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Show POULTRY ON DRY FARM I ! Works in Splendidly as a Profitable Profit-able Branch. Gives Farmer Something to Fall Back On in Case of Failure of Grain Crops Little Required in Way of Outlay. (By M. C. HERNEB, Manager Poultry Department, Manitoba Agricultural College.) With the opening of the new era in western agriculture comes the opportunity oppor-tunity for the poultry industry to develop de-velop Into a distinct branch of diversified diver-sified or mixed farming. This method of farming seems to be the only hope for future prosperity. We need scarcely scarce-ly refer to the effects of crop failures for a few successive years on the general welfare of certain sections of country in which they occur. To relieve re-lieve this situation farmers must engage en-gage in something more than grain farming, so that in case crops fail they may have something else, to fall back on. In diversified farming they could draw on the proceeds of the dairy nd poultry products to meet the current expenses. Poultry raising works in splendidly as a profitable branch of dry-farming. Very little is required in the way of outlay, and the returns In proportion thereto are a good many times larger than In any other branch. The poultry nouses need not be expensive, Just so long as they are of the serviceable kind the kind that give results. There is much waste in grain and other things on our farms every year that could be converted Into poultry and eggs very easily at a handsome profit. Only about four pounds of grain are required to produce one pound of chicken, which is less than Is required to produce one pound of beef, mutton or bacon. The labor required re-quired to successfully manage a flock of poultry Is proportionately small. The market demands are practically unlimited, and the price of dressed poultry and eggs Is sufficiently high at all times of the year to make poultry poul-try keeping a paying business, even when prices are at their lowest. From these facts we see that poultry can be made a very profitable branch of farming, with but very little in the way of initiative expenditure. To begin poultry raising on a dry-farm dry-farm I would prefer to start with a few settings of eggs the first season and hatch chickens from the eggs, and then have my own stock the second season. This way of starting is the cheapest. When a person wants to invest a little heavier a better start can be made by buying 10 to 20 birds and hatching chickens from these the first year. This means, of course, a heavier expense, but then one would be a year ahead In getting returns already the first year. The poultry house should be located fairly close to the other farm buildings, build-ings, and should be protected from the north winds, or it may be built as a lean-to against the barn. The idea Is to have the poultry house well lighted, dry, well ventilated and free from draught, and also fairly cheap. One of the best houses for this climate is the straw loft poultry house, built 16 feet wide and any length "desired. This house has a peak or gable roof, Is seven feet high from sill to plate, and has the south side made of one-third boards and the remainder one-half glass and one-half curtain. Such a house Is not very expensive and answers an-swers the purpose very well for the average farmer. |