1044 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



woman who desires to engage in poultry-keeping, either as a 

 means of livelihood or to piece out a slender income, can not 

 make it a pleasant and profitable pursuit pleasant because 

 profitable. 



Poultry-keeping for Boys and Girls. If for any rea- 

 son the farmer does not desire to trouble himself with the care of 

 poultry, I would advise him to turn the business over to the boys 

 and girls. Loan them money enough to build a house, buy the 

 fowls, and food enough to begin with; provide them with poul- 

 try books and papers, and give them the benefit of your advice 

 and experience ; require them to do all the work connected with 

 the care of the poultry, to provide the food as soon as the fowls 

 begin to pay their way, to keep correct accounts, and pay the 

 money loaned as soon as possible, And you should pay them 

 the market price for the poultry manure and for poultry and eggs 

 used by the family. It is not at all likely that these young 

 poultry-keepers will get rich in a hurry they will probably 

 blunder a good deal, and spend some of their money foolishly, 

 but they will learn to help themselves, learn to like the farm 

 and farm work, because they have an interest in it, and acquire 

 business habits that will benefit them all their lives. 



Number of Fowls that may be profitably kept on 

 the Farm. Just as many fowls may be profitably kept on 

 the farm as the owner or some member of the family can find 

 time to care for well. The best way for those who have had 

 but little experience in poultry keeping is to begin with about 

 twenty-five fowls, and increase the number each year until the 

 flock numbers as many as can be cared for profitably. 



Capital needed to start with. But very little capital is 

 needed to enable the farmer to start in the poultry business in 

 a small way. In almost any part of the country good common 

 hens can be bought for fifty cents a-piece, thorough-bred cocks 

 for two dollars each, and the farmer who has lumber on the 

 place, and can do the work himself, can by working at odd times 

 put up a comfortable poultry-house without any cash outlay, 

 except for nails and windows. In some places fowls are win- 

 tered, and profitably too, in sod houses and straw sheds, and the 



