
 do not fall victims to them. A setting hen should be free 
 of head lice, or they will fasten on the heads and throats of 
 the chicks as soon as they are hatched and quickly sap 
 their life blood. When examining fowls for head lice, it is 
 necessary to look closely in order to detect them ; thev 
 
bore clear down to the base of the feathers, and on account 
 of their large size, are often mistaken for pin feathers. To 
 kill head lice the infected parts should be rubbed with 
 Head Lice Ointment or Salve, a preparation that can be 
 obtained at any poultry supply house. 
 
 When fowls have been newly purchased, they should 
 be given treatment for lice every week or ten days, to pre- 
 vent possible nits from hatching and giving the lice an- 
 other foothold on the fowls. 
 
 After the coops and fowls are rid of the insects it is 
 well to keep up the good work by using the preparations 
 at least once a month, as preventatives. 
 
 Medicines. 
 
 The best way to keep the fowls in good health is to 
 see that their quarters are fresh and clean ; to provide 
 draft-proof coops ; and to feed them the right quality and 
 quantity of food. When this is done, there is no reason 
 for the fowls to become sick. 
 
 It is much better to prevent than to cure; and for this 
 reason it would be a good idea to give the fowls, young 
 and old, a safe tonic several times a week. During the 
 moulting period a tonic is especially beneficial, because the 
 birds are then susceptible to diseases on account of their 
 low vitality. 
 
 White Diarrhoea is the most fatal of all the diseases 
 to which young chicks are subject. More than 60 per cent 
 of all chicks hatched annually, die of this ailment. It was 
 the only disease that caused us any trouble to speak of, 
 and we overcame it by giving the chicks a remedy in their 
 drinking water. This disease may come at any time from 
 the first to the twenty-first day. It appears in the form of 
 a white discharge which hardens and closes the vent. 
 When the disease has gone this far, it is necessary to soften 
 the substance with oil and remove it in order to save the 
 chick. There will be no need of this if remedies are used 
 from the first day. 
 
 Although thousands and thousands of young chicks 
 and adult fowls die each year from various diseases, our 
 experience covers only what has already been stated ; and 
 
 S3 
 
we do not feel competent to write of diseases of which we 
 have no practical knowledge. Innumerable books are 
 printed, dealing with this subject, and it would be wise for 
 the beginner to possess one, written by some reliable au- 
 thority, so that in case any trouble appeared among the 
 fowls, the proper remedies would be on hand. 
 
 We used Conkey's Poultry Tonic, Conkey's Lice Pow- 
 der, Conkey's Head Lice Ointment and Conkey's White 
 Diarrhoea Remedy. We chanced to buy these compounds 
 when we first had need for supplies of this nature and as 
 they proved entirely satisfactory, we have continued to 
 use them in our poultry work. 
 
 Water, Grit and Charcoal. 
 
 Water, fresh and clean, should be supplied several 
 times daily. In winter it should be warm, as it helps to 
 warm the fowls and does not freeze so readily. The vessel 
 holding the water should be constructed so that the fowls 
 can not spill it or make it unfit for use by walking in it. 
 Several devices, more or less ingenious, can be bought at 
 supply houses. A small trough of sheet metal or a quart 
 can, slightly flattened and fastened to the side of the pen, 
 will answer the purpose very well. 
 
 Grit can be bought at very small cost ; a supply suffi- 
 cient for a flock of nine fowls for several weeks should 
 cost fifteen or twenty cents. If supply houses are not 
 handy, it can be manufactured at home. Gravel, stone, and 
 clam or oyster shells should be crushed to the size of small 
 peas and plentifully scattered in the pens where the fowls 
 can find it. A better plan is to keep it before them in hop- 
 pers ; it is then possible to see that they are always well 
 supplied. It is important that both the stone and shell 
 grit are furnished the fowls. Both are necessary — one for 
 the digestive organs, the other for shell-making material. 
 
 Crushed charcoal is a necessity in the poultry pen. 
 It is one of the best known preventives of bowel trouble 
 The cost is trivial ; a few cents worth will last for many 
 days. 
 
 54 
 
In order to economize space in the pens, we kept the 
 charcoal, crushed stone, and crushed shell in one hopper 
 which was divided into three compartments. 
 
 Food Supply. 
 
 To get the best results from the poultry, they must be 
 kept in the best possible state of health and energy, and 
 this depends greatly upon the quality of the food given to 
 them. It is quite possible to keep the fowls alive and per- 
 haps gather a few eggs now and then by feeding them 
 only one or two varieties of grain. Where the object is 
 to keep them at the top notch limit of productiveness, it 
 is imperative that the food supply be as varied as pos- 
 sible. For this reason, we suggest that the beginner lay 
 in a stock of the following supplies : Wheat bran, wheat, 
 oats, barley, millet, corn chops, corn meal, ground oats, 
 buckwheat, Kaffir corn, alfalfa, and clover. 
 
 The quantity to buy depends upon the size of the 
 purse. If the beginner buys the grain in small quantities, 
 as is too often the case, the profits at the end of the year 
 will be very small indeed. The most economical way 
 would be to get 100 pounds of each item. The money ex- 
 pended would then go many times farther than would be 
 the case if the food was bought in small quantities. If 
 this expenditure is out of the question, we would get, say 
 fifty cents worth of each item. This would total an outlay 
 of $6, for supplies which should last for several months, 
 with economical feeding. 
 
 The Morning Meal. 
 
 For the first meal in the day, the fowls should be given 
 one of the following mixtures : 
 
 Wheat and oats; 
 Wheat and barley; 
 Wheat and millet; 
 Wheat and corn chops; 
 Wheat and Kaffir corn; 
 Wheat and buckwheat. 
 
 Vary the program each day. If the fowls seem to tire 
 of a certain grain, discontinue it for several days and they 
 will soon crave it. 
 
 55 
 
The grain must be raked or spaded into the soil to 
 make the birds work for it. If this is not done, the fowls 
 will soon become fat and lazy and the egg yield will suffer 
 in consequence. As to the amount to be fed at one time, 
 that depends entirely upon the appetites of the fowls. It 
 is better to under-feed than to over-feed, especially in the 
 morning. Watch the flock eat, to determine the proper 
 amount of their rations. If considerable grain is left not 
 eaten, it shows over-feeding, and the supply should be cut 
 down in proportion. Two, or possibly three ordinary tea- 
 cups full should suffice for a flock of nine fowls. 
 
 Green Food. 
 
 Several hours after the morning meal, the flock should 
 be given their daily supply of green food. In summer, 
 this is accomplished by moving the pen to the right loca- 
 tion, providing grass or clover has been sowed for this 
 purpose; if this has not been done, sprouted oats may be 
 fed ; freshly cut lawn trimmings can also be substituted for 
 the sprouted oats. 
 
 When the pen is detached from the coop, it is also 
 necessary to remove the nests and to hang them in the 
 pen ; otherwise, the hens may form the habit of laying their 
 eggs on the ground. 
 
 Mash Food. 
 
 Shortly after midday, the flock should be given a mash 
 food. The largest portion of the mash should be com- 
 posed of wheat bran ; to which may be added ground oats, 
 corn meal or middlings, table scraps, lean meat, and 
 steamed alfalfa or clover ; a little salt and pepper should be 
 added for seasoning, about as much as would be used for 
 seasoning table victuals. 
 
 The following mixtures will give some idea of the pro- 
 portions to be used in preparing the mash : 
 
 (1) Wheat bran 2 parts 
 Corn meal 1 part 
 Table scraps 1 part 
 
 (2) Wheat bran 2 parts 
 Ground oats 1 part 
 Table scraps 1 part 
 
 56 
 
(3) Wheat bran 2 parts 
 Middlings 1 part 
 Steamed alfalfa 1 part 
 
 (4) Wheat bran 2 parts 
 Ground oats 1 part 
 Steamed clover 1 part 
 
 About one-eighth part lean meat scraps may be added 
 to any of the mash foods, with good results. Only lean 
 meat should be used, and some judgment must be exercised 
 in feeding it; too much will cause bowel trouble in the 
 fowls. 
 
 Vary the mash mixtures from day to day. If the fowls 
 are given the same mash food for four or five successive 
 days, they tire of it, and will not eat as much as they other- 
 wise would. This will cause a loss instead of a saving; for, 
 while it is poor policy to over-feed the fowls, it is yet neces- 
 sary that they consume a certain amount of food each day, 
 to make up for the drain upon their systems caused by pro- 
 ducing eggs. The average laying hen requires from five 
 to six ounces of food each day to keep her in good, 
 condition. 
 
 The mash food should be fed in hoppers ; and in quan- 
 tity should not be more than the fowls can clean up in a 
 few minutes. Mash food should not be allowed to stand 
 for any length of time, as it becomes sour and is not fit 
 for the fowls to eat. 
 
 The Evening Meal. 
 
 Late in the afternoon, the pen should be returned to 
 the coop, and the fowls fed the last meal for the day; the 
 largest portion of this should be corn chops, but some 
 other grain can be mixed with this, usually oats in summer 
 and buckwheat in winter. The fowls should be given a 
 good meal of this grain, to sustain them through the long 
 night. 
 
 Before leaving the flock for the night, the covers of 
 the pen should be partly let down, to keep the floor dry 
 in case of rain. The hinged roof of the coop should also 
 be partly closed, even in the summer weather, to prevent 
 
 57 
 
water from dripping on the fowls. The open front allows 
 plenty of ventilation during the hottest summer weather. 
 The curtain at the front of the coop should never be let 
 down except when it is severely cold, and then only after 
 the fowls have gone to roost. In windy, blustering weather 
 the hinged roof should be kept closed to prevent drafts. 
 
 Broody Hens. 
 
 Broody hens can usually be broken of the habit by 
 
 keeping them in a strange coop for several days. As the 
 
 time required for the breaking process means the loss of a 
 
 •week or more, it is more profitable to give them a nest of 
 
 eggs, so that their time will be usefully employed. 
 
 To be prepared for the broody fowls, it is best to have 
 on hand several of the small chick pens and coops described 
 in another part of this book. For a flock of eight hens, 
 four of these pens would be necessary, each pen accommo- 
 dating twenty to twenty-four chicks, depending upon the 
 number of eggs hatched. 
 
 Eggs for Hatching. 
 
 In choosing the eggs for the setting hens, three things 
 should be taken into consideration, namely: The fertility, 
 the source, and the size and shape of the egg. 
 
 The fertility depends upon the number of hens al- 
 lowed with the male bird, and upon the system of feeding. 
 If the flock consists of eight hens and one male bird and 
 the feeding has been followed as suggested, from 90 to 100 
 per cent of the eggs should be fertile. 
 
 To know the source of the eggs to be hatched, it would 
 be a good plan to fasten a leg band to each of the hens, 
 with a number or figure on it that could be easily distin- 
 guished, and to mark the eggs, as soon as they are layed, 
 with a corresponding number or figure. In this manner 
 it is possible to determine which are the best laying hens 
 and to keep their eggs for hatching purposes. 
 
 The eggs selected should be of uniform size, as far as 
 possible, and of regular shape. Eggs that are much larger 
 
 58 
 
or smaller than normal should not be used for hatching. 
 When saving eggs for hatching purposes they should be 
 kept in a cool place, preferably in a cellar, where the tem- 
 perature registers about 50 degrees above zero. Incuba- 
 tion starts at 80 degrees; the germ dies at the freezing 
 temperature ; it is, therefore, best to keep the eggs in a tem- 
 perature between the two extremes. 
 
 Twelve eggs under each hen will hatch the best per- 
 centage of chicks. It is possible to place fifteen or sixteen 
 eggs under a hen, but it generally results in a poor hatch. 
 An ordinary sized hen cannot properly cover that many 
 eggs and a number of them become chilled during incuba- 
 tion, resulting in weakened vitality and short lived chicks. 
 
 If the eggs are not clean, they should be washed by 
 rubbing them with a clean cloth moistened in clean, warm 
 water. Soapy or greasy water should never be used in 
 cleaning eggs. 
 
 The nest should be made of clean straw or hay, and 
 slightly concave, so that the eggs, when moved, will roll 
 toward the center. Both the nest and the hen should be 
 treated with insect powder before the eggs are placed. 
 
 If the hen is a good setter, it is best not to disturb 
 her in any way except to give her food and water every 
 day. 
 
 When the Chicks Are Hatched. 
 
 Remove shells and unhatched eggs from the nest 24 
 hours after the first chick is hatched ; but while doing this, 
 do not over-excite the mother hen or she may injure some 
 of the chicks by trampling them. It is best to lift her bodily 
 from the nest and to place her in the chick pen until the 
 cleaning operation is over. 
 
 No food should be given to the chicks for the first 36 
 hours. Nature has provided them with sufficient nourish- 
 ment for this length of time; all they require is rest and 
 quiet and time to gain strength. Their first food should 
 be some good quality of "Chick Food," which can be ob- 
 tained at any supply house. When a number of chicks are 
 to be hatched during the season, it is economy to buy this 
 
 59 
 
in 100 pound sacks, which cost about $2.50. One sack 
 should last 75 or 100 chicks until they are old enough for 
 the coarser grain. 
 
 We used Cypher's Chick Food exclusively for our 
 small chicks, and recommend it to the beginner. We also 
 used Cypher's "No-Di," a charcoal preparation, to prevent 
 diarrhoea. This was kept before them in hoppers at all 
 times and did much to keep the chicks in good condition. 
 
 Sand and small grit should be mixed with the soil in 
 the pens, to provide the little fellows with material to aid 
 in digesting their food. 
 
 Fresh water should be given to the chicks from the 
 first day in non-spillable vessels, so that they cannot be- 
 come wet and chilled. 
 
 Wheat bran should be kept before the chicks after 
 the third day. 
 
 After the first week, the pens should be moved daily, 
 so that the chicks can pick up what green food they require. 
 
 In caring for the little chicks, it is important to bear 
 these facts in mind : Do not overfeed ; feed little and often ; 
 it is better to give them a little food every two hours than 
 a larger amount every four hours. Induce exercise, make 
 the chicks scratch for the grain. 
 
 When the chicks are four weeks old, they are large 
 enough to care for themselves, and the mother hen should 
 be taken from the pen. If a large number of chicks are on 
 hand, it is also time to separate, and fatten the fowls in- 
 tended for market. 
 
 Market Fowls. 
 
 In order to fatten the market birds quickly, they should 
 be fed plenty of rich mash food. To prevent trouble, it is 
 best not to feed too heavily for the first few days, or until 
 the fowls become accustomed to it. One moderate mash 
 feed per day should be given during the fourth week and 
 the number gradually increased until the tenth week, when 
 they should be fed the mash four or five times each day. 
 
 It is also advisable to alter the ingredients of the mash 
 each week, and to give a larger proportion of the more fat- 
 tening elements as the chicks grow older. 
 
 60 
 
The following table should give the reader an idea of 
 the proportions to use in making the mash food : 
 
 Fourth and Fifth Weeks 
 
 Wheat bran 4 parts 
 
 Corn meal 5 parts 
 
 Ground oats 6 parts 
 
 Sixth Week 
 
 Wheat bran 4 parts 
 Corn meal 6 parts 
 
 Ground oats 6 parts 
 
 Seventh Week 
 Wheat bran 4 parts 
 Corn meal 7 parts 
 
 Ground oats 6 parts 
 
 Eighth Week 
 
 Wheat bran 4 parts 
 Corn meal 7 parts 
 
 Ground oats 5 parts 
 
 Ninth Week 
 
 Wheat bran 3 parts 
 
 Corn meal 8 parts 
 
 Ground oats 3 parts 
 
 Tenth Week 
 
 Wheat bran 3 parts 
 Corn meal 8 parts 
 
 Ground oats 3 parts 
 
 (Only oats without hulls should be used.) 
 
 6 parts steamed clover or alfalfa can be added to any of the 
 above mash foods. 
 
 Commencing with the fourth week, one moderate mash 
 feed should be fed each day ; the fifth week, two ; the sixth 
 week, three ; the seventh and eighth weeks, four ; the ninth 
 and tenth weeks, five per day. 
 
 The mash should be moistened with water, or milk if 
 possible, until it is just crumbly, and a little salt added for 
 seasoning. The quantity to be fed at a time must be found 
 from actual experience. The fowls should be given just 
 enough so that they will be hungry at the next meal. Be- 
 tween the mash feeds, the fowls should be given a small 
 
 61 
 
amount of grain to induce exercise, and green food should 
 also be fed every day. A small amount of lean meat sev- 
 eral times weekly will aid materially in fattening the birds. 
 When the young fowls are kept on this diet for sev- 
 eral weeks and not allowed to run about on range, their 
 flesh becomes remarkably tender and sweet and they are 
 incomparably better for the table than the ordinary fowls 
 bought at the market. 
 
 Chicks for Maturity. 
 
 When the chicks are to be raised to maturity, the 
 small grain food should be continued until the ninth or 
 tenth week. At that age they are large enough for the 
 coarser grain and should be fed very much the same as 
 the adult fowls. It will help considerably if they are fed 
 one mash food daily ; the mash to consist of wheat bran 
 1 part, corn meal 1 part, ground oats 1 part, and 2 parts 
 steamed alfalfa, with salt and pepper added for seasoning. 
 
 Meat scraps should be fed every day or at least sev- 
 eral times a week. A daily supply of some sort of green 
 food is a necessity, and should not be overlooked. 
 
 A coarser grade of grit should be served when the 
 large grain takes the place of the small chick food. 
 
 Chicks for maturity should not be given the rich food, 
 nor should there be any attempt to force their growth as 
 in the case of the market fowls. Their food should be 
 chosen with the view to build up the young bird in bone, 
 muscle and feather, and not fat. 
 
 Bear in mind that it is not only what you feed that 
 determines success ; how much to feed and how often are 
 equally important. 
 
 The chicks should not be over-crowded. A 3 by 6 pen 
 allows ample room for twenty or twenty-five small chicks ; 
 but as the fowls grow larger, more space is required, or 
 they will not do well. As they near maturity, not more 
 than six or eight fowls should be kept in a pen of this 
 size. By the time the fowls reach maturity, they should 
 be provided with a large colony coop. 
 
 With well-bred stock to start with, the beginner can 
 realize handsome profits by raising the chicks to maturity 
 
 62 
 
and demanding good prices for them. There is always a 
 ready market for well-bred birds and good prices prevail. 
 
 Another item that should not be lost sight of is the 
 profit to be made from the sale of setting eggs. The de- 
 mand is generally greater than the supply during spring 
 and early summer, with prices anywhere from $1.00 to 
 $5.00 per setting, depending upon the quality of the stock. 
 By keeping the hens in proper condition for laying, the 
 beginner should be able to pick up many dollars and still 
 have plenty of eggs left for personal use. 
 
 To the beginner, the chief objection to raising poultry 
 in a crowded city would probably be lack of space. This 
 should not prevent any ambitious person from making a 
 start. It is not necessary to have an acre of ground. A 
 flock of nine fowls can be kept very nicely in a small back 
 yard, and will prove the best sort of an investment, if 
 proper care is given the birds. 
 
 It should be made a case of quality and not quantity. 
 
 We do not assure our readers that they can make a 
 grand success of poultry keeping. That would be foolish, 
 inasmuch as success depends entirely upon their own ef- 
 forts. There is no reason, however, why an ordinary per- 
 son cannot duplicate or improve upon our success, by 
 taking advantage of the practical information contained 
 in this book. 
 
 A clear profit of more than $12.00 a year for each hen 
 should help considerably to solve the "high cost of living" 
 problem for any wage earner. 
 
 63