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30 POULTRY FARMING 
prices on the wholesale markets. The extended storage of eggs 
over periods of two or more years for speculative purposes is dis- 
couraged by law. There will always be a demand for fresh eggs, 
because ‘‘ An egg is an egg,’—that is, a fresh egg is known to 
contain certain food materials that cannot be adulterated. 
With poultry products, more than with any other kind of farm 
products, one can determine months in advance the approximate 
price to be realized. The production of eggs is affected by tem- 
perature, and the price varies accordingly. During the spring 
months a heavy production is certain, and the price is always 
lowest then. During the winter production is limited, and the 
price received per dozen is high. Knowing this, the egg farmer 
should try, by all known methods of care and management, to get 
a maximum egg yield during the winter months, when the price 
is high and a first-class market for fresh eggs is certain. 
Quick Returns for Money Invested—The investor with small 
capital must get returns quickly if he is to make a success of his 
investment. Poultry keeping offers inducements to this kind of 
investor, as there is no branch of animal husbandry which offers 
such quick returns. In any branch of the business—whether eggs, 
broilers, roasters, capons, or fancy stock—the products are ready for 
market in a very short time. Considering the longest possible course 
which one could pursue,—namely, the saving of eggs for hatching 
to raise pullets to be kept for egg production,—the products will 
be ready for market in from five to nine months, depending on the 
breed kept. This one fact of quick returns explains why many 
small investors are always starting into the business. 
Suited to Persons of Hither Sex.—Poultry keeping requires no 
complicated machinery or heavy equipment. For this reason it 
is well suited to women as well as men. It is also suited to persons 
who are unable to perform hard manual labor and who are willing 
to put time and thought into the work at hand. 
It has been previously stated that the great mass of poultry 
and eggs are produced as a side line on the general farms in the 
central part of the United States. On the most of these farms the 
routine work of caring for the birds is left largely to the women and 
children, the men helping with the heavy chores. On many gen- 
eral farms the women of the family take entire charge of the 
hatching and rearing. Natural methods predominate, and very 
satisfactory results are usually attained, owing to the fact that 
they seem to understand the temperament of the sitting hen 
