4 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1914 



REPORT FROM THE POULTRY DIVISION. 



Year by year the poultry branch of farm work is becoming more valuable to the 

 farmers of the country and this, too frequently, in the face of indifference which is 

 not displayed in other departments of the farm. In previous reports it has been 

 clearly shown that, with judicious management and treatment of the stock — which 

 includes the sale of eggs and chickens at the proper seasons of the year — each hen 

 should make a profit of one dollar to one dollar and fifty cents per year, over and 

 ; bove the cost of feed and management. Indeed many farmers who successfully 

 manage flocks of fowl clear a much larger margin of profit. 



Some farmers keep the light breeds and depend upon eggs alone for the profit, 

 while others prefer a general-purpose breed, thinking that what they may lack in eggs 

 more than made up in table poultry. It is quite possible that in the milder 

 portions of Canada, such as southern Ontario and the Pacific coast, the egg breed- 

 may be most satisfactory, but in the colder portions of Canada, and, in this, Ottawa 

 is included, the greater profit may be attained by the combined production of both 

 eggs and meat, the latter in the shape of broilers "and roasters. For this dual pur- 

 ; ise, one of the utility breeds is to be preferred. 



The question may be asked, ' Can we have a really good layer and flesh former 

 combined?' And the query is warranted, for hitherto there has been an opinion on 

 the part of many persons that it is necessary to have one of the Mediterranean 

 varieties for layers and a larger fowl for a flesh-maker. This opinion has resulted 

 in much of the confusion we find in the poultry business throughout the country 

 to-day. A common but mistaken practice has been to mate a large male bird, one of 

 the utility varieties, with small fowls, already very much mixed, with the object of 

 increasing the size of the progeny, and improving their laying qualities. But such 

 a procedure has only made matters worse, and was only a compromise at best. There 

 are far too many mixed or nondescript fowls throughout the country, which fact 

 seriously militates against the interests of the farmers. 



The unsuitability of type and lack of finish of much of the poultry marketed in 

 Canada has been commented on frequently by some of the largest buyers. 



It is -a matter of very great importance, then, that our farmers should breed 

 chickens of the correct type, and still more important to them if they can have in 

 their fowls good layers and market types combined. 



What, then, is the best variety for farmers to breed to-day ? The question is 

 frequently asked, 'Can we have a .cnod layer and market type combined?' Un- 

 doubtedly. Take, for instance, Barred Plymouth Pocks. If we select and breed only 

 from good layers and flesh types, we are likely to have birds of the same excellent 

 description and this is said with no intent to belittle the great Mediterranean clas~. 



Briefly summed up, the following varieties are recommended to the farmers of 

 the country as best to breed: — If both eggs and flesh are desired: Plymouth Pocks. 

 Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds and Orpingtons. If eggs alone: The Mediterranean 

 class, of which the White Leghorns are the most popular. 



PROPER TREATMENT TO SECURE EGGS AND FLESH. 



It is of paramount importance that, having first secured the proper type of 

 chickens, whether for eggs alone, or flesh and eggs combined, they should be care- 



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