34 



POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Specialized, intensive, small poultry farms bear a similar 

 relation to general poultry production that the greenhouse 

 culture of vegetables does to general market gardening. 

 Tlu'V are useful for the jjroduction of out-of-season luxuries 

 for the wealthy, but have little to do with feeding the nation. 

 And in common with the production of luxuries generally, 

 tliough large and tempting profits are sometimes made, 

 as an exclusive occupation they are hazardous. 



Fig. 4 



m^^ 





r^ x^\ n i^?i 



The " chirknri-lKtiise" of a Western poultry-packing establishment, given 

 over entirelj' to milk-feeding and dressing chickens. (Courtesy of Seymour 

 Pacldng Company.) 



The general farm protlucer usually disposes of his prockicts 

 as staples and his prol)lem, since he sells at the current 

 quotation, is to reduce the cost of production. Where the 

 poultry or eggs are handled as specialities, the great problem 

 is marketing, of getting a special or fancy price for each 

 individual unit of the product. 



The Customs Hatcher and Baby Chick Dealer.— A present 

 tendency in poultry production is for tlie jiroducer to depend 

 ujion a skilled hatcher to furnish him with li\ing chicks. 

 This ]ira<'tico though ages old in Egypt and China, is a 

 conijjaratively recent development in America. Though 



