PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



The Story of Another Farmer 



Another Illinois farmer shipped his surplus poultry to a 

 certain commission firm for a number of years only to discover 

 that the shrinkage on each coop was from twenty to thirty 

 pounds. Satisfied that he was not getting a square deal, he 

 changed to a new comission firm, and a close comparison of 

 weights for a term of years showed that the shrinkage was 

 never more than ten pounds and often there was no shrinkage 

 whatever. 



How He Won Out 



The farmer made good by observing the following sug- 

 gestions : 



He watered and fed all fowls before cooping. 



He made a memorandum of the number of fowls in each 

 coop and their net weight. This was for comparison with re- 

 turns from the sale. 



He made sure that the coop was strong and made secure 

 for the journey. 



He avoided overcrowding; not more than twenty average 

 fowls in an average coop. 



He provided food for the journey, especially when fowls 

 were to be cooped over night. This was planned so that when 

 the fowls appeared upon the market they could be sold with 

 empty crops. This plan reduces shrinkage to a minimum. 



He kept tab on his commission merchant. This is often 

 overlooked. The very few firms that are crooked make it 

 necessary to watch all. Quoting Miller Purvis, an authority 

 on poultry wisdom : "The reputation of the commission mer- 

 chant should be carefully looked into before making consign- 

 ments as the cities are full of swindling commission merchants, 

 although there is no lack of honest ones if the trouble be taken 

 to find them." 



What to Market 



The following classes of market fowls can be disposed of 

 in season. To hold any class longer than the demand con- 

 tinues or market conditions warrant means a waste of feed and 

 a loss of profit. 



1. Springs. These are young cockerels and pullets held 

 over from the crop of the preceding season and are put upon 



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