American Agriculturist, August 4,1923 
83 
How Shall We Market the Surplus? 
As Broilers or Roasters?—Summer Handling of the Flock 
W HILE every roaster is capable, in 
its younger days, of being a 
broiler, the most profit on surplus cock¬ 
erels raised each spring lies in the 
ability to distinguish between these two 
classes of birds. Strictly speaking, 
broilers do not necessarily make good 
roasters; by chance a few may turn 
out to be good roasting birds. Leg¬ 
horns and Anconas are excellent broil¬ 
ers up to two pounds, but they are 
absolutely incapable of being anything 
else. On the other hand, a Brahma 
makes an excellent broiler of three 
pounds or over, but the real profit of 
that bird cannot be realized until the 
weight has reached eight or nine 
pounds. 
Here, then, is one sharp line for the 
two classes of birds: light birds or 
breeds should be sold as broilers; very 
heavy birds as roasters. The real dif¬ 
ficulty is, however, to be found among 
the medium-weight birds, of which 
the Rhode Island Reds, Rocks, and 
Wyandottes are typical examples. 
These types contain both roasters and 
broilers, and for the most profit, the 
classes ought to be divided. 
All birds lacking good health or vigor 
ought to be as soon as they are broil¬ 
er size; likewise cull pullets—that is, 
birds not true to breeding or off color. 
With nothing but good, healthy stock 
left the next step is not very difficult. 
A good roaster should have a body 
that is long, deep, and broad; in other 
words, cull as a broiler the bird that 
is short and stocky; his very shortness 
and lack of depth shows that he can¬ 
not grow big; he hasn’t the room to 
expand. A good way to start in is 
to pick out two or three of the best 
birds and take these birds as your 
standard; the birds that come about 
up to them, keep as roasters; make 
broilers of the rest. You will find 
that almost half of your birds will fall 
in one class or the other without much 
difficulty. 
There are some minor points that 
may help you if some birds are about 
on the line. A roaster ought to have 
good quality of flesh and a good yel¬ 
low color to his skin; a blue tinge is 
not popular on the market, although 
as a broiler the bird may get by. A 
fairly small head with wattles and 
comb to match are also attractive to 
commercial buyers. The flesh should 
show a fairly even distribution with a 
Well-developed breast. If the breast 
development is poor at the broiler 
stage, even if the bird is large, put 
it in the broiler class. 
So much for some of the guiding 
principles in dividing these two types 
of birds. From the standpoint of profit 
and loss in the poultry flock all broil¬ 
ers are more expensive than roasters 
because of the labor involved in car¬ 
ing for young chicks. Secondly, the 
mortality or actual loss is heavy with 
the younger birds. The cost of con¬ 
tinuing the broiler to the roasting stage 
is slight; when given free range and 
plenty of water he will almost take 
care of himself. 
While the actual return on these 
two classes of birds cannot be made 
reliable because of the variation of the 
market prices the country over, a quo¬ 
tation from the New York market 
gives some idea of the money involved. 
The prices are for birds sold live- 
weight, and of course the profit would be 
greater in both cases if the birds had 
been sold dressed. Saturday, July 1, 
1922, broilers were quoted at 32 @ 40c. 
Taking the top price throughout for 
the sake of uniformity, a three-pound 
broiler would have brought $1.20. Sat¬ 
urday, November 4, spring chickens 
were quoted at 19 @ 28c. A six 
pound roaster would, therefore, have 
brought $1.68. As a matter of fact, 
the Reds, Rocks, Wyandottes, etc., 
should exceed seven pounds, and prop¬ 
erly fattened should average close to 
eight. The difference then would not 
be less than 48c a bird, and with proper 
management ought to run around 75c 
or better. If the birds are kept on 
a good range, with plenty of water and 
some grain, they will reach a good de¬ 
gree of physical development, and may 
then be fattened for two or three weeks 
in close confinement so that the lack 
of exercise and extra feed will make 
them put on weight. The price re¬ 
ceived will not be a broiler price when 
they are sold, but there will be an 
added income and you will be getting 
the most profit out of all the surplus 
cockerels you raise each spring. The 
surplus males of the poultry yard are 
a necessary nuisance because there is 
no way to avoid their existence, but be¬ 
cause of this very existence they should 
LLUMiil 
THE ROOSTER 
T HE rooster is a lusty bird; 
In all the land his voice is 
heard, 
A proud and haughty bird, by 
heck, 
Who flaps his wings and curves 
his neck. 
From east to west, from perch to 
pole, 
His morning bugle echoes roll, 
Arousing men from snoring deep 
And maidens from their beauty 
sleep. 
He hunts for worms with main 
and might, 
And finding one, with huge 
delight, 
To whet his harem’s appetite, 
He calls his wives with trill and 
hum, 
Then—humor great, but manners 
bum— 
He eats it up before they come. 
Now, whether Red or Plymouth 
Rock, 
x One-half is he of all the flock, 
And chickens mostly favor dad 
In qualities both good and bad. 
But when the hatching season’s 
over, 
We must restrain this gallant 
rover, 
Must shut him up in lonely state 
And keep the layers celibate. 
Their eggs will thus repay our 
toil 
When fertile ones would quickly 
spoil. 
The man who’d be a fresh egg 
booster 
Must segregate that old he- 
rooster. 
—Bob Adams. 
CATTLE BREEDERS 
be made to bring in the best available 
profit, and this can only be done by a 
recognition of the two classes involved. 
Sell broilers, but don’t overlook the 
roasters.— L. H. Hiscock, Onondaga 
County, N. Y. 
FEEDING THE BIRDS IN COOL 
PLACES 
R. I. WEIGLEY 
The very hot days of middle and late 
summer are very hard on laying stock. 
With the best of hot weather care and 
feed, there comes a time during this 
period when the hens will fall off in 
laying, their combs become pale, their 
appetites lack and they sit and mope 
about listlessly. Have you had the 
same experience with your poultry as 
I have had every summer until recent¬ 
ly? I’m sure you all have had. 
I have found a remedy for the hens 
that works to perfection. It is cheap— 
costs nothing, in fact—and can be tried 
by most anybody. This is what I do when 
the enervating days come along: I scat¬ 
ter every day about three sheaves of 
wheat to fifty hens in the coolest place 
I can find. Try it. If you feed oats, 
try feeding it in the straw, too. 
For several years now, I have fed 
all my wheat in the straw during the 
hottest months in this fashion, but I 
did not stop off any part of their lay¬ 
ing ration otherwise. As I said before, 
I scatter my sheaves in the coolest 
place I can find. There is a great, dense 
cherry tree in my orchard run, and 
here I spread my feast. When the 
sparrows become too numerous, I use 
my coolest scratching shed. In the 
shade of this cherry tree, I am very 
positive that it is at least 20 degrees 
cooler than at any other spot on the 
poultry premises. 
I wish you could see my hens dur¬ 
ing August and September. When I 
come with the sheaves, they are always 
ready. How they enjoy picking and 
scratching out the grains! The old¬ 
est, fattest and laziest will join and 
pitch in. I think, and I feel that I’m 
quite correct, that the combs of the 
hens never were redder than now—no, 
not even during spring, nature’s 
resurrection month. That old egg bas¬ 
ket which is used to gather the eggs 
will again almost be filled to the high 
spring water-mark. 
My hens start to lay heavily dur¬ 
ing February so that they naturally 
would slow up toward fall, but since 
I started to feed them grain in the 
straw;, I can keep them at it to about 
Thanksgiving. Of course they moult 
before this, but they keep on laying 
just the same. Eggs are very high 
during the moulting season since this 
is really the time now that the least 
number are laid. Electric lights and 
deeper chicken knowledge has made the 
winter egg the rule rather than the 
exception. 
Unthreshed wheat and oats are just 
as helpful to the growing chickens 
as it is to the laying hens. This meth¬ 
od of precedure is not unduly forcing 
the hens. No medicine or drugs are 
used. The simple truth is that the 
hens’ minds are engaged and taken off 
the bothersome heat and they are en¬ 
ticed to the coolest spot and away from 
moping roosts and lethargic emotions. 
The sight of my hens at work in the 
shade in full dress, or stubbly, or tail¬ 
less, or a combination of all of these 
styles together, is a very pleasant one 
to me. If you are unconvinced, come 
and see them. You are welcome. 
The straw can be used for bedding 
in the barn. 
AVOIDING SOFT-SHELLED EGGS 
ELMER WHITTAKER 
There are several causes for this oc¬ 
currence which causes considerable loss 
in market eggs. 
The first and usual cause of soft- 
shelled eggs is that the bird is too fat. 
The muscular movement of the oviduct 
is hindered by layers of fat, and instead 
of the egg being controlled by firm 
muscles it merely slips through a flabby 
mass. The difficulty will vanish if the 
birds are made to scratch in a clean, 
dry straw litter for all of their grain, 
and the ration fed is not too fattening. 
Another cause is lack of lime in the 
hen’s ration. In this case the shell 
secreting part of the oviduct fails to do 
its work because of the lack of ma¬ 
terial. 
The third reason is the forcing of 
hens for too frequent egg production. 
A second yolk breaks off from the 
ovary, and drops into the funnel of the 
oviduct, and the first one is forced too 
rapidly on its way for it to be com¬ 
pletely formed when laid. 
A fourth reason is from scouring, 
that is, from feeding a too loosening 
ration to your birds. 
PUBLIC SALE 
On Wednesday, August 1st, 1923, at 
the farm of C. W. Sewell, will sell at 
Public Auction, 35 head of Pure Breed 
AyrshireCattleandfourheadof horses. 
Keating Summit, Penna. 
GRADE HOLSTEINS 
150 August and September Cows 
2 CARS FINE READY COWS 
All young, good size, good condition. 
Perfect udders and good producers. 
Shall have October and November Coins in Season 
OSWALD J. WARD & SONS, CANDOR, N. Y 
HOLSTEIN BULLS FOR SALE 
Sons of 
DUTCHLAND COLANTHA SIR INKA 
F1SHK1LL FARMS, Hopewell Junction, N. Y. 
HENRY MORGENTHAU, Jr., Owner 
HOLSTEINS and GUERNSEYS 
Fresh cows and springers, 100 head of the finest 
quality to select from. Address 
A. F. SAUNDERS, CORTLAND, N. Y. 
HOLSTEINS 
Two car loads high-class grade springers. The 
kind that please. One car load registered females. 
Well bred, strictly high-class. Several registered 
service bulls. J. A. LEACH, CORTLAND, N. Y. 
HIGH-GRADE HOLSTEIN COWS 
fresh and close by large and heavy producers. 
Pure bred registered Holsteins all ages ; your 
inquiry will receive our best attention. 
Browncroft Farm McGRAW New York 
HIGH GRADE HOLSTEIN HEIFER CALVES $15 ~~ 
each; registered bull and heifer calves, $25 up; registered 
bulls ready for sendee, and cows. Address 
SPOT FARM, TULLY, N. Y. 
SWINE BREEDERS 
125-PIGS FOR SALE- 125 
Yorkshire and Chester White Cross, and Chester and 
Berkshire Cross. All large growthy pigs, 6 to 7 weeks old, 
$5.00 each; 7 to 8 weeks old, $5.50 each; 8to 9 weeks old, 
$6.00 each. 15 pure-bred Berkshire pigs, barrows or sows, 
$6.50 each, 7 weeks old; and 20 Chester White, 7 weeks old, 
$6.50 each: boars of the above breeds $8,00 each. All good 
clean stock, bred from the best of stock that money can 
buy. I will ship any part of the above lots C. O. JD. to 
you on approval. 
WALTER LUX, 388 Salem St., WOBURN, MASS. 
Big Type Poland China Pigs 
Gilts and Boars for sale. Sires: Ford’s Liberator and 
Ford’s Big Tim. Moderate prices. 
STEPHEN H. FORD, 402 Stewart Building, Baltimore, Md. 
Big Type Polands 72,^ 
prices. Write me. G. S. HALL, FARMDALE. OHIO. 
LARGE BERKSHIRES AT HIGHWOOD 
Grand champion breeding. Largest herd in America. Free booklet. 
HARPENDING Box 10 DUNDEE, N.Y. 
GOATS 
Poultry Culling—The successful 
poultrykeeper is culling his flock every 
few days during the summer and early 
fall. Just as soon as a hen molts she 
should be removed from the flock and 
sold. This cuts down the feed and 
increases the revenues. 
r FO get the best choice, buy Milk Goat Bucks Now. 
A Buy Bred Does in October. Buy Kids and 
Yearlings Now. 
S. J. SHARPLES, R. D. 5, NORRISTOWN, PA. 
SALARY and EXPENSES 
FOR RURAL SALESMEN 
If you have had experience in selling 
gcods or subscriptions to farmers, 
write us at once, giving full informa¬ 
tion about yourself. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
461 Fourth Avenue New York City 
BABY CHICKS 
STRICKLER’S QUALITY AUGUST CHICKS 
BIG HATCHES AUGUST 1-8-15-22-29 
Large, heavy-type Barron English s. c. Whfte Leghorns of 
superlative quality mated to pedigreed cockerels. Each 
pen headed by Lady Storrs’ Pen cockerels (Dams records 
240 to 271 eggs each in pullet year). Highest quality 
vigorous chicks by special delivery parcel post prepaid, 
100% safe and live delivery guaranteed. $9 per 100, $44 
per 500, $85 per 1000. Also husky pure-bred Barred Rock, 
R. I. Reds and White Rock chicks, $11 per 100, $54 per 500. 
LEONARD F. STRICKLER, SHERIDAN, PA. 
BABY CHICKSS^^ 
Leghorns, $9.00 per hundred; mixed, $8.00. 100f£ delivery 
guaranteed. Not a new beginner. 
J. W. KIRK, Box 51, McALISTERVILLE, PA. 
600 White Leghorn Breeders, one year old, 
$1.00 each. 10 Weeks’ Old Pullets, Aug. 10th 
delivery, $1.00 each and up. Thousands ready. 
HUMMER’S POULTRY FARM 
FRENCHTOWN, N. J. f R. 1 
I ARTF CTOflf flu* Poultry, Turkeys,Geese,Ducks, Guineas, 
LrliVUEi OlUv/IV. Bantams, Collies, Pigeons, Chicks, Stock, 
Eggs, low; catalog. PIONEER E-RMS, Telford, Pennsylvania. 
HILLPOT 
DUALITY 
REDUCED PRICES-PROMPT DELIVERIES 
100 50 25 Barred Rocks $13.00 $7.00 $3.75 
While Leghorns $10.00 $5.50 $3.00 R. 1. Reds 15.00 7.75 4.00 
Post Prenaid Safe deliverv cmaranteeri Black Leghorns 10.00 5.50 3.00 White Rocks 15.00 7.75 4.00 
rost rrepam. oaie^aenvery guaranteed Brown Legil0rns 13 0 o 7.00 3.75 White Wyandottes 18.00 9.25 4.75 
anywhere east ot Mississippi River. w . F . hillpot box 29. Frenchtown, n. j. 
CHICKS 
