Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1917 — Poultry In the Back Yard. [ARTICLE]

Poultry In the Back Yard.

Washington, D. C.—From 12 to 25 hens are sufficient to provide the ordinary family with enough eggs and meat to render the keeping of the birds worth while, according to poultry specialists in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The amount of outdoor space the flock will require may be estimated at about 25 square feet for each bird. There are instances in which chickens have thrived with much less than this, but unless the soil is especially favorable and the birds receive unusually good care,- crowding is likely to prove unprofitable. Unless there is a natural interest in poultry or a determination to make the flock a source of real economy even if it does take time and trouble, the venture is not likely to prove successful. Lack of care may result in disease that will sweep off the entire flock and it is almost certain to caues a reduction in egg production that will make the birds a burden instead of a help. In some localities where municipal ordinances may prohabit the keeping of poultry within certain limits, care should be taken that the poultry yard is not in a proscribed area.