Show I 1 OG Y SKIMPING BROODER FUEL CAUSES LOSS poor judgment to economize on heat for chicks by H P alp poultry extension specialist universo ty ot of hilno 9 service with the possibility that poultry and egg prices may advance following con linued improvement in business actie ity and employment poultry men can not afford to economize on brooder fuel at the expense of death losses in their baby chicks every year it Is said there are many instances where great damage Is done to growing chicks by not main a fire in the brooder stove un til all likelihood of cool weather Is past or until such time as the chicks have started to roost it Is not uncommon that each spring there are several days of excepts exceptional onal ly warm weather at which time many poultry raisers decide to save on brooding expense by discontinuing the artificial heat for the chicks this un usual weather Is often followed by cold and rain and where the chicks are not old enough to roost they will crowd together for heat this results in some becoming too warm and oth ers being chilled many outbreaks of have been observed under such conditions it Is always a good plan to enczur age early roosting forshen for when the young birds can perch above the floor there Is less probability of III effects from sudden severe changes in the weather other housing conditions being satis factory the who cares for his chicks so as to save the greatest num her to laying or marketable age has a lower initial cost for each bird and Is in a better position to make a profit whether prices are low or high with the possibility of improved prices he has hag an additional advantage over the less efficient producer culling in spring Is found to be good plan those who manage their flocks in the most efficient manner possible do not confine their culling to late sum mer and early fall but to a certain extent cull throughout the entire year especially do they pay a good deal of attention to spring culling when the flock comes into the peak production pe period some of the birds that have produced heavily throughout the previous fall and winter months often break down toward spring they are the individuals that could not stand continuous heavy feeding in some flocks the percentage of these partial ly broken down birds Is larger than in others but invariably some are found in every flock that are no longer profit able producers that Is why spring culling Is usually a profitable proposition As soon as a bird Is unable to pay its feed bill and its total cost of keep and yield a small profit it Is time for it to go to market for rough figuring one may assume that the feed cost of a he hen Is only half of her total cost of keep to pay her way therefore assume that her egg income must be twice as large as her feed bill before any profit can be derived from her wallaces farmer color of poultry skin A dealer in market poultry once stated that in his opinion the amer lean ican preference for yellow legs and skin was based on the undeniable fact that a fowl with good yellow legs and skin was invariably a good bird in good health while if one let his color preferences guide him in the other dl he was quite likely to get a poor chicken he ile thought the prefer ence for white skin must help the sale of poor poultry wherever it existed without taking a position for or against the possible value of theares the pres ence in the meat of a fowl of elements which determine the color of skin fat or plumage sufficient grounds exist for scientific study of the matter and that breeders of the black breeds of meat type might well give it their attention chickens need water plenty of clean fresh water should be available for ch chickens lehens at all times chickens don dont t swim but they do get thirsty as well as hungry and a chick en Is always hungry no matter how much it Is fed for a flock of 75 to hens there should be a 10 or 12 quirt quart pall or trough for larger flocks larger containers are necessary even baby chicks need water they should be provided with a place to get a drink without the danger of falling in and drowning new england demand the demand in new england Is for eggs weighing 2526 25 28 ounces to the dozen with two ounces the minimum weight of individual eggs in gen eral consumers take eggs below that standard only at prices representing a loss to the producer in the nature of the case t requirements can not riot be accurately measured in retail ing shell eggs hence as the buyer does not greatly desire them anyway he takes small eggs only at a price he be feels gives glees him his moneys worth |