Chickens

From Antivist

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Revision as of 20:06, 16 August 2007

Hen care time is small in comparison with the other advantages. They destroy countless

   insects, and use unwanted vegetable waste, they supply eggs whose freshness cannot
   be impeached. An occasional chicken dinner, and the production of appreciable
   quantities of highly concentrated manure. For the majority of people, the profitable limit
   is 100 chickens. Master those before trying a greater quantity.

   If you want poultry for meat, choose Brahmas, Jersey giants, Langhams, Cochins, or
   some other 'meat breed.'

   If you want eggs, regardless of meat, choose Leghorns, Spanish, Minorcas, Anconas,
   Andalusians.

   If you want eggs and meat, choose Rhode Island reds, Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons,
   or Wyandottes.

   Hatching your own chicks in inconvenient and results are unsatisfactory. to buy chicks
   if at all possible. Artificial brooding avoids many of the disadvantages of natural
   brooding, especially lice, exposure to unfavorable weather, time, labor, and annoyance
   incident to hen brooding. In portable brooder colony houses, it is easy to manage 300
   chicks and to be surer of developing more uniform pullets.

   Egg production has been profitable increased by using electric light to lengthen the
   hens' working day to 12 to 14 hours between the equinoxes of September and March,
   through encouraging the fowls to consume larger quantities of food.

   The quality of product may be maintained by sanitation, cleanliness of the poultry
    houses, runs, nests, gathering the crop at least twice a day in autumn, winter, and
    spring, four times a day during warm weather, keeping them cool and away from
    direct sunlight to avoid deterioration, discarding all males except for breeding purposes
    so as to prevent fertilization and consequent rapid deterioration. Market eggs at least
    twice a week.

    Eggs need to be checked for blood spots, graded as to size, weight, shape, cleanliness,
    infertility, and freshness.

    Eight out of twenty-two farm flocks produce more than 48 eggs a year per hen. The 
    most liberally fed flocks produce the most eggs. The best birds to keep are the ones
    which produce the most eggs. Egg production can be increased by systematic breeding,
    careful culling and careful feeding. Quick maturing Rhode Island Reds make more profit
    in eggs because they mature faster.

    To find out what cost your eggs are, you must keep track of all costs including purchase
     of chicks, feed, water, labor, replacements, inventory depreciation, interest, auto,
     upkeep of buildings, taxes, lighting, miscellaneous.