THE CHICK BOOK 



77 



The Demand Is Greater Than the Supply. 

 The market is never over supplied with the best quality 

 of poultry products, and this seems especially true of fine 

 soft-roasters. Marketmen tell us they can never get enough 

 of them to supply the demand, and such commonplace re- 

 marks as: "I could sell twice as many, if I could only get 

 ihem," is the answer to a question as to there being too 

 many of them grown. We all know the reply Webster made 

 to the man who asked if the legal profession wasn't over- 

 crowded, — "There is plenty room at the top." This applies 

 with especial aptness to the best soft-roasters we have been 

 describing. There may be an over-supply of a cheaper 

 grade, but of the best there is never enough to meet the 

 demand. The increa-se of wealth ?,nd population has result- 



It is a truism to say the best pays the best; we all know 

 that. And not only does it pay the best, but there is the 

 most satisfaction in growing the best! Here is a double 

 reward. We not only get the greater profit which comes 

 of producing the best, but we get the satisfaction of being 

 producers of a high-class article of food that is always in 

 demand in the market. It is the plump, full-breaated, fine 

 meated birds that the consumers want and are willing to 

 pay a good price for, — and if we but produce that article 

 our reward is sure. 



A considerable study of the soft-roasting chicken re- 

 veals several surprises, and one of them is the almost in- 

 numerable methods of feeding employed. In fact, it is With- 

 in the bounds of iruth to say, there is no one "method" of 



Interior of a Brooding House on the Jordan Poultry Plant, Showing Pipes for Warming the tlouse. 



ed in a steadily increasing demand for the best prcducts of 

 the poultryman's art. Wealthy families, leading clubs, 

 hotels and high-class restaurants, all compete for the gilt- 

 edged soft-roasters of the expert poultrymen, and they are 

 willing to pay almost any price, within reason, if the desired 

 quality is presented. In fact, they will pay what they have 

 to pay in order to get what they want. Poultrymen should 

 study the market requirements, and then strive to meet 

 them. The well-known fruit grower, Mr. J. H. Hale, of 

 Connecticut, in an address in which he urged fruit growers 

 to study the market conditions so as to know what the peo- 

 ple want, said: "The fine appearance opens the customer's 

 pocketbook, and then quality keeps it open." There is a 

 most important economic principle completely stated in 

 those few words. The fine appearance of an article induces 

 a customer to buy, and good quality in the article keeps him 

 buying. 



feeding; each poultryman feeds what he esteems to be a 

 good growing ration, and, indeed, this Is tlie one es.^ential 

 thing. The great point to be aimed at is a steady, con- 

 tinuous growth till market maturity is reached, then market 

 in the best condition: Within the past two or three years 

 prepared chick foods have come into very general use, and 

 have given such excellent results they are likely to be still 

 more generally used. The method is to feed them exclusively 

 for the first five or six weeks, adding a little beef scraps 

 or meat meal, and after about six weeks adding cracked 

 corn to the ration. The essential thing is the increase of 

 the meat food and cracked corn until, the last half of the 

 period, half the ration is of those two foods. With this 

 ration a continuous and rapid growth is secured, and the 

 birds are in fine, fat condition all the time, and are ready 

 to market any time wanted. Of course such a rich ration 

 would not do 'for laying-breeding stock. Birds grown upon 



