THE LEGHORNS 



131 



feet. Concrete floors are laid in each, making them prac- 

 tically rat proof and also easy to clean. 



Proper housing is one essential to success, but the 

 most important is good stock. This should be of the 

 best, as more depends upon this one point than any other 

 part of the business. In starting, we secured the most 

 vigorous birds obtainable and by careful breeding, good 

 food and strict attention to cleanliness, as well as numer- 

 ous other little details that only come by experience, we 

 have kept them so. 



Our plant was started principally for commercial pur- 

 poses, the breeding of birds that would produce a profit, 

 a profit on the product sold at regular market prices. 

 But as our operations extended and as our success has 

 become known, a demand has been created for breeding 

 stock, eggs for hatching and baby chicks and this prom- 

 ises to develop into a profitable branch of the business, 

 and we expect in the future by catering to the demands 

 of this trade to greatly increase our profits over those 

 shown in the past. The value of standard-bred poultry is 

 fast becoming recognized and the breeder who makes a 

 specialty of producing healthy, vigorous stock with utility 

 qualities well developed, yet keeping well within bounds 

 of standard requirements, is bound to have ready demand 

 for stock, eggs for hatching, or day-old chicks. We look 

 upon the latter as a very promising branch of the in- 

 dustry and the demand for baby chicks is already greater 

 than we are able to supply with present equipment. 



Marketing the Product. 



First comes the production of the product, then the 



arketing. Hi 



is just as essential that the little de- 



tails be not overlooked as in any other part of the busi- 

 ness. It behooves us to secure the best market at the 

 best prices for our product. We ship mostly to the high- 

 class retail stores in New York City, where we receive a 

 premium over market quotations. To be sure, at some 

 seasons it is necessary that we turn a few cases of eggs 

 in to the commission man. His fee for handling these 

 is 5 per cent. This makes a slight difference in the price, 

 but the surplus has to be marketed. The prices range 

 from 2Sc per dozen in the season of plenty to 60c per 

 dozen when fresh laid eggs are scarce. To secure the 

 highest quotations, they must be strictly fresh, carefully 

 graded and clean. We use the ordinary thirty-dozen-egg 

 case and shipment is made by express. 



Capacity of Plant 



The housing capacity of our plant at the present time 

 is twelve hundred hens. This is the number placed into 

 winter quarters, usually this is reduced somewhat during 

 late winter and early spring by selling breeders. The 

 birds are put into the winter quarters about October first. 

 Those not used for breeders are fed for egg production 

 and are kept as long as they prove profitable. As soon 

 as they stop laying they are marketed, as it is important 

 to dispose of non-producers as quickly as possible. We 

 plan to have our stock consist of 60 per cent pullets and 

 40 per .cent hens, and have been successful in keeping 

 to about this average. 



The production of eggs has averaged approximately 

 one hundred thirty-two eggs per hen for the entire flock. 

 Some selected birds do considerably better, but consider- 

 ing the size of the flock we are very well satisfied with the 



A bird's-eye 



jkjnmouth poultry farm. FRENEAU, N. J. 

 fair idea of 



ind yards, tliough there 



