COMMON PITFALLS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1934, Page 21

COMMON PITFALLS

REARING LOSSES

Many are the setbacks that • are liable to discourage the novice poultryman, and whilst practical experience with one's own stock is necessary there1 are several mistakes which should not be made. Some knowledge can be obtained from text books, but without practical experience the advice offered is not full" appreciated. Unless almost unlimited capital is available, no person should entertain starting poultry-keeping until such time as lie or she can earn a living wage as an assistant on a poultry plant. Much* can be learnt from keeping a few birds as a hobby whilst earning a living from some trade, but such birds should be kept only as a sideline and no permanent buildings erected in cramped quarters. Intensive poultrykeeping is the finished art; suitable only for those with sufficient capital to build costly sheds and purchase expensive land. The whole trend in recent years has been back to freerange methods,, utilising cheap land and cutting costs by doing away with expensive sheds and wire-netting fences. The margin of profit from commercial egg production is very small indeed, and not only must the novice be keen, but he must be prepared to serve his apprenticeship for at least five years:. It never^ pays1 to. be in a hurry about starting/and one of our leading poultrymen spent two years looking for an ideal site for his poultry farm. Eventually he purchased quite cheaply an ideal 15-acre farm, well drained, very well sheltered, and well equipped with outbuildings. It is a mistake to purchase an already established poultry plant and fully stock it immediately. Most established plants arc more or less "fowl-sick," that is to say, the soil is heavily infected with disease germs, and unless run under expert management such land will not rear good chicks. Quite often, however, neglected poultry farms can be purchased very cheaply, and since poultry housing; is expensive these farms can be renovated and carefully cleaned up at less cost than a new farm can be established.