MONEY MAKING RHODE ISLAND REDS 



SOME EXCELLENT REASONS SET FORTH TO SHOW WHY THE BREED MERITS ITS WONDERFUL 

 POPULARITY-HOW THE REDS CAN MAKE A PROFIT WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE ATTENTION 



F. VV. C. ALMY 



WE HAVE good fiiuse to be enthusiastic over the 

 Reds, and while we do not intend to say anything 

 against any other breed, for we know there are 

 many good and profitable breeds and varieties, 

 yet we firmly believe that the Reds are the best all-around, 

 general purpose fowl in the world. 



We have been keeping the Reds, beginning in a small 

 way, for nineteen years and they have kept us. Starting 

 with no capital at all, we have gradually built up a large 

 business. In addition to this, we have all the parapher- 

 nalia that goes to make up a successful poultry plant. This 

 has been paid fof almost altogether from the profits derived 

 by selling market eggs alone at ordinary market prices. It 

 is only during the last six or seven years that we have paid 

 any attention to the fancy side of the "Red" question. We 

 got our start solely and entirely from the sale of market eggs. 



The Real Beauty of the Breed 



The beauty of this breed is the ease with which the birds 

 can be handled. With very little attention and with the 

 roughest of usage they will, if they simply get enough to eat, 

 lay enough eggs to show a good profit. While this profit 

 can be increased with extra care and attention, ''pampering" 

 and "molly-coddling" are unnecessary as with so many 

 breeds, to make them pro'duce even a scanty number of eggs 

 in the winter season. 



Our own Reds, with the exception of our special breed- 

 ing pens, are all on free range. The houses are eight by 

 twelve feet, made of ordinary hemlock boards, not matching 

 at all and the cracks are left open between the boards. The 

 roofs only are shingled, no attempt being made to keep out 

 the weather with the exception that a strip of red roofing 

 paper is put aroimd the inside of the house, back of the roost 

 poles and behind the nests. 



In these houses we keep 40 to 50 hens and they are 

 allowed out of doors every day in the year. Our climate is 

 rather moderate, the mercury seldom going below zero and 

 it is also very free from snow, averaging not more than two 

 or three weeks when the ground is covered with snow. 



We make only one trip a day with feed, at which time, 

 the mash and mixed hard grain are placed in a covered 

 trough, or hopper, which is divided into two parts. Water 

 and mangels are also distributed on this same trip. Under 

 these conditions our birds frequently give us an egg yield 

 of 40 per cent or better during the month of January. 



Another illustration of the "bound-to-lay-under-any- 

 conditions," quality of the Reds. When the young chicks 

 are placed out in the colony coops early in the spring, an 

 ordinary cracker box about 12x18 inches in dimensions, is 

 placed in each coop and in this the old hen is confined. In 

 spite of -her cramped quarters, with scarcely room enough 

 to turn around, she will frequently start to laying in three 

 weeks after being confined. The only way to prevent hens 

 laying too soon, is to let them have only cracked corn to eat, 

 keeping all mash out of reach and giving only an occasional 

 drink of water. We know how essential exercise is claimed 

 to be by all writers and also other breeders; well, the above 

 methods prove it is not necessary for the Reds. 



The chicks hatched April first, if fed liberally, -kept from 



crowding and free from lice, will, begin laying 1)3' September 

 first and should lay well in October and November. They 

 make fine broilers, weighing 2 to 2i pounds in two months 

 and they also make an Al roasting chicken. The cockerels 

 should average 10 pounds or more per pair at five months 

 of age and we have no trouble in getting the very top price 

 and even more for fancy chickens. 



Another great point in favor of this breed is that the 

 yearling hens do not get fat hke many other breeds but are 

 as good layers the second year as the first. - This is a strong 

 argument in their favor, as you have to renew only one-half 

 your flock each year, instead of the whole flock as with some 

 breeds. 



As a fancier's fowl, as we breed them, we find them very 

 satisfactory and there is nothing that can be more beautiful 

 than a flock of nice pullets and cockerels, when in full 

 feather. 



It h a s been 

 the commonly 

 accepted belief 

 that the Reds are 

 mongrels, bred 

 from mongrels and 

 will breed mon- 

 grels; but this is 

 not true, at least 

 with us. Our best 

 birds breed very 

 true to both shape 

 and color and we 

 have no difficulty 

 in winning some 

 of the good prizes 

 at the best shows, 

 in close competi- 

 tion. 



As another 

 proof that the 

 Reds are satisfac- 

 tory and increase 

 ing in popularity, 

 we have this year 

 (1909) in spite of 

 the high price of grains, etc., sold about 30,000 eggs for 

 hatching up until June. 



They are a grand, good breed; rugged, hardy and prolific 

 layers. With ordinary care and attention they will yield a 

 substantial profit, where some varieties would not pay their 

 keep. We, therefore, say, "Success to the Reds, may they 

 become known to every poultry keeper in these United 

 States." ' To know them is to love them. They are the true 

 mortgage-lifting, money-making breed and we can honestly 

 recommend them to the favorable attention of every lover 

 of poultry. 



(Note — A visit to Mr. Almy's plant is described else- 

 where in these pages and the writer vouches for the truth, 

 of his statements. Crude as his methods are, with him they 

 have proved successful. — Ed.) 



71 



OLD HICKORY 

 A typical R. I. Red male, winner of first prize 

 as cockerel and also as cook at Polo, 111., 1910 

 and 1911. He has a fine five point comb, 

 typical, oblong shape and is a beautiful, ncn, 

 even red color. Bred by Mr. T. J. Rountree, 

 Nora, 111. and now owned by Wside Hampton of 

 Tennessee. 



-■•life" 



