No. 9. 



Profits of Poultry. 



285 



Profits of Poaltiy. 



We have long believed that with a moderate share 

 of attention to the poultry on a farm, it might be made 

 a source of consiilerable profit. It is too mudi siifP'red 

 to run at large, and take care of itself. Like other 

 domestic stock, it requires that its habits and its wants 

 slioiild be studied and attended to. When this extra 

 care is judiciously bestowed, it well repays the trou- 

 ble. Poultry ^'enerally commands a good price in our 

 market, li well fatted a.nA nicely prepared. Some who 

 bring it to market, are hardly aware of the loss they 

 sustain in consequence of its not having been well 

 fed, and of the lack of skill shown in dressing it. Let 

 us hint to all our numerous market friends, that an 

 extra price may always be obtained for poultry that 

 Uoks well. Its appearance is almost every thing in 

 regulating its price. We see every day, that'two tur- 

 kies, or a couple of pairs of cliickens, hanging side by 

 side, on the same stall, of the same weight, and the 

 same intrinsic value, may command very diflerent 

 prices. The following letter is taken from the Central 

 New York Farmer.— Ed. 



Messrs. Editors, — As it is the general 

 opinion that fowls are unprofitable and trou- 

 blesoine, I herevyith send you an account I 

 have kept with our fowls tlie past year, 

 which shows what can be done by a little 

 care and attention. They have been con- 

 fined in a yard of about half an acre, with 

 a house and shed made expressly for them. 

 The house is thirteen feet square and two 

 stories high. The first is devoted to feed- 

 ing-hoppers and nests, and tlie second to the 

 roo.-its. In the shed are dry sand for them to 

 roll in, and boxes of lime, gravel, &c. The 

 fence is made of pickets six feet high, which 

 we find sulficient; afler they have been 

 confined a short time, they become attached 

 to the yard, and seldom attempt to fly out. 

 Around the yard, close to the tence, is set a 

 hedge of white pine trees, and a cluster in 

 the middle, where the fowls resort in hot 

 weather, and as a shelter from hawks. 



They have been allowed as much grain 

 as they would eat, and a few boiled potatoes 

 fed to them while warm, and occasionally 

 animal food, such as boiled liver, &c., in 

 winter, with lime, gravel, and a constant 

 stream of water running in the yard. Their 

 food was changed often. It consisted of oats, 

 wheat, screenings, millet, and corn. We 

 found that twelve quarts of oats were sufii- 

 cient for seventy fowls per day, and other 

 grains in proportion to their weight. 



The most of the fowls were of fancy 

 breeds. The geese, of the large Bremen 

 and Chinese varieties; this accounts for the 

 high price at which they are valued. 



POULTRY ESTABLISHMENT, DR. 



To 15 Cocks,— 50 cts. each, $7 50 



« 69 Hens,— 37^ « « 25 87| 



To 



3 Turkeys,— 62A " $1 87^ 



7 Geese,— $1 " 7 00 

 1 Fancy Di ck,— -f 1 1 00 

 1 Guinea Fowl — 25 cts. 25 



71 bush, screening — 15 6-7 cts. 



per bushel, 11 25 



4 bush, millet — 50 cts. per 



bushel, 2 00 



14| bush, corn — 42 " " 6 07 



30-|- bush, oats— 24 " " 7 26 



8 bush, potatoes — 2.5 cts. per bush. 2 00 

 32 Fowls purchased, 15 09 



3 Turkeys, do. 1 13 



§j88 30 



CONTRA, CR. 



By 3,978 Hens' Eggs,— 12 cents per 



dozen, $39 78 



" 39 Ducks' do.— 12 cts. per doz. 39 



" 39 Turkeys' do.— 12 cts. » 39 



" 50 Guinea Hens' do. — 6 cts. " 25 



" 47 Geese do. — 36 cts. per doz. 1 41 



" 41 Fowls sold, 46 31 



" 30 » killed, 7 06 



" 11 " died, 



" 5 presented, 



« 5 Geese sold, 7 00 



" 2 " killed, 2 00 



" 2 Turkeys, do. 1 00 



" 1 " died, 



" 32 bushels manure, sold to Mo- 

 rocco Tanners, at 18| cts. 



per bushel, 6 00 

 " 54 Hens on hand — at 37J cts. 



each, 20 25 

 "18 Cocks on hand — at 50 cts. 



' each, 9 00 



" 6 Geese on hand — at SI each, 6 00 



" 1 Duck on hand, 1 00 

 " 10 Turkeys on hand — at 50 cts. 



each, 5 00 

 " 2 Guinea Fowls on hand — at 



25 cents each, 50 



Profit, 



$153 34 



88 30 



$65 04 



Valuing them at the price of common 

 poultry, that ft 15 cents a piece for the 

 fowls, and 50 cents for the turkeys and 

 geese, leaves a profit of $30 51. 



George Bement. 



Albany, Jan. 10th, 1844. 



To Raise Young Turkies. — Wet their 

 food with sour milk, and let them have free 

 access to a vessel of sour milk for drink. 

 We use com meal for their food. — Prairie 

 Farmer. 



