DIVERSIFIED AND SPECIALIZED FARMING 121 



work. If the water and feed supply are conveniently 

 arranged, there is usually little serious conflict with other 

 work. Sometimes hogs are used to harvest or " hog off " 

 corn and grains. They may then be a help in getting 

 farm work done. 



90. Distribution of labor on poultry. The monthly 

 distribution of labor in raising and caring for hens, 

 washing and marketing eggs, is shown in Fig. 39. It 

 includes all the time involved in keeping a flock of 

 500 and raising about 1200 chickens, or about 600 

 pullets. The flock was kept on a 318-acre diversified 

 farm. The hens were in one large house. A feed bin in 

 the house was filled from a wagon ; the house was cleaned 

 by driving through with a manure spreader. The chickens 

 were raised in three lots by two incubators. The buildings 

 and other arrangements were such as to facilitate labor. 

 It will be seen at once that it would require many hens 

 to keep one person busy, as the care of this flock only 

 requires about two hours a day except during the incu- 

 bating season, when it requires about six hours a day. 

 This is a very unequal distribution of labor. The largest 

 amount of work with poultry is in raising chickens. 

 This comes at the same time as the largest amount of 

 work with hens, washing eggs, and preparing them for 

 market. " Seed time and harvest " come at the same 

 time with poultry. This work interferes seriously with 

 the spring work on a farm. It fits best on farms that have 

 the highest pressure of work at some other season. It fits 

 better with hay and winter wheat than with larger areas 

 of spring-planted crops. Frequently, much of the poultry 

 work is done by women so that it does not interfere with 

 farm work. 



