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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS-POULTRY, PET AND LIVE STOCK SECTION,
The Main Road to Success
8omt Valuable Advice Which Ought to Be Acted Upon by Thousands of Fan
ciers Who Are Neglecting Their Opportunities and I
I Losing Trade.
By H. P. M’KAY, in Poultry Fancier.
Assuming that the breeder has bred
his flock up to standard requirements
and Is In a position to furnish fancy
stock and eggs for hatching, this arti
cle will endeavor to state some things
In relation to disposing of the above
products In a business-like and profita
ble manner, things which many breed
ers neglect or fail to give the proper
attention, and which many other* con
sider of slight Importance.
The first step in establishing a trade
In pure bred stock and fancy eggs can
* be attained In either of two ways, or In
both. These are by showing at some
reputable poultry show and by adver
tising judiciously In some of the poul
try publications.. Both of these are Im
portant and of mutual aid to each oth
er, but ef the two, advertising Is of the
greatest Importance and the one to
which tlte potlHryman should devote the
most thought.
In placing advertising, the followl
•things must be considered: Quality
stock to be disposed of, amount of
money available for the purpose and
the medium.
If only a small number of birds and
eggs are to be disposed of, it would cer
tainly only be a waste of money to car
ry a page or half page ad when a smalt
card In the classified column would ac
complish the same purpose. It is very
nice to receive plenty of orders, but it
hurts when you have to return money
and too many breeders are tempted to
go out and buy stock to fill these extra
orders, which is very bad policy, for It
Is sailing under false colors. Better
keep your ads running In proportion to
the amount you have to supply the de
mand with and gradually Increase them
as you have Increased facilities for tak
ing care of more orders, thus saving
money and keeping in the straight path
of honesty at the same time.
In considering the cost of udvertls
Ing, especially If the amount to be ex
panded is limited. It Is best to divide up.
you will be Judged by. Don't use
common, everyday, cut of your breed,
such as are turned out by the dozen
to anyone who will pay the prloe. Get
some pictures taken of your fowls and
Plant and hare some attractive half
tones made from them. Be different—
bo original—above tho throng. It is
the unusual man who Is the succesful
one. It. will certainly cost more, but
la proportion to results. Cuts con
always be made use of In your cat
alogue and In advertising, and In some
cases good pictures leave a more de
cided, lasting ‘impression than any
amount of word description would.
If poultry la just a side line with
you, keep it separate from your other
business, 'and do not use your .regular
stationery ip conducting your poultry
correspondence. I believe the majority
of people like to think, at least, that
they are dealing with a poultryman
who Is devoting all his time “to It, and
not just bis spare moments. Bo, if
you are a banker or a druggist, keep
It apart from your poultry Interests,
and do not give people the Impression
that poultry Is only a fad with you. and
that,probably someone else Is looking
After your birds for you In an Indif
ferent manner.
It-ls a serious handicap not to be able
to write well, but one that Is usually
easily , remedied. If you are a poor
writer, try. and get some one’ to write
for your for it Is disappointing to get
a letter that can be deciphered only
with difficulty, and It leaves u poor
Impression. If your wtfo or son or
daughter are not available to write tor
you. buy or rent a typewriter. In this
age nothing gives such an air of busi
ness stability os does the typewriter.
Very serviceable machines can be had
for little money, and the advantage of
a typewritten letter can not be over
estimated.
greatest benefit and value for ttife
money. It Is a proven fact that some
poultry publications are better medi
ums than' others and good judgment
must be employed to get the journal or
journals that wilt bring the best re
turns In proportion to the cost.
Try to place your name before us
m:\ny readers as possible, and keep It
there. In time, renders will look for
your advertisement each month and It
will become part of the paper. Spas
modic advertising, while better than
none at all, does not accomplish tho
greatest amount of good that It should.
But your name alone Is not sufficient—
that fs, not until you have a welt estab
lished reputation and trade. Do not di
vide up advertising In such small par
rels that none of them have any worth.
Better have fewer ads and stronger
ones
, Above all. make your advertising at
tractive and original.' If poastble. • Do
not be funny, loquacious or sarcaatlc,
and avoid repetition. Neatness and con
ciseness are very important factors. 'I
believe Iff stating prices Ih art adver
tisement: not necessarily, a complete
schedule, but enough to give a pros
pective buyer some Idea of the.range ofl
your- terms. (: He Is then more apt to
w.rtt* to you than to some other-advey?
riser who. almply states that hg has
Barred Rocks, White Leghorn*. or some
Success With a Little Effort
.... Always give an Inquiry a complete
the amount In a way to secure the [reply. Merely sending a catalogue in
answer to all inquiries will not suffice.
Many times a catalogue does not con
tain the exact information to lit the
case, and, besides, a personal letter
shows that the poultryman takes a real,
live Interest In every sale, be It large or
small.
Bo prompt In your correspondence,
above all things It may tend to make
a prospective customer think that you
arc doing a rushing business to delay
I have read so much about the w;
chickens should be housed,
scrubbed, etc, that It has beg
wear on me and I feel compelled to
break Into print
It la possible that location makes all
this different
MM
feet 4 feet high at the back and
high at tho front and partitioned the
shed off into rooms, two of them being
S by 12 feet for laying sheds, two 12 by
12 feet for roosting sheds, and I left a
space 10 by *2 feet for a scratching
shod. The balance of the shod is used
for wood and as a storage room.
There were no windows and the shed
was tight tho there was a 2 by 4 door
In each compartment. The chickens
did well enough In them, but I thought
they looked rather warm, so I knocked
the boards ofT the front wall and built
an extension roof with them, making
tho shed fully 16 feet deep, but I did
not close the front with anything. The
shed faces south.
I did away with the nesting she<]s
and took out the partitions, thus mak
ing a roosting shed 12 by 20 feet, and
left one 12 by 12 feet but enlarged
the scratching room to 12 by 22 feet
and put the nests In it I do not have
any sickness and up to this writing I
have not had a mite on the place. I
have noticed some lice on the fowls,
but dust them with Persian powder
when 1 And them and I do not have
much trouble In this line. _
The birds have a yard 140 by 200 - feet
In which to range. There are no shade
trees pnd but little grass. I Intend to
have grass and shade trees later. I
feed them with what grain I can get,
but corn chops is the principal food
from one end of the year to another.
Sometimes I am able to get a few
bushels of wheat at a dollar a bushel
and occasionally I can get white oats.
If I had to give my chickens the lists
to give up the chickens, for I could not
get such grains here, and to buy In
St. Louis would make It far too high
to feed and come out even. . Our mid
dlings or shorts are nothing but re
ground bran and our merchanta do not
know the difference. If we want corn-
meal we have to buy the bolted Article,
and that is not much good as 'a feed.
This Is about all I am able to supply
my chickens: corn chops of any old
color, re ground bran, beefScrap, blue!
oats, crushed oyster shell, pure drink.
Ing water and charcoal and just any
amount of gravel from the size of a
ham down to an atom. The green stuff
. - -- they get Is fibrous bermuda grass, but
answering his letter for a few days, but that seems to .agree very well with
he may conclude you are so busy that them.
attentions that would have kept one
person busy an day. I could not-spare
the time, so tried faith and a good chick
feed, and came out all right, the loss
of chicks being next to nothing.
I took them from the incubafor,
dipped their bills In the drinking tank
and turned them into the brooder with
an alfalfa meal litter on tho floor, some
Ope oyster shen. charcoal and plenty
of chick feed and let them "go it."
Every few days 1 would give them more
chick feed and sometimes oftener, but
they lived, thrived and are now paying
me for my trouble!?) with eggs. Have
batched them In every month In tbs
year but October and November and
I do not And any difference in their
growth or .laying qualities. I have
noticed that December chicks seem to
be larger and stronger, while May
chicks were weak.
My birds are White Leghorns, but I
have a "what Is it” ben In the bunch
that Is a wonder. In shape she Is like
a Wyandotte, has a buff color, green
black legs, misty beak, pea comb, pink
car-lobcs and yellow eyes. This hen
began laying In September and laid
every day until Juno 16, then rested
until July 17 and began laying again
and did not miss a day up to Septem
ber 30. I flrmly believe that she laid
224 eggs In the year. I hatched scAne
of her eggs and they produced white
chickens which laid poorly and were
broody a good part of the time. X
sold them and gave up trying to bnlld
a strain from, this one freak. I get
from 15 to 20 cent* a dozen on the
market and sell some eggs at 21.00 a
dozen for setting purposes, yet I have
cleared an average of 215 a month on
this little flock and have not bad much
work in caring for them. Question—
Would I have added anything to the
production or vitality of the chirks had
I followed the usual custom of North
ern breeders? I think not—J. S.
Gaunt In Reliable Poultry Journay.
you will not give his order the proper
attention, and, therefore, send It else
where. Then, also, he may have sent
several Inquiries for prices and, being
in a hurry, the first answer gets the
business. Anyway, to keep correspond
ence from accumulating, fake care of It
each day and It will become a pleasant
occupation Instead of a task. To be
sure, you will probably get many In
quiries merely from curiosity, bat don't
take any chances In not answering
from this fact. The Inquiry at least
shows Interest on the writer’s part,
and perhaps some day he will have
some money to spend arid he will re
member you. I believe In the follow
up system to a certain extent, say, to
the -second j>r third letter, but after
that your letters are apt. to be thrown
sfc a '--** - “
™ on commer-
aside wlfhoqt much attention.
Conduct poultry raising
other breed for rate and leaves the | clal lines and In a business way°Tfy<L
• Price-an unknown, quantity.*. JUurtra- . would succeed. Respect'your business
lion* from life *r* ; one.of Jlje best wax*.'and It will command respect from oth-
4n which, to attrariattcmion l n ndvcf J era. *Thq time .Is past when the chlck-
I rising matter, for they show just,what in business was a laughing-stock, and
your slock looks like. Be truthful Ip
your statements. ,You have'the rlghlfo
place yhur slock and plant In the best
possible light, but It Is bad practice to
claim the finest plant dpd the .best
stock If you can not sho# the goods.
Borne one who reads your claims is apt
to happen slon/ to your place some day)
and If the plant and birds do not fulfill
your description, it would be quite enl-1
barrasslng for you. I should Imagine. I
Bo. i say, paint your business, equip- (
ment end winnings In os glowing terms I
sa are justifiable, but do not exaggerate.
After placing ndvertlsing.ln the above
manner, and supplementing'!! with ar
ticles for the popltry press and' by, ex
hibiting at some of the shuns.’ the foun
dation Is laid for a good trade. Replica
and inquiries will begin to come In and
the battle Is half fought. But perhaps
the hardest.half, at,least, to some peo
ple. and the. one ths.mwt.neglected. Is
It. Is now a legitimate, paying voeaffon
I have had on average of 40 chickens
old enough to lay and from what I read
I think I would have been considered
lucky to get five or six eggs a day un
der this care and feed, yet I have gath.
crcd 8,515 eggs from January X to Sep
tember 20 and the hens were still doing
business at the old stand after the lat
ter date. This record of egga gathi
was for eggs that were fit for food and
sale and does not Include aoft-shellcd
eggs and misfits.
Then that brooder care of little
chicks that I read about nearly scared
me to death.' According to general di
rections-they had to be fed five and
six times a day with a lot of other little
H-ln fact, a science, when carried on
along up-to-diWe, Intelligent .methods.
If carried on with the same careful at
tention to details and the same energy
as In necessary In any other business
to make It a success, then poultry rais
ing aa.a business Is bound to bo a suc
cessful. paying venture and one of
which no one need be' ashamed.
Money in Poultry.
The poultry question has entered,
hung up Its hat and Is going to stay
with us, whether or no. It is getting
to be a mighty Interesting topic, be
cause we can see good, round dollars
ln It—and plenty of them.
Not ao very long ago, poultry was a
question that, only meant a.!lttle money
fQr the Mrs. and the girls; an extra
pair of shoes, or ti new sun bonnet, and
was too utterly small for us heads of
the house to notice. We had our farms,
our crops, our horses and our cattle and
we were IT. Chickens? Bah!
But the little Amorican hen kept right
along, putting In her time and working
overtime, until she has convinced us
that we had better sit up and take no
tice. When sho started In, she was the
very last in the race, but she passed
the cajtlo, and the horses, and the In
dividual crops, and. when the census
last took notice, she was coming In
under the wire a hundred to one shot
winner. Murray!
Some of us don't want to -believe It
We hate to have our cat nnd dried
Ideas upset, and we still keep treating
our fowls os If they were a blamed
nuisance, Instead of little cackling gold
jnlnes. A few of us are too stiff In our
notion joints to be able iojbcnd; bat the
° f ,ruth “ re comlagiatiBS Ilk*,
bird shot from a blunder-bus and we
must stoop, dodge.or gSttheMnd the
pump la order not to have: It bored Into
us that .there's money In poultry.
Alfolfo Is one of the.hAst plants for
all.kinds of fowls. Chickens..ducks,
turkeys, geese and guineas -enjoy the
alfalfa field and you are fortunate
when you have one for them. ■
,most ...
thu correspondence relating to three In
quiries This shoqld be .carried >H['In a
progressive, prompt, busluru-Itke man
ner. Iryirdei to derive the greatest ben
efit foorfi tho advertising. I Copld never
understand how . ponltrymen would
spend lime and money in advertising
and then take cared the accruing-cor
respondence as tmHfferenUy as some at
them do. It- Is as bad as • spending
money for fancy buildings - and - nut
knowing how to raise enough stock to
fill them. Several of the most serious
faults met with are lack.of proper ma
terials. poor writing. Iwramciedt replies,
and lock'of prompt****" . - t *
Get good, attractive stationery and
printed matter, with good euts, even
If-It does cost more. It and. what Is
Written on It are yoar agent and what
Photo by Mathcwson.
FIRST PRIZE-PEN WHITE LEGHORNS, DEKALB COUNTY FAIR. OWNEO BVL 8. BATTEN FIELD.
