BRANCHES OF THE POULTRY BUSINESS 3I 



of keeping their own laying stock or largely giving 

 up the Brahma. Few Wyandotte or Rhode Island 

 Red fowls are used. The former weigh fully a 

 pound less than the Plymouth Rock and lay smaller 

 eggs. The Rhode Island Red is not liked because, 

 after the chicks pass the broiler age, the}' quickly 

 become narrow breasted and the flesh is not of as 

 good quality as that of the White Plj'mouth Rock. 

 This last breed will lay more eggs than any other 

 suitable for the purpose and will produce the best 

 color and quality of meat. 



The young chicks are fed five times a day at first, 

 but soon get only three meals. The brooder house 

 floor is covered with an inch of sand. Second 

 growth hay is cut into short lengths and a basket- 

 ful strewn through the pens each day. The feeder 

 goes through the house with a pail of chick feed and 

 throws a small scoopful or two in the litter. He 

 then gives a mixture of dry ground grains, consist- 

 ing of two parts wheat bran and one part corn meal 

 b_y measure, after which the chicks get a good feed 

 of beef scrap. Enough feed is given so that while 

 they have food constantlj- before them, they will 

 eat it up clean once a da}^ at least. 



Generally speaking, the return from these roast- 

 ers is from two to five times as much a head as 

 from broilers. The main difference in cost of pro- 

 duction lies in the feed. Roasters which would 

 sell at the maximum price, 30 cents, should cost 

 ID cents a pound above the cost of raising them 

 to broiler age. Thus an 8-pound roaster would 

 cost 30 cents up to broiler age and 80 cents to 

 market size, or $1.10. It would sell at the above 

 price for $2.40, so there would be $1.30 margin. 



Among the principal advantages of this branch 



