Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1911 — CHICKEN FARM ON ISTHMUS [ARTICLE]

CHICKEN FARM ON ISTHMUS

Started With 200 Brown Leghorn Hens and 15 Cocks —Other Varieties Afterwards Added. The Ancon hospital poultry farm, on the Isthmus of Panama, has been In existence since January, 1910, starts lng with two hundred Brown Leghorn hens and fifteen cocks. In the following April one hundred hens and ten cocks of the Rhode Island Red variety were added; one month later a consignment of 230 Plymouth Rock hens and cocks was received, and In April, 1911, an addition of one hundred fowls, imported from the states, was made to the Brown Leghorn family. During the first eighteen months of operation, January 1, 1910, to July 1, 1911, eggs to the number of 4,455 dozen were produced at the farm, of which the Leghorns laid 29,329 eggs, the Reds 9,094 and the Plymouth Rocks 15,042. The average cost per dozen for the whole period mentioned has been about 11% cents. The prevailing price of eggs at the commissary is 27 cents a dozen, indicating on the basis of that figure a saving of about 15% cents a dozen, or about S2BO for the seven months period. Last year fifty-three pairs of pigeons were Introduced at the poultry farm for raising squabs. During the seven months ended July 31, 1911, seventynine squabs were produced at a cost of 21% cents each, the market price for squabs being 35 cents.