SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KLtriixo 



COLONY PLAN OF HOUSING BREEDERS-HOW THEY ARE FED 



It will suffice to detail the colony plan of housing breeders. 

 The fresh air house promises to become a popular colony house, 

 but at present closed colony houses are the rule. In a house 

 having about 90 to 100 square feet of floor space are kept from 

 30 to 35 females and usually three males. 



These birds are fed a dry grain mixture consisting mainly 

 of cracked corn, oats and wheat in varying proportions, but 

 averaging about equal parts. Beef scrap, pure water and grit 

 are kept before the birds, all the time and green food is fed often 

 in winter; chiefly turnips or beets split and nailed up for the 

 fowls to pick at. Cabbages are also used as well. as cut clover 



SOUTH SHORE SOFT ROASTER 



and cut alfalfa. In the warm weather the birds have liberal 

 runs on grass land. 



The houses are run practically wide open in mild weather 

 and open by day in cold weather. The fresh air house is run 

 wide open the year round. Good egg yields are obtained and 

 the fertility is much better than the average. For hatching 

 the eggs modern hot air incubators are chiefly used. 



THE HATCHING SEASON 



For the Christmas trade the grower of roasting chickens 

 begins hatching in April and runs well into the summer. Many 



growers hatch chicks the year round, disposing of some as 

 broilers, but the quantity of broilers produced is not large in 

 comparison to the roaster busiiiess. 



Hatching for the regular soft roaster trade begins in earnest 

 about the first of August and continues well into cold weather. 



HANDSOME PRICES OBTAINABLE 



The period of best prices for soft roasting chickens is from 

 June 1st to July 15th, at which time the "top notch'' roaster 

 will bring the producer 30 cents, and sometimes more, per 

 pound live weight. And consider just one moment that at 

 this price the dealer goes to the home of the producer, in most 

 cases goes into the coops, catches the birds, weighs them and 

 pays cash. The producer's only trouble is to raise the birds 

 and put them in market condition. 



The lowest prices prevail between October 1st and Novem- 

 ber 1st, when the dealer usually pays from 14 to 17 cents per 

 pound Mve weight. At this time much of the product is "far- 

 mer raised," so that the prices for roasters that are not of iii'st 

 quality will sometimes fall to 12 to 13 cents per poimd alive. 

 A good deal of western poultry reaches the Boston market 

 at this season and helps keep the prices down. 



TIME OF HEAVY SHIPMENTS 



The time of heaviest shipments of soft roasters to Boston 

 market is usually between March 1st and August 16th, and 

 begins again September 1st. During June and July, when 

 soft roasters are netting the producers 30 cents per pound alive, 

 the consumer has to pay from 45 to 50 cents per pound at re- 

 tail. Out of the difference the dealer and the marketmen have 

 to take their profits. 



METHODS OF FEEDING GROWING ROASTERS 



There are nearly as many methods of feeding the growing 

 chicks as there are soft roaster growers. Some use moist 

 mashes, some combine moist mashes and dry grain food and 

 many feed dry grain food exclusively. Almost every grower 

 you meet thinks he alone has the only food ration that will 

 grow chicks successfully (and perhaps he has — for him). It 

 is the same old story we find everywhere in other branches 

 of the poultry business, — there are many good rations which 

 may all be adapted to suit the needs of the one who uses them; 

 the chief essentials being wholesome food, fed in reasonable 

 variety. In every case, whether the grower feeds as does his 

 neighbor or not, the objective point is the same; all are seeking 

 to produce a large, plump, soft meated, yellow fleshed chicken 

 grown in the quickest possible time. 



Some of the most successful roaster growers start their 

 chicks on dry grain chick food, obtaining the best, ready-mixed 

 food of this kind that the market affords. The chick food is 

 fed freely and kept always before the chicks. Incentive to ex- 

 ercise is supplied by scattering a part of the food in a litter of 

 cut clover, mow sweepings or cut alfalfa. Pure water is kept 

 always before the chicks. The brooders are kept comfortably 

 warm and well aired. Beef scrap or other meat food is fed as 

 early as the fourth day and is usually kept before the chicks 

 from then on to the time when they are ready for the dealer to 

 take to market. Hopper feeding of dry grain is extensively 

 practiced. 



NEWLY HATCHED CHICKS ARE CAREFULLY WATCHED 



The first few days the chicks are in the brooders they are 

 kept moving by the attendant and prevented from "bunching" 

 or huddling i^i little groups. This is to prevent them from find- 

 ing out that they can get warm by so bunching, and to teach 



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