New York State Qallege of Agriculture At Cornell University Dthara, N. Y. Library ornell University Library Poultry keeping; an elementary treatise Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003040544 POULTRY KEEPING AN ELEMENTARY TREATISE DEALING WITH THE SUC- CESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY “WOTJOASP PUB BAO] Jo S¥apl pexy pulud [NJYMOA oy ul srysur yorum Ayrurey Addvy oy pu’ uoy J9yY}0UL 9Y} SL, (SHOIBQ GNV NUY YoY HLNOWATG astuuvg) ATINVA Add VH V POULTRY KEEPING AN ELEMENTARY TREATISE DEALING WITH THE SUCCESSFUL MAN- AGEMENT OF POULTRY BY HARRY R. LEWIS, B.S. POULTRY HUSBANDMAN OF THE NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION; ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY, NEW JERSEY STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE (RUTGERS); FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURE OF THE BARON DE HIRSCH AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL; MEMBER INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSTRUCTORS AND INVESTI- GATORS IN POULTRY HUSBANDRY; LIFE MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY @ SFAY87 LiGS pk COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY (@ 2545 © PRINTED BY J. 5. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PHILADELPHIA TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF OUR LAND IS THIS VOLUME DEDICATED MAY ITS TEACHINGS INSPIRE A GREATER LOVE AND RESPECT FOR OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS AND A BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KEEPING PREFACE THE purpose in preparing this elementary treatise on Poultry Keeping has been to provide a text suitable for use in rural schools and in graded schools. It is especially adapted for use in the seventh and eighth grades but with slight adaptation can be profitably used for high school work. The need and demand for such a book is becoming more and more apparent. Each year sees a greater interest and development in the teaching of Agriculture in elementary schools. Poultry keeping offers one of the best opportunities in this line. Pupils are especially interested in things ani- mate. A small flock of birds may be owned and kept on the school premises at a very small cost. Poultry is kept to a greater or less extent on nearly every American farm. The children especially take an active interest in this branch of the farm work. An idea of this growing popularity can be appreciated by noting the increased interest which is created by the growth of Boys’ and Girls’ Poultry Clubs and Poultry Raising Contests. These contests are becoming more and more a part of many school activities. In some cases these contests are but local; in others whole counties have organized and conducted Poultry Raising and Egg Laying Contests for the young folks. Such activities in the poultry field have been of great advantage to the whole agricultural population within the district. As the boys and girls are interested in poultry keeping when young, so their interest is bound to be greater and greater in this branch of agriculture in later years. The idea in arranging the text material has been to keep it as elementary as possible, yet cover in a concise, simple way the essentials in the management of the poultry flock. vii viii PREFACE All of the practices recommended are planned and described especially for the small flock. In many cases, suggestions or references have been made covering the application of these same principles to large flock management. An effort has been made to keep the material general in nature so that it will apply to all sections of the United States and Canada. Following each chapter laboratory exercises have been introduced. If these are followed out in the home or school flock or through trips of inspection to nearby poultry flocks as recommended, they will help materially to fix in mind the lessons of the text and will enthuse interest in the course. Thought questions have been placed at the end of each chapter to aid in reviewing the text material. They also emphasize and call special attention to the leading and more important points covered. A list of reference bulletins have been placed at the end of most chapters. These pubii- cations are known as Farmers’ Bulletins, and can be secured by addressing the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. The school library should contain a complete list of these bulletins, and the pupil should be induced to secure them for his home library. The study of these references in connection with the text will aid in giving a much broader and more detailed conception of many of the problems. Special acknowledgment is due a number of persons for help in the preparation of parts of the text. Mrs. Harry R. Lewis has materially aided in the completion of the work by correcting manuscript and proof. And to others, in- cluding poultrymen, teachers and farmers, whose names do not appear, the author wishes to express his appreciation and indebtedness for encouragement and help given. Pho- tographs have been secured from a number of poultrymen and farmers and from a number of Experiment Stations; credit is given where they appear. All photographs not especially credited have been taken by the author. L. P. Graham is here given credit for a number of photographs PREFACE ix besides those on which his name appears, the removal of the artist’s name having been necessary for uniformity of engraving. The text embodies the modern teachings and practices prevailing at our leading Experiment Stations and on suc- cessful poultry farms. These facts have been specially con- densed and made to apply to small flock management. Incorporated in the text are the results of findings from recent investigations in poultry management at our Agricultural Experiment Stations. The poultry departments of Cornell University, of the New Jersey Agricultural College, of the Connecticut Agricultural College, of Perdue University and of the Massachusetts Agricultural College have published valuable data from experimental findings, facts from which have been used in the text. It is hoped that the text will meet the needs of rural and graded schools and that the pupils will find in it the infor- mation necessary to successfully manage the home flock and that the amateur poultry keeper will find in it elementary information pertaining to poultry keeping which is funda- mental to success. The author will be pleased to receive suggestions and cor- rections. Harry R. Lewis. New Brunswick, N. J., January, 1915. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION InstRucTION IN Pouttry HUSBANDRY.............000eceeeuee 1 Boys’ anp Girus’ PouLTRY CLUBS...............000.00 eee eee 8 Tue ScHoot A ComMuNnITY CENTER..........0...00.0c00ce cues 11 Tue FounpATION FoR Success IN Poutrry KEEpiNG......... 12 CHAPTER 1. Il. III. IV. V. VI. VI. XXI. PAGE Birps anp Birp LIFe...............0.0. 000 eee ees 15 Tur Domestic Fowu.........0..00 000 cece 34 THE EGG BREEDS sisce ssn dcx ed g ghdscug Sate on ei a eae 48 Tae MpAat BREEDS s.4c0gis'5 ea eeu aan ah ae ee OS 58 GeneraL Utitity BREEDS...............0000000 00s 68 MiscELLANEOUS BREEDS...........0..0000cc eee eens 77 BREEDING AND MATING............ 000000 e seer eee 84 PART II—HATCHING AND REARING SPH HGGtssedcatact txt Sees Fah OS te oon aeaee 94 ‘Pum: PATCHING UGG: 2 szjs.05 22-5 pe seg eq nigel Stamens glans 103 < Tm: MoTtanit, FENG: 62 ony sks eeu gd vag Reb oh eee sees 112 ; AARTIPICIAL, HATCHING: « 552 0¢ee cs pan nes Be eo WAN Le eS 122 BROODING fs sen tii hcants Wek Sag ean gd eat Sees Peed OR es 133 REARING THE YOUNG BIRDS...........-.0-2 000 eeee 142 PART III—HOUSING Location oF THE Housms AND YARDS.............. 151 ESSENTIALS OF A Pouttry HOovwsE.................. 162 REMODELLING OLD Pouttry Housms. ............. 170 Bumpine A Pouttry Hovuseh..............0.0e eeeee 177 Tus InTERIOR oF THE PouLtTRY HOUSE............. 188 Best Types or Poutrry Housks.................. 198 PART IV—FEEDING ELemMents oF THE Birp’s Bopy AND COMPOSITION Om GS: FRB reo. 0cn.4 are ale hare @ oS 3S SEB ee Se 211 DicEstion, ASSIMILATION, AND NUTRITION........... 218 xii CONTENTS XXII. Common Pouutry FREDS..........0000. 00 cece 224 XXIII. Home-Grown Pourrry FEeps.........-....02.0065 234 XXIV. FEEDING FOR GROWTH............0 0000 ceee eee eee 242 XXV. Feepine ror Eaa PRoDUCTION............00.0-005 251 XXXVI. FEEDING FOR FLESH............000 000 ce eee eeees 263 PART V—POULTRY PRODUCTS XXVII. Varmery of PRoDUCTS........0.000000c0seseeeeees 272 XXVIII. PREPARATION OF PouLTRY PRODUCTS...........-..- 283 XXIX. Disrripurion or Pouttry PRODUCTS.............-- 294 PART VI—HEALTH, DISEASE AND ENEMIES XXX. SANITATION op ogy supagin dea bas pued Beaded dosage 301 XXXII. Common Pouttry DISEASES.............000 000000 308 XXXII. Parasires anD ENEMIES OF POULTRY............... 317 PART VITI—APPENDIX REFERENCE BOOKS ax sta cktudaes sce eae eeiawee es dubs dan dads 340 LOCATION. OF “COLLEGESS + #5 ¢esurs% 4) Hue hd the wera eae aes 342 PLAN AND RULES FoR Boys’ aND Girts’ PouLttry ConrTESTS..... 343 SCORE CARDS lsfeoduinnda Rees Cemdanwue hue RSSRGA REE bigobuiy oa. cce eau 349 GuossaRy OF Parts OF A BIRD.................0000 000002200 353 THe CoMPosITION AND DiIGESTIBILITY OF CoMMON FEED Sturrs 355 FEEDING STANDARDS FOR POULTRY.............006 000 eee cues 356 WEIGHT AND VOLUME OF ComMON FEEDING STUFFS............ 357 ILLUSTRATIONS FIG PAGE A Happy Family............... 0. cee eee eee isan! seas 1, The Farm Lad and the Farm Flock.. de aaa 2. Systematic Instruction in Poultry, Shown ‘by Chart......... 4 3. A Boys’ and Girls’ Poultry Show......................... 9 4. A Young Man and His Prize-winning Bird................ 10 5. Plan for Poultry Yards and Gardens in Connection with a Rural School: ssc: ee ae 902 ge oven WEE Abunda inaie doa baype 12 6. The Foundation to Poultry Keeping and Its Relation to DUCCESS..n c.s.2 pa clnaiilaw quanto aan A iinied he AR d Mates ween 14 7. The Skeleton of a Bird.............000.00 0200 eve 16 8. Details of a Feather........00.. 0... cece eens 18 9. Royal Terns at Their Island Nesting Ground............... 20 10. Brown Pelicans at Their Nesting Site..................... 21 11. (A) Young Black-crowned Night Heron. (B) Young Green Herons os es cee s St esse 4 BESS PEL SE we ete daha as 22 12. Green Heron’s Nest and Eggs.........................00. 23 13. Bobwhite’s Nest and Eggs.................0000..0...00... 23 14. (A) Bronze Turkey Male. (B) A Flock of White Holland NRUEK CYS <i decreas eee eth k aie ar taaes,Ae 8 edo een eenSen: tals yo 24 15. Song Sparrow’s Nest and Eggs................-...00000.. 25 16. Ruby-throated Humming Bird’s Nest and Eggs............ 25 17. Baltimore Oriole’s Nest ..............0000 0000 eee, 25 18. Wood Thrush’s Nest and Eggs.................0..02...... 25 19. Flicker’s Nest and Eggs...........00.....0 000 cece 26 20. Bluebird’s Nest and Eggs............... 000000 eeevee 26 21. Barn Swallow’s Nest............ 0.00 cee cece 26 22. Tree Swallow at Nesting Hole in Stump................... 26 23. (A) Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Nest. YB) Nest and Eggs of Rose-breasted Grosbeak..............000000 0.00 eee eee 27 24. (A) Hooded Warbler’s Nest and Eggs. (B) Hooded Warbler On UNestiwed 5 aici eagu dares Seeeas ol bdte SP ay se seeds os 27 25. Red-shouldered Hawk and Family ........................ 28 26. White-breasted Nuthatch on Hand........................ 28 27. Simple Bird Houses Which Can Be Made at Home......... 29 28. Bluebird at Nesting Box...............00..000 00000000 ee 30 29. House Wren at Nest Box............. 00000 ccece ee 30 30. (A) Slate-colored Junco on Feed Shelf. (B) Purple Finches on Weeding: Shelf. «-sayyecek gage Go egemed sade eee aia 31 31. A-Pair of Jungle Fowls's < eis. <swh sae d6 4299 BE 825 Hh a eben 35 32. A Pair of Malay or Aseel Fowls.....................0.... 35 33. (A) Single Comb White Leghorn Male. (B) Light Brahma Male. (C) Barred Plymouth Rock Male................ 40 34. (A) A White Leghorn Hen. (B) A Basket of White Eggs which Accounts for the Popularity of the Leghorn...... 49 35. The Body Shape of the Leghorn Resembles that of an Egg.. 52 36. A Pair of Single Comb White Leghorns.................... 53 37. A Pair of Black Minorcas..............0.. 000 ccece cece eee 54 38. A Pair of Silver Campines............ 00 cece eee e eve cease 55 A Small Out-door Brooder for Fifty Chicks A Gasolene Brooder House............000.000 0000 cece eee ee : (A) A Coal-burning Brooder Stove. (B) The House in ILLUSTRATIONS A Roaster Dressed for Market................ 000 cee eens The Body Shape of the Meat Breeds Is Very Blocky........ » A Typical Light Brahma Pair... 4006.00 cee esc enamine ) A-Black: Langshan Pair... ce rsetsecaere aeegeraw heey hes A Pair of Thick-feathered Cochins ...................--5. A Cornish Game Pair.......0000.0000 000. cee ee Eggs of the General Purpose Breeds Have a Brown Shell.... General Purpose Breeds Bring in a Revenue from Meat as WEBS HOB Go ss x coene nwserh dened n atch Hin RR RGE BBA AER A A Flock of Barred Plymouth Rocks.... .................. The Body Shape of the General Purpose Breeds Resembles an Inverted: Derby: Hats .. wea vane kdarsewures *ahissoe ME ea ee Pair of Rhode: Island: Reds..2 es: os40),eend. cea eh 00-4 BERGA A Pair of Full-breasted White Wyandottes................ A Buff Orpington Pair.......0000.0.0000000 000 cee oe Ae White: Polish Mal@si.3csi4 cca pure aren g ata achewwbn ke pak A Columbian Wyandotte Hen..................0022002024 Black-tailed Japanese Bantams........ ...........000000. Barred Plymouth Rock Hen.........00 000000 A Tailless Leghorn, Commonly Called a Sport.............. Barred Plymouth Rock Chicks, Showing Different Amounts OL VAG OT fs evi) una ots cue Menlo WAG dh cay Saat aka Gee cies A Rhode Island Red Hen with a Large Egg Record........ The Cross-section of an Egg Showing the Location of the COnt CHS si. Genes. ordadd Baek anaes Soke dun eRe RR AA ecg i. The Ovary sand Oviductis si cocoa rraardancawieiaann vase aices Carefully Collecting the Hatching Eggs.................... Normal and Abnormal Eggs for Hatching.................. A Mother Hen and Her Newly Hatched Chicks............ .. A, Barrel anda Box Neste 305 si tauanres toy pia whee eee es (A) The Stolen Nest in the Long Grass. (B) The Proud Mother and Her Newly Hatched Youngsters ............. A Slatted Coop Made to Protect the Young Chicks ........ On the Farm the Chicks Can Be Reared in the Pasture...... » An Individual Incubators. 5s scin och aa sed aaa ea ee een nes Sketch of the Parts of a Self-regulating Device for an Incubator A Class Studying Different Makes of Incubators............ Three Types of Brooders Showing How They Furnish the Proper. Requirements... :on2s sacses .04 Bes teh eet 5 oe Which the Stove was Operated........... A Modern, Commercial, Long-pipe Brooder House.......... An Out-door Dry Mash Hopper for Growing Chicks....... Leghorn Pullets Being Reared on Free Range.............. An Ideal Corner of a Pasture for the Growing Birds A Cheap, Fresh Air Shelter for Growing Poultry An Excellent House for Growing Chicks During the Summer Working Plans for Adaptable Summer Colony House Sloping Ground Showing the Proper Location of the Poultry House A Desirable Plan for a Small Poultry Plant on a Farm...