Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1899 — POULTRY. [ARTICLE]

POULTRY.

[Address by Mrs. D. .A. Stoner, of Rensselaer, before the late Jasper County Farmers’ Institute.] "7 4 Some thifik the poultry business is a small business, and I am sorry to say a great many of the farmers pay very little attention to the poultry and how it should be taken care of. We will say that dnring the last quarter of a century the poultry industry has developed into the largest agricultural industry of this country. The value of the poultry industry is underestimated by the American people and it has not been until recently that attention has been called to the vast wealth which lies at our very door and within our very grasp if we only work a little. Careful inquiry reveals the fact that the United States instead of producing more eggs than are required for home consumption, imports over $2,000,000 worth -of eggs. New York state and city consumes about $45,000,000 worth >of eggs and poultry annually. The United States will consume about $494-, 000,000 worth of eggs and poultry a year. I believe the dairy products are only $254,000,000 per year, while the poultry industry is larger than any of the others, that is, cotton, hay and dairy, it is the only product that we do not export. Our entire yield, which is vastly insufficient to meet the demand, is all consumed at home, and besides, statistics show that we import from foreign countries over 13,000,000 dozen eggs annually. Here, where we have so many natural advantages as compared with other countries, our profit should far exceed them. These facts also show that the value of poultry and eggs exceeds even wheat.

The general impression is that this vast industry is controlled by the farmer on his acres of land. Such is not the case, the farmers do not supply 40 per cent, of the poultry and eggs. They are raised by the city and suburban esidents. It is an industry in which any one may engage with leasure to himself and profit to his income. Not only is it not conconfinedto the male sex butis eminently adapted to ladies also. In choosing stock to start with I would take some large healthy variety. There should be no difficulty in selecting a breed of fowls to suit the fancy of a person, for there are eighty-five distinct varieties of poultry, six varieties of turkeys, ten of ducks, and seven of geese. I think, to make a success of poultry, a person should take a variety that snits his fancy beet, for then he is more apt to take good care of them. Always feed good healthy food, not musty, grain you would not feed your other stock. Three, pounds of grain or its equivalent will feed twenty fowls a day. For winter laying have a good warm house with plenty of straw for them to scratch in, and feed all whole grain in the litter, keeping house clean at all times. Feed cabbage about twice a week, hanging the head up, also chopped turnips, meat scraps and ground bone. The main secret of plenty of eggs is the kind of food. If you want eggs you must feed egg rood. Hens intended for market should be fed with that kind of grain which is known to contain a large per cent, of fatty matter.

Some waut to feed the chickens as soon as hatched. I find the better plan is to waft from twentyfour to thirty-six hours and then feed moistened cracker ernmbs. Cracker crumbs can be gotten at any cracker factory at a small cost and are handy and much_ better food for young chicks than porn meal. Also, like Mr. Moore sAid in his speech on cattle, be gentle and kind. Do not go out with a dub in hand and have them flying in every .direction, but have them so yon can pick them up at any time. Feed at regular hours.

It is said that 40,000,000 dozen eggs were used in this country last year by calico print works; 10,000,000 dozen by wine clarifiers and photographic establishments and man? millions more by book binders, jkid glove manufacturers and for finishing fine leather. According to tiie report of the Secretary of Agriculture, there are just two*products of our nation that exceed the value of poultry on our farm, and those are iron and corn. This is a remarkable statement, but statistics prove it beyond dispute. Let no one hereafter look down upon or despise the poultry business. I think there is no other stock on which a person can" realize as much on the money invested, as on poultry.