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THE ORNIHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



Starting in tiie Poultry Business. 



BY F. 8. G. BOONE, IOWA. 



To start in the poultry raising business re- 

 quires so little capital, that aoy boy or girl can 

 set himself up in a good paying business with 

 just what pocket money he has. To relate my 

 first ventures might be of some use to those who 

 contemplate starting into it, so here it is. 



When I was 14 years old I couldn't find any 

 way to make money and go to school too, but 

 one day I received a sample copy of some little 

 Poultry Journal containing the advertisements 

 of some dealers in eggs. 



One of our neighbors had a large flock of 

 chickens, and as there always is a lot that want 

 to set I went over to purchase some setting 

 hens. She had a number that wanted to set but 

 that she was trying to "break up" by tying a 

 red rag to their tails and. duckin' them in water 

 and all such kind of foolishness but they would 

 not break worth a cent, and so when I offered to 

 buy them she was so glad to get rid of them 

 that she let me have 10 for f 1.25. They all want- 

 ed to set. 



Her chickens were scrub Plymouth Rocks, but 

 I bought enough eggs of her for $2.50 to set 

 them all with 15 eggs each. Of these only 118 

 hatched and of those hatched only 104 were suc- 

 cessfully raised. According to the common cus- 

 tom at Boone I gave 30 chickens each to four 

 hens and the other six soon commenced to lay 

 and in eight weeks I again set them upon their 

 own eggs 15 to each hen and hatched 70 chickens 

 and brough up 58, with three hens. When 

 Christmas came I had 162 young chickens which 

 I sold for 25c each, for Christmas and New Years 

 dinner. Thus I had $40.50 for chickens and I 

 had sold $2 worth of eggs to my mother, and I 

 still had my 10 old hens left. 



It had not cost me one cent for poultry house 



or yard for I let them in the barn at night. 

 Keither had it cost me anything for feed for I 

 used all th& table scraps, and corn meal from 

 the house and also some of the cow's feed, be 

 sides this they got all they could pick. Thus 

 on an investment of 83.75 I cleared $42,50 you 

 can figure up the per cent, but remember I still 

 had my old hens left. 



The next spring I bought eggs for 2.50 per 13 

 two settings of thorough bred plymouth rocks. 



This cost me $.5. I built a pen off the corner 

 of the barn yard about 50 by 60 ft. and let these 

 grow up there and out of 26 eggs I raised 22 fine 

 healthy chickens. 



I bought 15 more setting hens, and eggs to set 

 them with of the same lady and paid the same 

 rate as before, besides this she let me set 8 of 

 her hens on 15 eggs each, this brought me 74 

 good healthy chickens and the eggs of my own 

 hens brought me 197, besidrs the 32 

 thorough breds. These figures give the number 

 I raised successfully. I forjjet the number 

 hatched, of which a number died. At Christmas 

 and New Year I sold my whole stock for $77.25 



These figures do not include the 25 old hei)s 

 nor the 22 thoroughbreds for I kept them. 



Thf re is only one trouble in starting into the 

 business and that is you are liable to get hold 

 of unprincipled dealers who will get your money 

 and send you an inferior grade of eggs or stock. 

 Look out for them. 



[Note. — We will publish the "ads" of reliable 

 dealers only, in the 0. & B. and if you wish to 

 secure good stock write to them. If any one 

 should make a mistake and you will notify 

 him of it he will make it right with you. Should 

 any person advertise in this paper and be ap- 

 parently all right and we find nut that he is de- 

 frauding our patrons has advertisement will 

 be discontinued at once and we will publish a 

 notice of the fact and the reason for discontin- 

 uing it so, that no one will answer an old ad. 

 We will make due allowances for mistakes and 

 will give him a written notice so that he may 

 rectify his mistake, if such it be. 



The O. & B is the friend of every honest 

 dealer and collector, but it will not tolerate 

 frauds, and any who are frauds may be sure 

 they will be advertised if we get hold of the 

 facts. If any of you readers have come scross 

 any frauds, send us their name and address with 

 the facts and we will publish them. We think 

 that this will benefit reliable people as they can 

 thus avoid the frauds, and it will work a revo- 

 lution in the poultry business. 



Every poultry man and collector in the coun- 

 try will find the fraud list of great benefit to hira. 



We herewith adopt the motto of Booth when 

 he shot Lincoln, "Sic semper tyranus." 



Charcoiil mixed with oil meal should be 

 given to your poultry often. 



G-Jve your poultry good, fresh water at 

 least three times a day. 



Give hens that are in the habit of eating 

 their eggs dark nests. 



Lice is the prime cause of many deseases. 

 Kerosene will cure this. 



Feed well. 



In sitting don't misrepresent, better lose 

 a sale than do that. 



