PART V 



POULTRY KEEPING. 



BREEDS. 



THERE is probably no other domestic animal which has a 

 more general distribution than the hen, and the part which 

 she plays in the agricultural wealth of this country is almost 

 incredible. According to the most recent statistics of the 

 Department of Agriculture, the products of the American hen aggre- 

 gate a total value of more than $620,000,000 annually. This sum is 

 stated to be equal to the value of the hay crop for 1908 and greater 

 than the combined value of oats and potatoes for the same year. It 

 is nearly nine times the value of the tobacco crop and equal to that 

 of wheat. 



Poultry and eggs are produced in all sections of the country, but 

 the business finds its greatest scope in areas presenting the most favor- 

 able conditions. It is a noticeable fact that the bulk of these impor- 

 tant products is produced on the farms of the Mississippi Valley. 

 In this section there are practically no large intensive poultry farms 

 such as are commonly found in the Eastern States and on the Pacific 

 coast. Poultry keeping, therefore, is largely incidental, the hens being 

 considered and treated largely as an agency for converting material 

 which would otherwise go to waste into a salable product. Conse- 

 quently the poultry and eggs produced constitute merely a by-product 

 of the general farm. Because prices for poultry products are com- 

 paratively low the farmers make no effort to keep larger flocks than 

 can be supported by this waste without much attention or extra feed, 

 and because individual flocks are small little attention or thought has 

 been given to improving the product or the method of disposing of 

 it. It should be kept in mind, however, that while individual sales 

 of poultry products are small, the aggregate for the year is large, 

 reaching for each State in the Middle West a total of many millions 

 of dollars. (Dep. Agr. Bureau Animal Ind. B. 141.) 



Making a Start With Poultry. The safest way for those who 

 are about to make their first attempt at poultry raising is to start in 

 a small way with a few fowls, and learn the business thoroughly be- 

 fore making large investments. Mistakes will be made and many dif- 

 ficult problems will be presented for solution before success in any 

 large measure will be attained. As soon as it is found to be a paying 

 investment, more capital may be put into the plant. 



Another good plan for the beginner who wishes to learn the art 

 of poultry keeping is to secure a position with some successful poultry- 

 man. One or two years of work on a large, practical plant will be 



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