328 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



Abandoned Houses. — Usually the houses that are farthest 

 away from the central part of the farm are the ones most likely 

 to be abandoned. The reasons for this are very apparent. 

 Chickens soon learn the ways of an attendant and the hours when 

 feed is distributed. Day after day they watch the feeder ap- 

 proach from the central part of the farm, and they go to meet 

 him. The stock from the farthest points on the r,ange comes in 

 and joins the flocks close by; in a large herd they congregate, 

 impatiently waiting for the dinner pail. It is natural enough, 

 even if it is troublesome. 



Change Feeding Ground. — Efforts should be made to avert 

 the forming of these habits, though I confess, it is not always 

 possible to do so. The first step is to keep the flocks guessing 

 as to where the attendant is going to make his approach. In 

 other words, if practicable alternate the routine as much as pos- 

 sible ; approach the colony field from different points, so that no 

 particular place exists as a feeding ground. On some farms this 

 is easy to do, on others it is out of the question. 



Another stunt is to avoid distributing feed near the houses that 

 are nearest the central part of the farm, but to carry it to the 

 farthest houses. In this way the flock will follow to the farthest 

 points, and when the chicks have finished, especially if it is 

 the evening meal, they are more likely to remain in the vicin- 

 ity of the farthest houses, and to take shelter in them as night 

 falls. 



In our haste and efforts to reduce our steps it is natural to 

 want to distribute the feed at the nearest point where the flocks 

 can get it; but this is wrong, and will only pile up additional 

 work in the long run. Short-sightedness is one of the worst 

 characteristics a poultryman can have, yet it is strangely common 

 in the matter of feeding. Avoid the spirit of doing a thing for the 

 sake of getting it done. It is almost always fatal to success with 

 poultry, just as it is a serious handicap in other lines of work. 

 Watch the flock and not the clock, is a pretty good slogan for the 

 chicken man. 



Unlimited Feed. — Some of the most successful poultry raisers 



