| Show POULTRY FOR PROFIT I seems strange that where poultry may be so easily and cheaply kept the average farmer and stock breeder regard the Industry as a small business busi-ness says a writer in the Breeders Gazette I is no less singular that we who are able to feed the world on lowpriced beef and pork should view calmly the fact that we are spending millions of dollars yearly for imported eggs With the production of poultry I and eggs systematically carried on as in the breeding and fattening of cattle swine and sheep there is fully i 25 per cent more profit In chickens and eggs than in cattle and hogs i according to the investment There is I still greater profit in dunks and geese 1 for the simple reason that a greater I I number of farmers refuse to have anything 1 any-thing to do with domestic water fowl i than with land birds Hence these latter always bring two or three cents 1 per pound more than chickens and the markets are seldom glutted as I they sometimes are at the holidays with chickens and turkeys The reason rea-son is that unbusiness people at such times seem inclined to rush to market mar-ket every fowl that by hook or crook can be sent away The consequence is at such times there is a glut and knocked down I i prices are sometimes two or three cents a pound as was i the case last Thanksgiving day I i To show the meaning fully on November I No-vember 26 the range for cattle was I i 275 to 625 per 100 pounds the latter for the very best cattle Hogs from 350 to 480 per 100 pounds the latter I price for the very best On the same i day the prices for live fowls were I Turkeys 63 cents chickens hens 5 cents old roosters 4 cents spring chickens 5 cents ducks 7t cents geese 4 to 6 per dozen Dressed turkeys 5 to 8 cents hens 51 cents spring chickens 7 cents roosters 5 cents ducks 10 cents and geese 9 cents per pound Extra fat well dressed fowls of imported breeds would easily bring one or two cents more I per pound Now in the Chicago market mar-ket dressed fowls mean those without the feathers but with the entrails in virtually live weight Hence i pays in the winter to carefully dress and pack fowls for the market By the I middle of January carefully fattened and nicelypacked poultry should sell higher I costs no more to raise and sell a ton of fowls than a ton of beef or pork both placed in the same condition condi-tion of fatness Eggs fresh sold on ton the same day as mentioned above at 21 cents All the values given are jobber and commssion house prices I By the time they reached the consumer from 30 to 40 per cent would have been added to the price I Is the fact that the raiser of poultry gets much nearer the price which the consumer pays than is the case with cattle hogs and sheep The sooner the farmer comes to know all thisthat poultry raising is not an Insignificant business but one of the greatest In the aggregate value of any department of live stock the sooner will he be able to make It a most important foctor in his yearly profits Take the simple item I of eggs properly looked after Of the better breeds lhey will lay from 120 to 130 eggs yearly for the large breeds and 190 to 240 for the smaller nonsitting breeds Those who follow the business in a practical way think that It pays fully as well as dairying The only objection I objec-tion fo dairying Is that is is confining Poultry keeping is not more confining than ordinary farm work I Is work especially adapted to women and chi dren who take kindly thereto if they be allowed a share in the profits why should not they be At 16 cents a dozen the egg production of the United States alorte estimated at over Unied EOO000000 dozen Is over 8000000 The 60000000 poulr sold should bring the aggregate aggre-gate of domestic land and water fowls well up towards 200000000 and still not enough to supply the demand We ought to export rather than Import this hIgh rlced commodity |
