INVESTIGATION OF FARM POULTRY CONDITIONS. 

 Ths Farmer's Attitude Toward Poultry. 



Particular note was taken in this investigation of the attitude of the 

 farmer towards his poultry. To record this information the following 

 classification was made : 



First, " Uninterested Poultrymen," or those farmers who had practi- 

 cally no business interest in their poultry. 



Second, those whom, for convenience sake and for the want of a better 

 name, we have designated as " Indifferent Poultrymen." 



Third, " Interested Poultrymen," or the more progressive farmers, who 

 gave evidence of having some desire to make the most out of their 

 poultry. 



Our findings are as follows : 



Uninterested poultrymen 29.4 per cent. 



Indifferent poultrymen 32.0 per cent. 



Interested poultrymen , 38.6 per cent. 



It is evident from these figures that almost two-thirds of the pro- 

 ducers of our market eggs are either indifferent or entirely uninterested 

 so far as the business management of their poultry is concerned. From 

 such a disclosure it is not difficult to understand or believe the claim 

 which often has been made, that the loss due to the marketing of stale 

 and bad eggs is largely the result, either of indifference or carelessness, 

 and is therefore almost wholly preventable. 



TabIvE No. 2. — Showing Proportion of Large and Smali, Flocks on 



448 Ontario County Farms. 



Flocks on Most Farms Too Small. 



It will be noticed in this table that for the centre section there is 

 recorded a very large proportion of small flocks. As a matter of fact 

 the farmers in this section have had the least success in the production 

 of winter eggs. We may therefore conclude that the size of the flock 

 contributes at least something to the farmer's success with poultry. From 

 observations made in this investigation the rule seems to be, the smaller 

 the flock the less interest there is in poultry. Where flocks are larger, 



