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Show Flock of Chickens A Farm Necessity Inasmuch as families in the city and on the farm are being- encouraged encourag-ed to produce more of what they consume, con-sume, attention should be called to the value of keeping a small flock of chicken. Chickens can be raised successfully suc-cessfully in close confinement and a small profitable home flock can be established and maintained with little expense, says Carl Frischknecht, U. S. A'.' C. extension service. Only enough land upon which to build a small coop is needed and much of the home-grown feeds, such as grain, milk and alfalfa, can be used to advantage. Very little time and attention at-tention is required and children can be given the opportunity of contributing contribut-ing to the family food supply by caring car-ing for a small flock. Nutritionists have said that in order to be healthy every person should eat at least one egg a day and poultry meat once each week. Many families are now going entirely without poultry poul-try and eggs because they do not keep a home flock and because money with which to purchase these foods is not available. It is true that, a few good flocks are now being raised in the state, but more and better ones need to be established, es-tablished, i Since the purpose of keeping a small flock is to produce poultry and eggs for the family, one of the American Am-erican breeds, preferably the Plymouth Ply-mouth rocks or the Rhode Island reds should be obtained. It is a mistake to raise leghorns in these small home flocks because volume is needed to market their eggs to advantage and they are not so desirable as the heavier heav-ier breeds of chickens for eating purposes. pur-poses. A flock of 50 pulIeTs ana 50 cockerels cock-erels or capons is usually sufficient to produce enough poultry and eggs for the family, but in order to main-i main-i tain this number about 150 baby i chicks should be hatched each year. : 'Ihis can be done in the natural way ' with hens or artificially in incubators i and brooders. Many have broode3 this i number with success in small fireless or homemade brooders whpre the heat ! is supplied by the baby ehjck, an elec-' elec-' trict light globe or by a Jar contain-! contain-! ing hot water, i A shed or seml-monltor coop with , I a cement floor that is dry, clean, and i j well-ventilated should be provided for i the home flock. Four square feet' of I (Continued on last page) Flock of Chickens A Farm Necessity (Continued from page 1) floor space should be available per bird and a coop that is about 16 feet wide and 24 feet long with two compartments com-partments is most desirable in which . to house an averaged-sized home flock. Those who are desirous of establishing estab-lishing a home flock or of improving the one they already have can receive additional assistance from their county coun-ty agricultural agent. Formulas for mixing feeds at home, bulletins discussing dis-cussing the proper care and management manage-ment of the flock, caponizing, and preserving eggs in water glass, blueprints blue-prints for constructing coops, fireless brooders and feed hoppers for the home poultry flock, can be obtained without cost, from .the extension service ser-vice at Logan. ' ' |