294 FARM ANIMALS 



tween the poultry business and other lines of ani- 

 mal industry is that as a rule the raising of poultry 

 is carried on purely as a side line and without much 

 attention to the business details of the matter. 

 For this reason it happens that a considerable 

 percentage of those who raise poultry are unable 

 to say anything definite concerning the profit and 

 loss side of the business. Perhaps a larger num- 

 ber of people have failed to make a success with 

 poultry than in the case of any other line of animal 

 industry and this fact indicates clearly, that while 

 it is possible for almost any one without the exer- 

 cise of any care or of common sense to raise some 

 poultry, it is not possible to make a business 

 success of the matter without giving attention to 

 all the necessary matters including the health and 

 food of fowls but also to market conditions and to 

 all known points which relate to the business. In 

 other words, poultry, raising, like other lines of 

 animal industry, does not run itself but must be 

 conducted on a scientific basis. As a rule poultry 

 is maintained only in small flocks but recently an 

 increased number of large poultry farms have been 

 established, devoted exclusively to the raising of 

 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Thus, in the 

 neighborhood of Petaluma, California, several 

 square miles have been given up exclusively to 

 this business and great success has attended these 

 efforts. Again in the region of certain large poul- 

 try markets like New York many men have found 

 handsome profits in buying chickens, ducks, geese 

 and turkeys and putting them in a fine market 

 condition at the right time to realize the best 

 prices. 



As a general thing, it may be asserted that 

 success in the poultry business depends on the 



