iZazai YOUTH 



enterprises where we can be of assist- 

 ance." 



ELMER BADMAN 

 'Tour trips a doY to the hen houaa." 



kept before the hens at all times. There 

 is plenty of fresh water and the flock is 

 fed (when they can get it) 24 gallons of 

 soured skim milk daily. The skim milk 

 is wonderful feed, Baumann says, and 

 helps to keep the hens in excellent physi- 

 cal condition. 



The flock of 750 hens which included 

 450 pullets, the rest two, three, and four 

 year old hens, was producing approxi- 

 mately 500 eggs a day the fore part of 

 April. The pullets were from the April, 

 1938, hatch of 1,000 chicks purchased 

 from the Reimers Poultry Farm Hatchery 

 in Lake county. The hens had been pro- 

 ducing at a high rate since the first of the 

 year and the pullets started laying early 

 last fall at five months. 



Of the 1,000 day-old chicks purchased 

 last April only 40 were lost until laying 

 age. The cockerels are sold when they 

 weigh a pound and a half at six weeks 

 of age. There are no electric lights in the 

 laying house. 



The poultry equipment on this farm is 

 plain but adequate. The main laying 

 house is a half-monitor type with plenty 

 of windows and light, fresh air intakes 

 and home-made ventilators. The venti- 

 lators are galvanized-iron pipes that ex- 

 tend from above the roof down to a foot 

 or more from the floor. One part of the 

 house is 28 X 36; the other is 20 x 40'. 

 There is a smaller house where the older 

 hens are kept, the eggs from which are 

 sold to the hatchery. 



The hens lay their eggs in metal nest 

 racks. Plenty of spraying and disinfect- 

 ing throughout the year kill lice and keep 

 down losses from the many ailments 

 chickens are subject to. The Baumanns 

 give their flock patient and conscientious 

 care. The hens are kept indoors con- 

 tinuously. The only exercise they get is 

 scratching for their corn, oats, and wheat 



^V^~^N^URAL Youth from Henry, 

 jL) Johnson, Peoria, Shelby, Jack- 



_/\ son-Perry, and Moultrie coun- 

 ties discussed topics vital to their wel- 

 fare over radio stations, WDZ, WEBQ, 

 WMBD, April 12 to 23. Majority of 

 speakers were former 4-H Club mem- 

 bers who had first-hand knowledge of 

 their topics. Sample questions were: 

 "What changes should be made in or- 

 der to make the farm a more desirable 

 place to live?" "Should youth stay on 

 the farm," and "What is the outlook 

 for young people on the farm?" 



How would you answer them? 



Chops and steaks on the hoof were 



judged and graded by Rural Youth at 

 the Peoria and St. Louis markets, April 

 18 and 19. More than 200 from 32 

 counties were there to learn about co- 

 operative livestock marketing. Next 

 month, reports of the livestock grading 

 demonstrations and discussions on how 

 markets are made, will be given at 

 local Rural Youth meetings. Delegates 

 were guests of the Producers at lunch- 

 eon. Tour of the Chicago , market is 

 scheduled May 4. 



Guest Nights are popular in many 

 counties this spring. Clarence Ropp, 

 McLean County Farm Bureau director 

 will be guest speaker, May 10 at the 

 Shelby Rural Youth meeting. His topic 

 is "Outside the Cornfield." Represen- 

 tatives of the local Chamber of Com- 

 merce, Rotary and Kiwaniis Clubs are 

 invited. 



Howard Gaston, president of the 

 Shelby County Rural Youth says: "We 

 hope to show business men what our 

 group is doing. We hope, too, to co- 

 operate with them in future community 



thrown into the litter twice a day. 



In addition to being a smart, small 

 farm operator, Baumann is a thinker and 

 philosopher. He is conservative in his 

 views on economics and political prob- 

 lems. From his angle, there will be no 

 general farm prosperity until organized 

 labor and government cooperating with 

 business and industry are able to put the 

 unemployed back to work. He favors 

 soil conservation, especially to control 

 wind and water erosion. He doesn't think 

 the government is wise spending so much 

 money, figures we are still paying for the 

 last war which threw everything out of 

 joint. 



NOTE : Additional information and news about 

 successful poultry production on lAA members' 

 farms will follow in succeeding; issues of the 

 RECORD. 



John Shuett, president of McHeniy 

 County Rural Youth, was Illinois' dele- 

 gate at a national conference on farm 

 youth problems in Washington, D. C, 

 April 24 to 29. John was appointed by 

 the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 to serve with representatives of four 

 other mid-western states on a section- 

 al committee. 



Beginning May 1, the lAA office 



hours were changed to 7 :45 A.M. to 

 4:00 P.M. central standard time be- 

 cause of the shift to so-called daylight 

 savings time in Chicago. On Saturday 

 the office will close at 11:55 A.M. 

 standard time. 



Repossesses Farm, Pays 



For It After Age 60 



Oscar Brissenden risits his Dad, L. F. 

 OT«r the week end at their farm in Cloy 

 county. 



In his early 40's L. F, Brissenden, Clay 

 county, owned four farms totaling 524 

 acres. His long holdings of cattle in 

 the post-war deflation broke him. In 

 1936, at 62 years of age, he started on 

 the comeback trail. Today, at 65, he owns 

 689 acres including his former holdings. 



Christmas Day, 1938, was a day of 

 celebration and rejoicing in the Brissen- 

 den home. Main ceremony was the burn- 

 ing of mortgages. 



Brissenden children, home for the oc- 

 casion were: Mrs. Saunders, his only 

 daughter; Oscar D., now head of the 

 lAA department of organization; Harry 

 and Bob. Only Paul, a lawyer in Van- 

 couver, B. C, couldn't be there. 



"I am enjoying some of my happiest 

 days, yet my Farm Bureau work and as- 

 sociations are some of my most happy 

 reminiscences," says Mr. Brissenden. 



Factors aiding the comback were suc- 

 cessful cattle and sheep feeding opera- 

 tions and the oil boom. 



22 



I. A. A. RECORD 



