aK Gass_ © F:- + 3'C ie. ee Copyright N° COPYRIGHT DEPOSI ie é-£[BERTY MANUAL. of Chickens. * THE LIBERTY PUBLISHING COMPANY ROCHESTER , NEW YORK . S a 55 ite ; hr 7, fig” ~ So Gg Be i Gone ae as % ee, Copyright 1919 by the Publishing (0. OCHESTER, Liberty R MAR 20 i919 ©c.A511958 “A A t ‘DEDICATED TO THE BETTERMENT OF POULTRY-RAISING AS A PROFITABLE UNDERTAKING - | Mr. Poultryman, ‘It’s up toYou!” T’S up to you to take the Liberty Manual of Chickens and make it earn. It’s up to you to earnestly apply methods, formulas and equipment that produce. The thought of failure must not be tolerated. Prepare yourself right now for work. Chickens must be cared for systematically and intelli- gently. You are dealing with nature. Treat poultry as their chicken natures require and your reward will be success. Successful directions simply written Tell you what to do, The number of dollars earned, Mr. Reader, Depends in the main upon YOU. ore@ord—(Continued SS Right now, the world needs practical information put up in a way that the majority can understand and use profitably. There 1s one thing certain— The Poultryman now in business, The live wire looking for a business, The Farmer, or The fellow with a few in the back- yard. You, if you’re interested earnestly in poultry, cannot help but profit by the successes of others. That’s what you have on the following pages— methods of success. Ask yourself this question: “What am I going to do with them?” If the stuff’s in you the answer will be Succeed. Table ot Contents THe Commerc Hen ya) 2° 22.8 4 2) item fRom EGG to LAVINGIRULUET "2 <2 pes.) eo elo=RG Selecting Hatching Begs 2 3 2) = 2) a pieote Whenvtotllatche "72 2 2eyt a! eae 17) Incubation... oe ons, Heol REO Shipping: Baby ‘Chicks: -., <0) 2-4) .2y-oneae Brooding 40) 872.8) s 1k! Vee ee ees Brooder House, Peay and Descrip- GON Tasias Bano Moe to G6. O07) Feeding Baby ‘Chicks %) = 3) co 7. (ve) paesage @hick*VardiordRun Gee 24 if see RR Water Supply 2) 2). sh SS wee) es meee Litter for Chicks and Birds Matured . . 34-35 Brortersis \. 2.52) cae. Gee coe ee 35-36 Layinc House For From 80 TO 100 Birps Specifications: 3/4". =) 4 aos 12 0. ee FEEDING THE’ LAYERS . °°. 4, .) Sy eMegeae CULLING, SORTING AND SELECTING . . . . Agj=s0 Culling Layers OE a a ace 48 STARTING PoINT FOR THE BEGINNER . . . S1-52 WINTER EGGS! wo 9.) Oa =. fo 54 6) sa iene Tarr Caren INATURES: “Ws. 7 a) et en BRroopineEss BOSS 7 BREEDING AND MATING . :- : = = .)73 59-6m BARNYARD FLock 5, CoB) yp JW a Pao cote ns Oren BACKYARD FWELVE: <9 78) 2 2s. Ss © Reon Table of Contents—Continued IDISEASESOAND REMEDIES: 92 (052. |: = ¥ 00-70 PicesandaNiitess "A. 5 Veh oan athe. 66 EROUIO gtr Oe keine) Dish Uap eee a! |). = 67 Witten iarthocais ) say es) Mant eritseg) ce he 68 Grop Bound: 102) ie" Mis 8) epee ge 2 6g MiscELLANEOUS PoINTs SUMMARIZED. . - 70-73 IRECOEdS so actuate rs, Dsibe out oni: Fen ips: a) Farm ro SEcuRE AND Hints vo Heir Buy It FORTH Kame boteSoilie, cue eee rol Ste ata cs cee ics 74 Advantage sotplneess 0 | 745-0 We") Gece 74 WstneeMiamure Ss (rac) ents tale ie 75 RReasinamicec eeu cee) Wey ces iu, vemeigeet e 76 HACKSEANDILIGURES is = o, s6) jae see F904 Binsteeat tO. Sixth Meat. peel? iad fence, eco l=od Hlanual of? Chicken IO for Profitable Poultry Raising {AeA atl ARAL The Commercial Hen zr. An Egg Producer 2. A Meat Producer If you are about to go into the poultry business for the money you can make out of it, or if you are now in the business for the same reason, do not select show birds and expect that fine feathers mean egg produc- tion. Very seldom do we find such a com- bination. The breed selected must be of a strain with an egg-laying record back of it. Such birds are not only strong and healthy, but they are naturally vigorous and active. The best layers are the first ones up and the last ones to roost. They are always scratch- ing around supplying themselves with the very food and exercise most necessary to large egg production. Right here let us ask a very frank question. Are you after egg production, meat, or both? The best way to determine what you most desire is to study the market conditions sur- rounding you. If you are in a section where fancy prices are paid for meat, then make your choice of breeds appropriate. Pick out a heavy breed that will produce meat and therefore pay you best. Cater to the market. Produce eggs, if eggs pay better than meat. It is almosta golden rule, by the way, that egg production pays. You cannot go far astray if you decide on a good laying strain of the Hal fy | Titar nua. Lof? Chickens, breed you prefer. For eggs and meat both, a good laying strain of one of the heavier breeds should be sought. When going in for egg production especially, it is best to choose one of the lighter and more active breeds. Brown eggs bring high prices in some places and white ones pay big in others. Determine this choice of color in eggs by the market available to you and raise accordingly. Around Boston we are told brown eggs are in great demand while in Central New York State white eggs bring the fancy prices. From a dollar and cents standpoint, White Leghorns cannot be surpassed as egg pro- ducers: ) “hey produce large eggs and more of them with a minimum of feed. A maxi- mum percentage of all food value goes to the production of eggs instead of to fat, and egg production is in the majority of cases, the paying end of a commercial flock. White Leghorns are great foragers, cutting down feed consumption at least 1-3 as compared with birds of same breed confined. Indeed they are better foragers than other breeds. It is less trouble keeping the breed perfect. Birds are true to color. Meat is white and brings from $.02 to $.05 more a pound in the best markets, although the amount of meat per bird is considerably less than with heavier breeds. Bones are small. It is easier to separate the sexes at an early age than with other breeds. More birds may be kept per house of given floor space. Last, but not 12 for “Profitable Poultry Raid least, high vitality is a White Leghorn charac- teristic. Up to this point we have considered the commercial hen in units of many rather than few, as a matter of business, as a matter of livelihood. If you intend to raisea few birds in the back yard for the sake of a few fresh eggs and an occasional broiler, a good laying strain of almost any breed will be satisfac- tory. Changing breeds is many times very expensive, and therefore unprofitable, when large flocks are affected. With the back yard twelve, however, it is mainly up to the pleasure of the poultryman. You can change profitably and find pleasure in the variety. From Egg to Laying Pullet A section devoted to correct formulas and complete methods, accurately outlined in detail for the guidance of any and all persons interested in hens, few or many, as a prac- tical investment. Selecting the Hatching Ege. When you buy eggs from a breeder you are of course, dependent to a great extent upon his honesty and ability. Be a breeder your- self. as far as knowledge is concerned. Be able to tell just what you want. Eggs are eggs, that is true, but when they hatch you may not get at all what you want or expect. Avoid uncertainty as much as possible and the almost sure disappointment which _fol- lows. When you put your money and time 13 Tlanual of Chieker into the poultry game you are entitled to results. If you want an egg-laying strain of meaty birds, let the breeder know that. If you want single comb White Leghorns that breed all white, don’t fail to explain, and, above all, be sure you start a strain for which you have a near market. Hatching eggs shouldcome from best breed- ing stock, andif you desire large egg production they should come from the very best layers. Hatching eggs should be large as possible but uniform in size and color. Not deformed, 1.e., cracked, thin shelled or speckled (see page 15) when held up tolight. Must be fresh, not over a week old, and must be turned at least once a day before placing same in incubator. AL ways keep in darkened room of even tem- perature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, until ready for incubator. Room not too moist er too dry. A cellar that is not damp 4s generally suitable. Eggs from seven days to two weeks old may hatch well, but the vitality of an egg diminishes so rapidly after the sixth day that the chicks hatched from eggs of that age are not as strong as they would have been, if the same eggs had been set earlier. At the best the death rate among chicks is high. If eggs not over seven days old, therefore, tend to lower the death rate, let’s use such eggs for hatching and give tle chicks all the strength naturally coming to them. They will need it every bit. 14 | | i oO oO Liu QO Liu cal = O lJ oO ve) INFERTILE EGG AT 7TH DAY TESTING SPIDER LIKE FORMATION LIVE GERM AT 7TH DAY TESTING BROKEN CIRCLE DEAD GERM AT 7TH DAY TESTING for Profitable Poultry Hehen to Hatch Spring is the natural time for the setting of eggs and the hatching of chicks. March, April and May is the recognized season. Chicks hatched during these months begin laying in the fall. Chicks hatched later are liable not to lay until the following spring. The lighter breeds, such as Leghorns, may be hatched later than the heavier breeds, and yet have time to reach maturity before winter. Incubation It might be truthfully said that nature's way of hatching by means of the mother hen is the best. For one or two units of from 12 to 16 eggs each, it is, providing the hen is quiet, can spread he: self sufficiently to keep the eggs warm, and is free from lice and mites. The small flock in the back yard, or even the farmer’s flock of average size, can be reinforced by this natural method. When 60 or more eggs are to be hatched, however, the modern commercial mother, known as the “incubator,” does the job on a big and paying basis. For a setting or from 60 to 400 eggs best results are obtained with hot air incubators Sinitlarsteetie Prairie State. ~ For larger settings the “Hall” and other good hot water incubators prove most efficient. When the manufacturer tells you that his machine can be operated anywhere, regardless of outside 17 f Ld 0 Hlanual of Chickens, temperature, etc., just disregard him. The best incubator made is always more efficient if it is placed in a well sealed cellar with plenty of ventilation where the temperature varies but little, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter. External heat in that cellar is not necessary if the place is properly built. Is for Profitable Poultry Raiding One of the most successful incubator cellars in the country, from the standpoint of strong, healthy chicks and high percentage (up to go and even above) hatches, had a con- crete bottom about six feet below ground level laid on cinders. The walls were con- crete blocks run up to about two feet above ground, giving an eight foot depth to the cellar. There were three windows, one each on three sides,each about cellar window size, and they were hinged at the bottom so that air would not be directed down on to the in- cubator. Frosted glass or shades kept out the brightest glare of the sun (burlap cur- tains could be used for the purpose), and the entire inside was whitewashed for cleanli- ness. Cleanliness is all important through- out the entire process of chicken raising. Suppose now, we turn to the handling of an incubator. A constant temperature of 103 degrees (jot lover 105 degrees) until chicks are hatched is very important. After eggs are placed in machine they should be turned starting with the morning of the second day at 7 A. M. again at 7 p.M.of the same day, and twice daily thereafter at the same hours until eggs begin to pip or break through the shell. Incubator doors must be kept closed after eggs begin to pip until chicks are thoroughly dry. Leghorn eggs will hatch in 20 days. Heavier breeds in 21 days. Ig Eggs should be tested twice during the period of incubation; at the end of the seventh day and again at the end of the fourteenth day. A high powered electric bulb held beneath the egg tray answers the purpose. Eggs entirely transparent at the seventh day testing are germless and should be removed. The appearance of a spider-like formation indicates the strong healthy germ. Dead germs may be recognized by a broken circle. At the end of the fourteenth day all eggs appearing black should be placed back in incubator. Only those entirely transparent to be removed. Care should be exercised not to chill eggs. They should be replaced in incubator as quickly as possible. One of the most difficult things for the average poultryman to appreciate is the sensitiveness of either growing germ or baby chick. The ends of the fingers are many times cold. By rolling the eggs with the warm palm of the hand, finger tips thrown up, the possibility of shock by chilling 1s not only lessened but the turning of eggs can be accomplished with greater speed and they can be replaced in the incubator quicker and with less exposure. To correctly govern the temperature in the incubator a thermometer should be placed in each compartment with the bulb on a level with the tops of the eggs. Do not, however, let the eggs come in contact eh this Bulb: Growing germs give off heat and 20 Profitable Poultry Raising RE A SALE ALOT DRO EERE LEO NOGA A NEE LN NA At ORNL A NNR Nat contact with the thermometer makes its registry unreliable. Another point to guard against 1s the use of mineral water in the hot water pipes of the hot water incubator. Always use rain water, and the degree of variation in temperature will not increase so rapidly with the age of the incubator. When the chicks are thoroughly dry and the hatch is ready for transfer to the brooder use regular chick box warmed slightly to avoid chilling. After chicks have been re- moved and incubator carefully cleaned spray each compartment with “Zenoleum’” (ten parts water to one part Zenoleum). Shipping Baby Chicks Make shipments of day old chicks as soon as they are thoroughly dry. Imme- diate shipments are necessary, because food is not required for three days, and chicks shipped by express (always ship by express) have usually reached their destination before three days are up. A chick will live 72 hours without food because it absorbs the egg yolk during that period. In fact food should never be given chicks before 48 hours, preferably not until 72 hours have expired. oN a wal of Chickens, Shipments are made by means of a regular chick box purchased at any poultry supply house, or a cardboard box about 16 inches square and 5 inches high. A box of this size will accommodate 50 chicks. To give them air punch 12 half inch holes in the sides, not in the cover. See that the inside space is divided by a partition in the middle. 25 chicks to one compartment are enough. Box should also be corrugated or roughened on the bottom so chicks will not slide around. But do not use straw or any other bedding in the box. When transferring chicks from ineubator to box see tiatibox 1 slightly warmed so as not to chill them. More chicks die from chilling than from any other cause. Always mark “Baby Chicks” plainly on the box. Expressmen and others responsible for them en route will then give them special care in handling. Brooding Coal burning brooder stoves are most efficient and least expensive for a commercial farm. Small hatches of from 15 to 20 chicks could be accommodated, but the cost of coal consumed and the size of house necessary to shelter such a brooder would not be war- ranted. For chicks in lots of less than 50 the use of mother hens is more practical and economical. Broody hens can be bought in the spring for early hatches for $1.50. A common barrel placed on its side with a little 99. for “Profitable Poultry Raiding straw at the back makes an excellent house when placed in a dry spot (see page 64). For chicks in lots of from 50 to 360 the coal burning brooder stove and the type of house illustrated herewith prove most satisfactory. It is possible to house 500 chicks in this type of building, but positively not advisable. Two Brooder Houses Brooder House Specifications and Description Floor 8 ft. x 12 ft. of hard wood, tightly matched so feed won’t lodge in cracks and get moldy. A coat of paint on the floor makes it easier to clean. Rear it. 6) in high.) “Bront 6 {t-/6 in. Rear and two ends tightly matched to prohibit drafts. 2 ply tar paper is used to excellent advantage as an outside wall covering. Through its use you make AIS -~) tt] : wee (} sony ~t Hiannatior Cmeker fy Mlanual of! Chickens OL We sure that all seams are sealed and the chickens, therefore, well protected. Door in middle of front hung so that base comes below floor level. A 7% in. piece, 8 in. wide, fitted against the sill, full width of door will prevent all floor drafts. Two glass windows one on either side of door at front of house. Air vents -Above both windows same width as window and 8 in. high. Vents covered with cheese cloth curtain, hinged inside. Slides or runners 4 in. x 6 in. each, raising house from ground, keeping it dry, free from rats and making it easily movable, Roosts should not be found in houses for small chicks until chicks are at least 8 weeks old. Better not until 10 or 12 weeks old. A roost of any description will cripple or bend the breast bone, which bone receives the weight of the bird when roosting. Roosts should be made of material at least 134 in. in width and without sharp edges. A slightly rounded effect is best. Never use a narrow roost either with chicks or old birds. Deformities are sure to occur. Chicks should be transferred from incu- bator to brooder by means of warmed box same as that described under “Shipping Baby Chicks.” For best results the tem- perature around the brooder should not fall below go degrees or run above 120 degrees 24 fav Profitable Poultry Raising the first day. This temperature can grad- ually be reduced until generally at the end of eight weeks no heat is needed. A cold climate or damp rainy season may require heat for a longer period. Interior of Brooder House showing coal burning brooder stove, hover and guard. to ny Front View of Brooder House In teaching baby chicks that warmth is to be found under the brooder it has been found necessary to erect a temporary guard or fence in the house, forcing them to stay near the stove. Boards or stiff roofing paper about 10 inches in width may be stood on edge encircling the stove in an arc about 8 inches greater in diameter than the hover. This guard can safely be removed at the end of the third day. Hot coals shaken into the base of the coal burning brooder stove sometimes generate a heat too intense for the chicks that huddle up close. By placing a foundation of bricks under the stove, just one layer (two inches) thick so they don t extend out from the base, but just come flush, such excess heat 1s 26 for Profitable Poultry Raising dispensed with. Bricks, stove, hover and guard are all shown on page 25. Great care should be given the stove pipe where it passes through the roof. First on account of fire, second on account of water. Two extremes it would seem, but both must be guarded against. Cut the hole in the roof at least two inches larger in diameter than the stovepipe. Anchor the pipe in the centre by means of a funnel-shaped piece of tin with the hole in the small end just large enough to slide down over the pipe. Wedge a piece of asbestos between pipe and tin. Tack edges of large opening of funnel-shaped tin to the roof and paint seams with coal tar. This construction is not only fire proof, but the heaviest downpour of rain can not leak in. Remember chicks must be kept dry and warm. If you will now notice the hover, page 25, you will notice a flange or curtain of canvas hanging from its outer edge. | When the hover is lowered, this curtain falls about four inches inside the guard and should be so arranged that when at rest it hangs about one and a half inches from the floor. A hand hole in the hover permits of adjust- ments on the stove without raising the hover and changing the temperature. A suspension rope strung through two pulleys, one directly above the stove and the other at the front of the house by the door, enables the operator to raise the hover a little each day until chicks are old enough to take it away entirely. 5, / We “THlanual of? Chickens, For litter,see page 34. Remember it isnever advisable to put 500 chicks under one hover. 350 ought to be the maximum for an expert; sonore less than that for an amateur. Feeding Baby Chicks After chicks are at least 48 hours old, and when they show a strong desire to eat, com- mon rolled oats should be sprinkled gle 5 times a day on glazed wrapping paper spread out on the litter. This enables chicks to readily see it. Give them as much rolled oats as they will clean up in Io minutes. Do not give chicks any water the first day of feeding, nothing but warm sour milk. The lactic acid in the milk tends to overcome Glass Chick Fountain for either water or sour skim milk 28 for Profitable Poultry Raising A a Re ater Mamas ans ne white diarrhoea. As much milk as they will drink should be kept before them. Always put milk in glass dishes as lactic acid acts on tin or other metals forming a deadly poison. SECOND DAY In place of rolled oats, five feedings of a mixture composed of 10 lbs. of bread crumbs, 10 lbs. of middlings, 3 lbs. of beef scrap, i lb. of bone meal, 16 lbs. of bran, moistened but not soaked with sour skim milk, should be spread on the papers. As much of this mixture as chicks will clean up in TO minutes. Important.—Chicks at all ages feed early and feed late. They should have about one hour before dark to clean up the last feeding. Clear fresh water should be introduced the second day and kept before chicks in abund- ant supply from then on. SECOND DAY TO END OF FIFTH DAY Feed mixture as outlined for second day. In addition feed a mash composed of: 100 Ibs. of middlings, 100 lbs. of bran, 100 lbs. of corn meal, 100 lbs. of beef scrap, 30 lbs. of bone meal, thoroughly mixed half and half with com- mercial chick feed. This mash should be ag) ty) Tlanual of? Chickens, yet placed in shallow tins or dishes (pie tins) and kept before chicks at all times. FIFTH DAY TO END OF SECOND WEEK Omit mixture described under second day. Separate commercial chick feed from mash and spread chick feed in litter three times a day. One liberal measuring cup full to 100 chicks. Mash as described under “Second day to end of fifth day,” but without the commercial chick feed, to be retained in dishes before chicks at all times: In addition to dry mash in dishes give chicks mash moistened with sour skim milk, as much as they will clean up each time in 15 minutes. Spread moist mash on papers, using new papers every mor ning. Every pre- caution should be taken to insure the chicks from contact with moldy feed, moldy dishes or moldy papers. Mold is dangerous, Sour milk should be watched for signs of mold and dishes should be thoroughly cleansed each time when filled. Chicks from the fifth day to end of second week should have sour milk constantly before them, in fact they should have it up to the age of 6 weeks. Caution—Fresh water should not only be kept before chicks at all times, but 1t should be kept in chick fountains and not pans. It is impossible for the chicks to get into the water and get damp or drown if a fountain is used. A small two-piece fountain is best, consisting of container and drip pan. Several small fountains per house, rather than a WO ae fav Profitable Poulty Rairin large one are advisable. Such fountains can be easily cleaned and scrub- bed. This should be done often to prevent disease. SECOND WEEK TO END OF FOURTH WEEK Dry mash in pans before chicks at all times. Moist mash twice a day, as much as they will clean up in 15 minutes, fed as described above. Chick feed twice a day spread 1 litter as scratch. Sour milk and fresh water to be before them at all times. FOURTH WEEK TO END OF EIGHTH WEEK Dry mash in pans at all times. Omit wet mash unless hatch 1s late and forced tceding is desired), li Such) isi the case feed wet mash once a day at noon. Omit chick feed and substitute a scratch feed composed of 100 Ibs. whole wheat, 50 lbs. cracked corn, 25 lbs. oats, or any good commercial scratch feed. Bar- ley is a good substitute for wheat when the price of wheat is high. Iresh water at all times. Sour milk up to the age of 6 weeks. 31 BIGHT WEEKS GO) MA TUi tan ye Dry mash in open hoppers at all times. Scratch grain as described under “Fourth Week to End of Eighth Week” in hoppers at all times. In winter for laying pullets 25 Ibs. of buckwheat should be added to the scratch formula. Sudden change of feed should always be avoided, especially with laying pullets. A change, if necessary, should be gradually effected so as to disturb the laying capacity of the pullet as little as possible. Hoppers for both mash and scratch can be made as follows: One length of 8-in. stove pipe, One pan about 3 1n. deep and about 4 in. larger in diameter than pipe. Suspend pipe from ceiling of house by wire so base will hang about one- half inch from ‘feed! pangay cheap and easily constructed hopper but very efficient. Chicks and chickens should have all the green stuff they can eat right from the very first day of feeding. Cabbage, mangel beets, lettuce and sprouted oats make excellent food. Feed beets and cabbage in grated form. A grater sameas used by any house- PTS, wife will do the work. In the Mash Hopper Summer season where chickens can forage over many acres, the poultryman 99 IF for Profitable Poultry Raising does not have to worry about the feeding of green stuff. If the natural supply is limited, however, the above foods should be available together with about one acre of clover or alfalfa to every 500 layers. When hens are confined, as in winter, it 1s absolutely neces- sary to feed plenty of green food. The Chick Yard or Run Chicks should be kept in brooder house until after 10 days old unless weather is very warm and sunny. At io days of age, let them out into grass run about 6 ft. square to every 100 chicks. Such a yard should be enlarged from time to time until chicks can iyeover a fence 2 it) high.) ‘Such’ fence ‘can then be eliminated and chicks given free range over a larger tract. The Water Supply Clear fresh water should be kept constantly before chicks and chickens alike after they are two days old. Interior fountains are used for baby chicks until they are given free range. (Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon cleanliness of water fountains. Do not rinse them, scrub them and do it thoroughly. These same fountains can be used for feeding sour milk.) An outdoor sup- ply should then be provided. A water system consisting of pipes run to each brooder and laying house would be ideal. Where such a system is impossible, barrels may be used. SS) Go Tlanual of? Chieke ef With a flock of 500 layers at least 3 barrels should be found at various Bee not over 500 feet from the houses. A spigot or tap at the base of each barrel allows the poultry- man to either let the water drip slowly into dish pans, or to draw the pan full at least twice a day. A convenient way of filling such barrels is to have them mounted singly on small stone boats. They may then be hauled from the place of filling to any spot selected sufficiently near the colony houses. Litter for Chicks and Birds Matured Before baby chicks are put into brooder, the floor should be covered with one-half inch of very fine but uniform gravel as grit for the gizzard. his to be the onlyslittes within the confines of the guard around the brooder stove. As soon as the guard is re- moved, giving chicks run of house, the floor should be well covered with finely chopped rye or wheat straw. Damp moldy straw should never be used; neither should sawdust or shavings. Clean, dry straw finely chopped is the best known litter. A change of litter is required as soon as it becomes soiled. A clean house means strong birds, no lice, and insurance against disease. House should be disinfected at each cleaning with a good coal tar disinfectant, mixed ten parts kerosene to one part disinfectant, and sprayed thoroughly with hand sprayer. 34 for Profitable Poultry haising At the end of six weeks time whole straw can be used, not too deep at first but suf- ficient to cover the floor with a thickness of several inches. For birds matured the litter should always be six inches or more in depth. The importance of dry straw for any litter cannot be over estimated. Watch the litter closely, change it often and be sure that straw is neither damp nor moldy. Broilers Chicks are not broilers when eight or ten weeks old, but let us go back that far to study housing conditions for a moment. From the time they were transferred from incubator to brooder up to the eight weeks’ age they have been housed in the brooder house. Proper change of litter, the graduating change of feed from paper to pan, to hopper, Tlanual of? Chickens, etc. (see Feeding Baby Chicks, page 28) has taken place, and now you have a little flock at the age of eight weeks with the inclination to roost. Never supply them with anything to roost on before that age and preferably not until 10 or 12 weeks old, or you will develop crippled, bent breast bones. As there are no roosts in the brooder house, when chicks are old enough to roost, what is the most economical method of providing the right equipment? Laying houses are out of the question if you have planned production right, from year to year. They should be busy housing prize stock in part and layers in the rest. By the time ‘chicks are eight or ten weeks old you will find, furthermore, that with even 250 chicks in a brooder house same size as described on page 23, that there is none too much room. The economical thing to do is to convert the brooder house temporarily into a colony house and install removable roosts. (See Roosts” ; page 41). Then by means of culling, sorting and selecting (see page 47), you will weed out the cockerels, the weaklings, and the future non- producers, placing them in some temporary house by themselves until large enough, probably about 1% lbs. in weight, to sell for broilers. All cockerels should be sold except those selected for breeding purposes. Never feed your profits to non-producers. Turn them into money or swat them. 36 for Profitable Poultry Raising Laying House tor trom 80 to 100 Birds (For 100 White Leghorns) Many poultrymen make the serious mis- take of using any old trap with four walls and a cover as a laying house. In the first place hens must be contented, and they never are contented in a dark filthy hole. Sunlight 1s a natural protection besides. It kills germs and provideswarmth. Aclean, light, airy house facing the south must be obtained. A row of housesend to end can be used, or individual houses separated at the will of ihe poultryman are O. K. As a matter of convenience, if the yards can be satisfactorily arranged to keep flocks separated, the houses are better in apartment style end to end. Specifications for One Laying House FLOOR 20 ft. square; made of cement to be ver- min proof and sanitary. REAR 5 ft. high. Front—7 ft. high and facing south. CURTAINED WINDOW Of cheese cloth hung in center and at top of front-—size to ft. long by 334 ft. high. Hinges should be at top of curtained frame, which frame is the only covering this opening has winter or summer. Curtain should Si/ {llanual of Chickens, /' MIA JOUIOD ‘asnopy Surdvy Reena Marae. woe MTA WUOIY “Osnozy Surdv-y GD es pennies fener ee ewe os opty Manual of Chickens, never be closed in daytime, and only at night when temperature is below zero. Cheese cloth should be kept clean at all times to aid ventilation. Lack of ventilation may de- velop roup overnight. WINDOWS Two in number in front, one on each side of curtained window. These to be of glass and cut from ceiling to about 1 ft. from floor. The function of these windows is to give sunlight over entire floor area even with curtain closed. LINING This is necessary only in cold climates. The interior lined with matched lumber makes a 4 inch air space which adds greatly to the warmth. WATER PAN Place on slatted platform at opposite end of house from mash hopper. This will en- courage exercise back and forth from mash to water. Platform must be raised 18 in. from floor so chickens can scratch underneath. DUST BOX Box containing sifted dirt or ashes and a little lice powder sifted in about 3 times a week should be near front of house. Hens will dust themselves. DROPBOARD Three feet from floor, 4 ft. wide, running entire length of house at back. Should be level, not pitched. 40 for Profitable Poultry aiding ROOSTS Three in number, 2 in. x 3 in. in size, built on rests about § in. above dropboard; chould run full length of house. Rests hinged at the back enable poultrymen to raise roosts and clean dropboard easily. Dropboard should be cleaned at least once a week, oftener in hot weather. Ashes sifted on boards after cleaning will facilitate work and decrease danger of vermin. eh RES HINGES Ber 1 i) 4 ' Cross Section of Laying House Nests, Drop Board and Roosts 41 anual of? Chieke et Joajuy “asnozy SurdvyT 42 for Profitable Poultry Raising ABOUT TWENTY NESTS PER HOUSE Suspend nests under dropboard and flush with front. Each nest to be about 12 in. square and 12 in. high. Door covering front of nests and hinged at bottom keeps them dark. Rear of nests to have free opening at all times. MASH HOPPER Built at one end midway between drop- board and front of house. 4 ft. long, 3 ft. high, 3 in. wide at bottom and 2 ft. wide at near edge of cover. Cover slanted at 45 degrees and hinged at top. Hopper to Mash Hopper in Laying House 43 {lanual of Chieke empty into trough about 6 in. wide and 1 in. th down from mouth of hopper. 1'% in. lip to run entire length of trough and hold feed in place. Platform for birds to stand on sus- pended from base of hopper and on same level with trough. Entire hopper so arranged that platform will be 18 in. above floor. GRIT, OYSTER SHELL AND CHARCOAL HOPPER Small three-section hopper containing these ingredients should be before birds at all times. TRAP DOOR An opening large enough for the largest fowl should be cut through the front of laying or brooder house and near the floor. A metal door has been devised which slides back automatically at the break of day allowing the chicks or chickens to forage early according to nature and catch the early worm. If it were not for skunks, rats, cats and other night prowlers, $1,000,000 worth of chickens would not be lost annually and a trap door would not be needed. The opening alone would suffice. But the opening must be closed at night and should be open at the first wink of dawn. The “‘metal” door referred to does this by means of a feed cup which tempts the first bird down in the morning. The slight con- tact between her bill and the feed releases the door. It’s sure to operate, never fails, and best of all, is so simple in construction that nothing can get out of order. Such a door is cheap insurance. 44 for Profitable Poultry Raising Laying House Trap Door The publishers of this book will gladly put you in touch with the manufacturer upon application. Note A hole cut in the dividing partition be- tween two 20x 20 houses built end to end makes it possible to accommodate 150 birds per house instead of 100. Feeding the Layers About six quart pail of standard scratch feed spread in litter for each too birds one hour before dark. Make test to determine exact amount by putting feed in piles on the floor. The best birds or those with highest vitality will finish feeding first. All birds should be satisfied in 20 minutes time. If at the end of 20 minutes the feed has not all been consumed, the birds are getting too much, and the amount should be cut down. On the other hand, if the feed is rapidly 4§ fflanual of Chieke cleaned up in much less than 20 minutes time, and the birds still show a strong desire to eat, the amount should be increased until they are satisfied as described above. One-third of the quantity fed at night should also be fed about 6 each morning. Mash consisting of: 200 lbs. beef scraps, 200 lbs. white middlings, 200 Ibs. corn meal, 100 lbs. wheat bran, 100 lbs. crushed oats, 35 lbs. Old Process Oil Meal, 4 lbs. salt, should be kept in hoppers before layers from 12 M. to 7 A. M. the following morning. If birds are not on free range give plenty of green food, such as mangel beets, cabbage, sprouted oats or something of equal value. for ‘Profitable Poultry Raising Culling, Sorting and Selecting Right here let us state emphatically that you can’t make money from chickens and feed your profits to non-producers. Culling is one of the most important things for a poultryman to insist upon. Intelligent cull- ing requires time, patience, and knowledge rarely possessed by the average owner of chickens. Weaklings must be sorted out, disease must be nipped in the bud, and poor layers or non-producers must be disposed of as quickly as possible. But which are they? What are the indications? Can the poultry- man be sure that his sorting 1s correct? Culling should start the day chicks are taken from the incubator. Dwarfs and weaklings should be swatted immediately if a vigorous flock is to be maintained. In- variably it is the weakling that harbors disease. Lack of vitality, sluggishness, drooping wings and tail, shivering, etc., can be nursed along, but in the majority of cases it does not pay. Cockerels should be sorted when weigh- ing about 1% lbs. and sold for broilers. The best retained for breeders. When sorting pullets for layers, large birds well fleshed, vigorous, head erect, tail erect, eye clear and comb bright should be retained; all others should be sold for broilers. Culling, sorting and selecting starts with the poultry business every time. Hatching 47 Tlanual of? Chickens, sd eggs require selection. Tests show infertile eggs and dead germs. In spite of the most exacting tests and the discarding of all questionable eggs a certain percentage of the chicks won’t hatch. Another percentage never reach the brooder. They are weaklings and you swat them. Still others chill, have the white diarrhoea or some other charac- teristic disease. Then comes the time when you sort for the standard of perfection. One bunch you sell for broilers, the other is kept and tenderly watched as the coming layers and breeders to be. Finally breeders and layers are separated and again the process of elimination takes place. Among the layers you find broody hens and hens with conspicuous color pigment in legs and beak. You sort them out. Outside of the selection of stock for breeding and, therefore, from the standpoint of egg production, the culling of layers is of prime importance. Culling Layers The points to look for in a good layer vie Eye clear and bright, Comb red, Bill not too long, Head and tail erect, Crop full, Body wedge shaped, Breast deep so as to consume large quantities of feed, 48 for Profitable Poultry Raising Legs far apart and not too long, Rear quarters heavy and broad, Not over fat. Any white leghorn or yellow-legged variety of bird showing yellow beak, yellow legs, comb pale and rather dried up should be sold for meat. Heavy producers always lay yellow pigment out of vents, eyelids and bill during the laying season. The color fading from these parts in the order named. An empty crop usually indicates lack of vitality and therefore a poor layer. Early moulters are poor layers. Once in a while a good layer will moult slowly and never stop laying. Non-Producer Good Layer Pelvic arch x to x nearly Three-finger distance between closed. pelvic bones x to x. 49 (V7 fy Monucl lof? Chickens, To be sure that you are correct in your analysis of indications examine the pelvic bones. This should be done at night to avoid exciting the birds. Ample capacity for three fingers between the pelvic bones indicates an excellent layer. Two fingers, medium. Capacity for but one finger or closed pelvic bones means that bird has ceased laying and will not lay for some time to come. It is by all means best to turn such non- producing stock into money and save the feed. It may seem peculiar to say that hens have temperaments, but they do, and one type 1s tempered for the market, the other for egg production. That temperament may be the fault of the poultryman and it may not. Good layers have high strung nervous tem- peraments. They are the first off the roost and the last to bed. They are alert and active. Poor layers are prone to bask in the sun, mope on the perch, etc. But the healthy poor layer will eat just as much and sometimes more than the good layer. She usually has a fat, heavy thick abdomen that sags below the breast bone instead of the loose elastic abdomen of the good layer. Therefore watch the temperament and sort or cull continuously and persistently. There is no one way in the poultry game of making money easier than by saving it through culling. Be) for Profitable Poultry Raising A Starting Point for the Beginner Mr. Beginner, read the section on Culling, which just precedes this paragraph. With the absolute importance of culling in mind, turn to the section “From Egg to Laying Pullet.”” Follow it through to a finish and then ask yourself this question: Can I afford to wait all that time before any money starts to come in, and at the same time run all the preliminary chances of failure besides? If you can then doit. There’s money in it, and we want to encourage, not discourage you, but you might just as well face the facts squarely and act according to circumstances. The business of this book is to better the poultry business as a profitable undertaking. You can make money quicker as a sustaining factor for your business by purchasing grown birds, not hatching eggs. You won’t make more money necessarily, although we are inclined to think beginners usually do by this method, but you will have something coming in which is mighty good moral sup- port, and in addition you will have a better chance to become acquainted with hens and know what to expect. Please realize that our point of view is taken from the stand- point of profit, r rather than pleasure. The most genuine pleasure in any field of en- deavor is conceived as we see it, however, fi (Gi lanual of? Chickens (hy from a knowledge of your own latent powers to produce profitably. Decide first upon what branch of the poultry business you wish to specialize (show stock and breeding, meat or egg pro- duction),and then go to a reliable breeder and tell him your troubles. He will help you pick out a breed and a strain of that breed, best adapted to accomplish what you have in mind. Always remember there are dif- ferent strains of the same breed. One may be a laying or egg-producing strain and the other a meat-producing strain. With the grown bird you can start immediately with an egg or meat-producing machine and get prompt results. But don’t purchase mon- etels, that is, do not mix breeds. Bitheriset a goal and aim at it with your one breed of the desired strain, or,if you want to, establish more than one br eed. but keep them separate. Poultry raising is a science and mongrels are anything but a scientific product. Winter ees It sounds very well to say “Produce eggs when the prices are hiphe but you can. You have to take that very egg production into consideration long before you expect to trot to market and get your big prices. You have to go away back in the process to the time of hatching. Whether you hatch the eggs or whether you buy the chickens makes no difference, the time of hatching is $2 for Profitable Poultry ‘Raising what counts. Light weight active breeds, like the White Leghorn, must be hatched later than heavier breeds that take a longer time to develop. March, April and May are the hatching months and the time of hatching can be set in that period according to the nature of the breed. Chicks hatched too early will moult before winter as a rule and that means no winter eggs. That is a most unfortunate circumstance because pullets lay more eggs than old hens. Hatch, there- fore, so that you will have laying pullets, and cull them carefully (see section on Culling), to rid yourself of the non-producers. With the right feeding, right housing and intelli- gent handling there is no reason why you should not have winter eggs. Their Chicken Natures To be most productive chickens require quict wand “solitude:) Whe) unusual’ “excites them more or less, and nervous tension hinders the progress of nature. To go about actively foraging 1n their own way, unmolest- ed and over a sufficiently large territory, enables the organs of nature to function regularly and make the most out of the food rations given them. Confinement among breeders furthermore means less fertile eggs. This productivity of the chicken is easily understandable by comparison. with the human being. Undue excitement produces indigestion. The cells of the stomach under §3 j Mlanual of? Chickens, tension fail to absorb their normal quota. Instead of nourishing, food has to be forced from the system as a waste and the result is lack of human efficiency. These principles of nature apply to the chicken. Fear agonizes the organs of pro- duction and time has to help them get back to normal. Fear and excitement should therefore be avoided. Strange people, chil- dren or any other disturbing factor should be kept as far distant as possible. It 1s so easy to be thoughtless and unintentionally create a state of unrest. For instance, one poultry- man set up a buz saw operated by a gasoline engine almost immediately back of his laying house and then wondered why his egg pro- duction fell off. “Not I,” you say, and of course you would not do a thing of that kind consciously, but other activities just as peculiar have taken place among the most sincere. Keep the idea well in mind that you are dealing with nature when you are in the chicken business, and while she may be guided into new aad different channels, she cannot be tampered with or neglected. Clean out your houses while the birds are foraging. Treat them kindly when you drive them out for this purpose. Cause them to scamper towards you and not away from you by your very actions. Then, too, when you wish to cull or sort do not go at it in a desperate manner. Do it at night when the birds are quiet. Take a spot light with 54 for ‘Profitable Poultry Raising you, work carefully and quietly. Practically every chicken in a house can be examined or treated as the occasion requires without any bad or disturbing effects. Once in a while chickens will acquire peculiar habits. Usually there is a reason. When you find a feather puller look for mites. They live at the base of the feathers and cause an irritation that sometimes keeps up until the chicken is half naked. For treat- ment see “Diseases and Remedies.” Another bad habit is egg-eating. Some experts claim that enough available lime and oyster shells will overcome the desire. Throwing egg shells into the chicken yard has been known to start the habit. If you brown the shells and break them up fine there is no danger and they should be given back to the flock. Egg-eating may be over- ae) pj Mlanual of? Chickens, come by means of nests built to let the egg roll through the bottom into a bag, but this method cannot be considered a cure. Allow- ing one hen to continue her egg-eating is bad practice, because the other members of the flock soon catch on and do likewise. A sure way of effecting a cure is to use the axe. It’s the most profitable way sometimes. Remem- ber, a lot of time spent on one bird will not better conditions for the majority. You might better rid yourself of her presence. One other habit, that of flying over fences is a very easy one to overcome. Clip the feathers of one wing and the cure is effective if not permanent. Molting is a characteristic, rather than a habit. It is the natural shedding of feathers. It takes place sometime between August 1 and the first snow flurries. Early molters are always the poorest layers. They might lay a few eggs in the fall, but production would stop during the winter and it does not pay to keep them. When molting the bird’s vitality goes toward new feathers and not toward eggs. Broodiness The broody hen has a well fixed idea that she wants to sit. She resents any effort to drive her from the nest. In fact, driving her off won’t do a whole lot of good. She will undoubtedly cluck around for a few moments 56 for Profitable Poultry Raising and go back again at the first opportunity. Hens should be broken of broodiness the first day it appears. One authority states that the ovary of a hen after one day of broodiness contains an abundance of mina- ture yolks of eggs ready for laying within a short period. By the third day of broodi- ness, these yolks largely are absorbed. A hen’s temperature rises when she is broody, and the best way to break her is to place her in a small coop with a slat bottom that will keep the under part of the body cool. Tests also show that hens are much more subject to broodiness when nest eggs are used and when eggs are not gathered fre- quently. In a Missouri State Experiment Station test, two pens of six leghorns each were used, and in the second pen, having a nest full of china eggs, the hens went broody a total of eleven times in two months, while the first pen did not havea single broody hen. | if Mlanual of? Chieke Prize Cockerel for Profitable Poultry Raising Breeding and Mating In order to maintain a high producing flock, hens should be mated to cockerels bred from high producing mothers. The cockerel is just as important as the hen. A low bred cockerel mated to a high producing hen cuts down egg production. But a cockerel large in size, well matured and full of vigor and vitality, that came from a high producing mother when mated to a high producing hen increases egg production. One such cockerel mated to ten such hens makes the correct proportion. Cockerels should be kept away from pullets and hens except at the breeding season. Their presence 1s annoying to the hen and cuts down egg production. For table use germless eggs, furthermore, bring a higher price than) fertile eggs. At least once every five years new blood should be introduced by the purchase of new cockerels. It is not advisable to inbreed more than five seasons. Pullets should never be used for breeding purposes. A two year old hen makes best breeder because of rest during the winter and the unusual strength of the eggs when they start laying. Hens that persist in laying through summer months and don’t show signs of molting until fall should be kept over winter for breeders the next spring. The eggs produced by such hens hatch a stronger, bigger and more vigorous chick. 59 Tilanual of? Chiekens, Hens two years old or more mated to old cock birds produce a high percentage of cockerels and should not be so mated. Hens two years old or more mated to cockerels hatched the preceding spring produce a high percentage of pullets and are therefore properly mated. It is never desirable or profitable to keep the male birds into the second season. All male birds should be dis- posed of as rapidly as possible when not to be used for breeding purposes. Coming back to the subject of inbreeding; what does it lead to? Let us answer this question by asking another. What happens in the human family if cousins, for example, or other close kin marry? Thechildrenare degen- erate, weak and physically incapable of with- standing disease. Let us not question the great rulings of nature. The more we try to _ attack them with our own explanations the more mystified we become. All animal life as far as we know 1s governed by the breed- ing of kin as far distant as possible. At any rate it works out with chickens. Pick out the most active, strong, representative birds of distant relationship for mating. Inbreeding engenders physical weakness, and such blood should not be transmitted to future generations of your flocks. You can’t raise egg-producers if you practice inbreed- ing. Nature forbids. Once ina while among animal life, you find a man peculiarly fitted to choose breeding stocks. He senses rather 60 for Profitable Poultry Iaising 7 | JLQUIING than reasons, and he does it mainly with his eye. This cannot be done with accuracy or safety among poultry. The feathers deceive. Don’t try it. Follow the successful experi- ence of others and profit by your own mis- takes. At least if you desire success, don’t continue to inbreed. The Barnyard Flock What is true of the commercial flock is true of the barnyard flock or the backyard 12. Equipment only should be modified to suit circumstances. Decide what you want to accomplish and follow the line of least re- sistance by following nature. Asa rule, both meat and eggs are desired from the farm- yard flocks. Rhode Island Red (Meat Strain) 61 fllanual of? Chickens er: Pick out a medium weight breed and an ege-laying strain. Don't harbor mongrels. While your feed don’t cost much, because it’s mostly waste, neither does it produce much when fed to mongrels as com- pared to what it might produce at no greater cost when fed to a good egg-laying strain of medium weight birds. Farmyard flocks have advantages of feed and disadvantages. The range is usually ideal, and inseason they get plenty of green stuff and bugs, but on the other hand they many times either get all of one kind of feed or else lack that particular kind entirely. If you have a farmyard flock, follow the section “feeding the layers” as nearly as possible. You know pretty well what the hens are getting when foraging. Make up a feed balance by supplying the items they don’t get. If you lack some) of “the exact constituents of the formulas, put in something of similar food value. See that your hens have plenty of fresh water conveniently located, so they won’t be forced to drink the barnyard stench. It causes disease. Give them proper housing, and in winter see that they have meat scraps andgreenstuff. Takecareof thelitter,change it; you've got the stuff going to waste. Filth won't produce eggs. On the farm the mother hen ably and naturally takes the place of the commercial incubator. 62 for Profitable Poultry Raising For best results, it is well not to give Here more |than 14 veces. 9 liry \her “out before the hatching eggs are placed under her by means of china eggs. She may fool you and stay on the nest only a couple of days. If she shows signs of permanency, give her the real eggs and prepare for chicks. Re- member that lice are one of the first dangers when the mother hen is used. Her feathers should be dusted thoroughly with lice powder often enough to avoid any chances. Her little flock when hatched, should be kept from wet grass and chilling. This can be done by housing the mother ina coop and by screening in a small yard or run in front of it. For chick feed, culling and other points of necessity, examine the sections of this book under those headings. Culling is all import- ant. It means that you weed out non-pro- ducers, and furthermore hinder them from raising more non-producers. 63 The Backyard Twelve Constant attention 1s seldom if ever given the tiny flock found in the townsman’s back- yard. For this reason we believe that the purchase of birds to start in with is more profitable than the raising of chicks. It is of course true that the backyard 12 are many times the owner’s hobby. He likes birds and he likes to experiment and fuss with them. From the standpoint of pleasure taken in producing, raising and cross br eeding a small flock, the science of poultry raising can have little application. We treat the subject, however, from the profitable angle, and any- thing we say therefore will be pointed out from the scientific point of view. Ten hens, not more than twelve, and one rooster make one practical unit, providing fertility of eggs is desired. erie eggs are not necessary, in fact with pullets are not desirable, because the pullets will lay more without contact with a rooster and their eggs should not be used for hatching purposes anyway. A rooster eats considerable food and may be dispensed with unless hatching is antici- pated. If hatching is attempted the sitting hen should be given from 12 to 15 eggs, depending on her covering capacity and placed in a quiet darkened spot. She should not be annoyed by the rest of the flock. The yard or run for her little chicks should be fenced off from the older birds for protection 64 for Profitable Poultry Raisinc to the chicks and to hinder the mother from forgetting her children through her contact with the other birds. It is not necessary to give dimensions, etc., for a coop. The main thing is to have shelter and be sure that the litter is drv and free from mold. For chick feed see the section devoted to that subject. The section “Feeding the Layers” can also be followed for the older birds. Commercial scratch feed and meat mash together with oyster shell and grit can be purchased from any poultry supply house. Do not overlook the green stuff however. The older chickens can be given garbage from the table. Do not make the mistake of taking “garbage” to mean all waste, however. Green stuff, meat scraps, Breede crumbs, cooked potato leavings, etc., will be cleaned up, but avoid making a compost pile out of the chicken yard. Cleanliness is all important; and to keep the yard which is naturally small in correct condition it should also be spaded up from time to time to keep it from getting sour. Many times the mistake is made of assum- ing that any old shelter is good enough for chickens. It is, if you want lousy, inactive non-producers. One of the best backyard houses we have ever seen was built of hollow tile and had a cement floor. It was warm and rat proof, light and sanitary. In prin- ciple it was built just like the laying houses, 65 ify Manual of? Chiekens, ey page oo, but much smaller (about 9g ft. by 12 ft. outside dimensions). It was a success. As many as 171% dozen eggs from 12 hens in one month (a winter month too) were laid. The hens were well cared for, of course, and their natures were respected. Any section of this book can be read with profit by the owner of a little family flock, and he can make them pay if he treats them as nature requires. Disease and Remedies Lice and Mites They are blood sucking parasites and they weaken chickens, not only hindering egg production, but rendering the afflicted bird subject to disease. Lice are rarely found if laying house 1s kept clean and dust box is available. When found they should be treated at once with lice powder. An efficient home-made powder consists of 5 lbs. Plaster Paris ¥% pt. Carbolic Acid 114 pts Gasoline Mix thoroughly and seal in glass jars to retain strength. A baking powder can with holes punched in top makes an excellent duster. Always treat birds at night. Grasp feet and dust powder thoroughly into feathers. Lice powder will not kill lice eggs. A second treatment should be given birds within two weeks time to kill the young lice. Sodium fluorid may also be used. To get 66 for Profitable Poultry haising best results every bird in a flock ought to be treated by rubbing the powder upward among the feathers with the ends of fingers Roup Roup is the poultryman’s worst enemy. It starts with catarrhal running eye and if prolonged the eye swells and puffs to many times its normal size. The closed eye will discharge a thick yellow, creamy substance with very offensive odor. If allowed to spread roup will wipe out the entire flock. Always watch birds at feeding time,and immediately separate any bird showing signs or acting drowsy from flock and place in sunny room for treatment. Many times the axe pays best. When used be sure to bury or burn the birds affected. Roup can be checked in its early stages by putting enough permanganate of potash into drinking water to color it dark pink. Head of bird can also be immersed in a darkred mix- ture of same solution. This should be done three times a day and as many days as required. Example of Roup 67 scoamadtony £ ee, TA ee kN Mianuat Oo White Diarrhoea One authority says, “This disease probably kills more chicks than all other diseases combined. Many noted scientists are work- ing upon a remedy for this fatal chicken disease, but up to date, to the best of our knowledge, no treatment has been found that is reliable. “The disease 1s caused byagerm, and germs generally are the result of filth, therefore try to eliminate the cause by having your hen coop and yards absolutely sanitary. Spray and disinfect often, three or four times a year. The bacillus or germ is found in the ovaries of the affected hen. From these infected ovaries, fertile eggs will hatch chicks infected with the deadly disease. Hence the difficulty in eradicating the trouble.” 68 for Profitable Poultry Raiding The best treatment is “swat or kill the chick or chickens.’”’ Otherwise use preven- tatives. See that new birds when purchased are free from the disease. Be a crank on cleanliness. Thoroughly disinfect incubators after each hatch, scrub them, spare no pains. Give chicks sour milk and for chickens of any age avoid sour putrid ground. Move the yard from time to time and keep the ground turned over and loose. Crop Bound String, feathers and other foreign matter sometimes lodges at the lower end of the crop. In addition to a bulging of the crop, the bird becomes weak and emaciated from lack of nourishment. When first noticed, it is some- times possible to work the obstruction from the opening by kneading the crop with the fingers. In extreme cases give the bird a good tablespoonful of castor oil, work the oil down to the opening by kneading, and if necessary empty out the crop by holding the bird head down. ‘The particles will work out through the mouth. On account of irritation, the bird should be sparingly fed for a couple ee days. As soon as irritation has passed away, give her some sharp grit. It will reestablish the functions of the crop when new coarse food is again devoured. Miscellaneous There are other diseases, of course, to which chickens are subject: worms, chicken pox, diphtheria, canker, indigestion, etc. The 69 ones we have described are perhaps most common and give the poultryman the great- est annoyance. It is usually safe to use the axe if anything develops that you do not understand. It may seem unprofitable, but it is more profitable than the general spread of disease throughout the flock. Cleanliness and common sense do wonders in preventing disease. We can not emphasize cleanliness too strongly or under too many headings in this book. Miscellaneous Points, Summarized It may be said that poultrymen can build and construct for themselves almost all equipment needed. Some poultrymen can, and some do at the expense of their flocks. Why expense you say? A man in the poultry game 1s the attending nurse. He might better hang around, just watching, than to be absent when the unforeseen occurs. He can not afford to divide his attention. Then, too, the element of uncertainty creeps in. He is experimenting with equipment, when as a rule, he will have his hands full experiment- ing with his flock. Little reasons why certain things are made in a certain way do not always crop out with- out experience. This book is not presented to you as apcure-all; Whe best teachemunmene world can not make some scholars learn. Those who have the inclination backed by 7O for Profitable Poultry Raising good judgment, however,can save themselves years of experiments by applying its contents. Do not get the impression that we. favor idleness, or that practical construction work cannot be done on the premises. We pur- posely specify how to build, etc., so that you may save money. Don’t let your prime at- tention turn from your flocks, however. It pays much better to buy a great many acces- sories and through their purchase let the other fellow experiment than to waste your own time in the process. You will notice that for one thing we do not tell how to build an incubator. We do not recommend that you try it, that is why. It is hard enough to get a high per cent hatch from the best incubator built,and you can well believe, the builders had their troubles and anxious moments during their experimental stage. Spend your time as much as possible study- ing and perfecting your flock. It will pay you royally. | Another point we feel justified in calling to your attention is the raising of feed (see page 76). Itis well as suggested to raise as much feed as possible. You ought to be able to save the middleman’s profits. There again, youarein danger of divided interests. Youare liable to spend too much time raising feed instead of raisingchickens. Ifyou areafter big production in chickens, and you have land enough toraise the feed; hire a farmer, tell him what you must have and let him produce it. 71 yj Mlanual of? Chickens, , He must thenmakehisend pay. Theoretically, you can pay the farm the market price for feed. It will cost you no more, and if the farm pays, you will have a second profit. Records If you are in the business to make money, you must know where you make it and where you lose it. When you know you can often- times see ways of remedying conditions. Statistics show that a large majority of failures in all lines of business are directly due to ignorance of facts. Facts point the way. Know what your costs are per flock. Be able to compare one record with another and find out what caused any variation in results. Begin with the incubator and keep a record. Follow with the brooder, the colony house, the breeders, the layers. Know your feed costs, your stock purchases, your net sales, and beet of all, what produced them. “it disease cuts the anes of one flock, you know it. How did it affect the producing qualities in eggs for instance? It’s good business to know and simple records tell you. Dow t Crow Some people get smothered, nauseated in a crowd. Some chicks do too. And the crowd don’t have to be so very dense either. Give the chicks and chickens plenty of room at all times. Chicks under the hover must have room (see Brooding). When feeding older birds, do not make them crowd and fight for 7 AO} for Profitable Poultry Raisin it. Put the feed in enough piles or spread it over enough area so they may feed com- fortably, giving the weaker ones a chance. Crowding weakens and weakness invites disease. Don’t crowd. The Farm to Secure and Hints that Help You Buy It Where? Near a railroad or better yet near a market. Save express and freight charges, if possible, by locating where you can deliver and not ship. Just such savings as this make possible from $40 to $60 a week from 500 hens. A near city farm means higher prices, too, and you get the benefit——-not the com- mission merchant. By-products are easily converted into money, feed is easily obtained and personal contact with your trade is en- joyed. It must be very discouraging for a man to have the energy, ability and equip- Manual of Chickens, ment to make money in the chicken business, and be handicapped by not being able to readily market his product. Too much em- phasis, therefore, cannot be laid upon the advantages of good location. Good roads and abundant water supply are points to be thoroughly considered before and not after the purchase or rental of property. In a cold climate where roads are snow bound, location means either the loss of time and eal or a saving of what should be profits. A penny saved is worth about two earned in any business. Kind of Soil Sandy soil is not only best adapted to chickens but as a rule it can be purchased at a very reasonable price. Sand hills lacking the richness and strength to raise crops can be made to pay big when devoted to chickens. The constant scratching of the birds will turn over the sand easily, causing it to com- pletely absorb all manure and at the same time prevent the top soil from souring quickly. Rich, heavy soil becomes so saturated with fertilizer that constant dragging or harrow- ing is required. With the best of attention it will become sour, and many times turn a greenish color. Such soil is offensive in odor and breeds disease. It should be avoided if possible. Advantage of Trees By planting fruit trees on the ground where chickens forage, necessary shade is provided, 74 for Profitable Poultry Raiding Wir Nee aa and the ground made to pay an additional source of revenue. Trees bear especially well on fertilized sandy soil. The ground being light, favors the growth of fruit rather than wood on the trees. Surplus fertilizer thrown around the trees and thus converted into fruit is disposed of at a maximum profit. Using Manure There is always the danger of spreading hen manure too thick. It is the richest and most valuable of manures, and should not only be spread thin but should be diluted or mixed with straw or some other similar agent. Piled in piles and allowed to stand causes hen manure to lose much of its value. Used immediately or as soon as possible it spreads much farther,and is much more active in its effect as a fertilizer. While hen manure can be readily sold for $1.00 or more per barrel, it is worth much more than that to the man who raises feed for his chickens. By placing /) | lanual of Chickens, ee Wr? it back on the land, more and better feed is produced, proper strength is maintained in the land and the amount of feed purchased from outside sources is reduced. Make the land produce the eggs and chickens as far as possible. The percentage of profit then increases by leaps and bounds. The correct use of manure requires much study and attention. Too much is some- times worse than not enough. Used to its best advantage, manure is immensely valu- able and figures largely in the amount of money made from a chicken farm. Raising of Feed Wheat, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, sunflower seeds, mangel beets, cabbage, etc., can all be raised to excellent advantage on sandy loam soil. In fact most feeds con- sumed by chickens can be profitably raised by the man in the chicken business. Raising of feed cuts out the agent’s margin of profit, and feed passes through the hands of at least three agents before reaching the poultryman. The cost of producing on the land 1s infinitely less, therefore, than the cost of feed pur- chased on the open market. With grains that produce a by-product such as strawa double saving 1s effected. Not only do you cut out the purchase of straw but all waste becomes an asset the minute it is thrown back on the land. Before fruit trees have been set out or before they have grown sufficiently to be 76 Cc LY for Profitable Poult kaidsinc | PFOUTTY ROVANY encarta te IM lt wana pede neninene mma of value for shade, corn can be planted near the chicken houses. After it is 1 ft. high the chickens may be allowed to run through it, obtaining bugs, fertilizing the corn, keep- ing it clean and enjoying the shade. An abundant supply of green stuff should always be available. A flock of 500 layers will consume about one acre of clover or alfalfa through the summer season. Seeding for the clover must be done the preceding year. Facts and Figures Items of cost found under “Equipment”’ or “Expense,” and the figures found under “Sources of Income,” are based on a unit of 500 White Leghorn Hens. White Leghorns were chosen because in terms of eggs, and therefore net profits, they are one of the best commercial hens. With birds of other breed the sources of income will vary possibly per item; for instance, heavier birds raised for meat will produce less eggs but increase the meat revenue. Such birds are many times advisable, especially in small flocks for family purposes where meat is in great demand. Again if the market avail- able to the owner of chickens pays fancy prices for meat, a very satisfactory income may be realized from meaty birds. According to many big, successful leaders in poultry, however, eggs are the money maker, and a breed of birds must be chosen that produces eggs, big eggs and many of J / them. Not always do White Leghorns fill the bill. In Boston the demand is for brown eggs and fancy prices are paid for them. It would be folly for a man attempting to dis- pose of his products through the Boston market to raise White Leghorns. Granting that White Leghorns in general pay the best, a close study of market conditions must be made to ascertain whether the demand is for white or brown eggs, before poultry of one breed or another can be made to pay a sum approaching $48.85 a week from 500 hens. Yes $48.85 a week net. In the sixth year of business, this profit is only reasonable. If you fail to make a proportionate profit, costs and selling prices considered, you fail to approach the standard of success estab- lished by those who do make this profit. You simply fail to be their business equal in the poultry industry. It may be a lack of appli- cation. It may be the spirit of self-reliance that leads you to disregard the methods of for Profitable Poultry Raiding others. Again, it may be the lack of under- standing, or your inability to sympathize with the natural element. T helaws governing poultry can not be absolutely written in black and white. Taking these laws as a basis,and applying their principles with good judgment, makes the exceptionally poor year a very unlikely happenstance. The cost and selling prices given in the following tables are based on 1918. They are the averages as we know them. They show where and how the money is made. It is not ‘easy money.” ‘The first and second years show little profit. If you go into the business determined to win and you are ready to “stand the gaff’ of discouragement for two years, we assure you this, you will get your reward. From the third year on, each year looks brighter till, in the sixth year, enough money has been made from a unit of 500 hens to pay back the investment figured, to clear the title on all equipment and to pay living expenses and rent with a net profit of $48.85 a week besides. Mr. Reader, we do not say that you will make that sum, but that the man with ex- perience can under ordinary circumstances. Nothing but the unusual could prevent if you yourself are adapted to the job. After all we repeat one of the first pages in this book, iTS UP TO YOU US) 7 j Hlanual of? Chickens, Important New beginners are not advised to start in with 500 hens, or with a hatch as big as we figure on in these tables. Vor do you need as much capital to invest. Start small and profit by your experience. The scale of 500 is taken, and the stock and equipment neces- sary to produce that 500, so that you may see correctly just what the future has in store if you make up your mind to go after it. for Profitable Poultry Raiding THE FIRST YEAR (Marcu To Marcu) Property rented, 3 acres Capital needed, $1,700 For 500 hens (starting with hatching eggs in spring—no matured stock) EQUIPMENT Incubator, not more than 3 Brooder Stoves 3 Laying Houses 3 Brooder Houses . Spread over § yrs. Per Year EXPENSE (One Year.) On equipment Rent (house and 3 cere Tools, etc. : Feed Hatching eggs Living Interest Total Expense Source oF INCOME 250 Chicks at .15 $ 37-50 250 Broilers at .75 187.50 20,000 Eggs at .05 . 1,000 .00 Total income 1,225.50 Capital invested 1,700.00 Assets Br 2,925 ..50 Total Expense amish SH 8 SERIE EG Ae Cash on hand . 65.74 . $266.00 60.00 { 650.09 5) 976.00 $ 195.20 $ 195.20 360.00 100.00 1000.00 336.00 800.00 2,801.20 58.56 $2,859.76 No money made—investment outstanding—but one-fifth of equipment paid for. 81 5 # Tlanual of Chickens, of SECOND: WEAR EQUIPMENT INotipaidsfor "25 4) a) Bees tas ane ee ee SOMOS EXPENSE On equipment yy fey A wt as Ms at ig BO er Gh ee Signo Rents 6. Ved we-ca wee EO oh ee oe Bee Pa eg OOROG Tools ete: ete Cree REA AF tee: ke 50.00 Feed jis ae a Bla Cae ting ae © Jee SEAS G ao Se I ROO Divingai i, cio h ky ee Pg ye Cv oS conoe Interest) of GTi, & Mee e's 4k = ee aeons Total Expense 5 UN eee g, cai Gs, len Begg nial Sean e Dean Source oF Income (Figuring an average of 150 eggs from each of 500 hens) —75,000 epgs— 5,000 retained for hatching 5,000 allowed for consumption and breakage GS;60Cat 10S) 5 6 es 4 > ee RtoCORGe CLOOOLAC RTA \.timess Wad Meare cen eas 8 Paras a 700.00 Roo letnoloaprmeciin @ a) la 6 4s 4) 0 0 « 375.00 2:960'Chicksiatalse:k =o) 8 ae oo Se me 339.00 250 Pullets at $1.50 375-00 250 Hens at $1.50 he. a ¥ Ba