Start With Twelve Good hens and One Rooster
Feeding time at Pomp Hall’s farm, Courtesy of the Library of Congress
While Dr. Alvenia Fulton’s father raised pigs her mother raised 300 to 400 egg producing chickens (as well as turkeys, geese, ducks, and guinea hens). With the right environment and skill, there had not been a better return than raising chicken in ratio to the capital investment and the speed of the returns. The demand for Mrs. Fulton’s chicken in local markets far excessed what she could supply. Tuskegee dean of agricultural George Washington Carver said, “every farmer should start with twelve good hens and one rooster. With a little care, they will furnish all the eggs needed in the family, some meat, and a surplus at times to exchange for clothing and other necessities. A few guineas, ducks, turkeys, and a pair or two of geese will bring you much pleasure and profit at practically no cash outlay.”
