FOREWORD.

By the provisions of the vocational education law enacted February 23, 1917, the Federal Board for Vocational Education is charged with the duty of causing to have made studies, investigations, and reports with particular reference to their use in aiding the States in giving instructions in agriculture. When the board deems it advisable, such studies, investigations, and reports may be made in cooperation with or through the Department of Agriculture. This bulletin on "A Unit Course in Poultry Husbandry" has been prepared by C. H. Schopmeyer, assistant in agricultural instruction, States Relations Service, United States Department of Agriculture, under the direction of the board, cooperating with the Department of Agriculture. Specialists in poultry husbandry of the depart-. ment and practical poultrymen have been the authority for the agricultural information and sequences of managerial and operative jobs. The chief of the Agricultural Education Service, agricultural agents of the board, and teachers of vocational agriculture have been the authority as to the application of the content of this bulletin to the needs of those responsible for the administration of all-day, part-time, and evening classes in agriculture.

The analysis as given in this bulletin is specifically directed toward agricultural teachers and teacher trainers, with the hope that it may be of service to them in the determination of the technical and related subjects content of instruction.

L. S. HAWKINS,

Assistant Director, Vocational Education.

5

A UNIT COURSE IN POULTRY HUSBANDRY.

INTRODUCTION.

It is intended in the preparation of this course to give some helpful suggestions to those who are responsible for the organization of the subjects to be taught in the vocational agricultural courses in secondary schools and especially in those schools where part-time or evening classes are conducted. It is realized that a course of this kind will have certain limitations in meeting the demands in the extensive field of vocational agriculture, but the principles set forth herein are wide in scope and in general may be applied in all localities where attention is given to poultry raising. While this course is expected to be of value to those engaged in the administration of part-time and evening work in agriculture, it is specifically directed toward agricultural teachers and teacher-trainers with the hope that it may be of some service to them in the determination of the content of instruction in poultry husbandry.

Since the main object in teaching vocational agriculture is to prepare the student to become a good farmer, skilled in the art of farming and able to effectively apply new information in operating his farm, it seems highly important that his instruction should be centered around the jobs on the farm. Then it is necessary for the instructor to know what the jobs are in the various lines of farming and what he must teach the student in order that he may become an efficient worker in the agricultural industry. In the preparation of this course a study was made to determine what are the jobs of a man engaged in raising poultry. The jobs were determined from the standpoint of a man practically engaged in poultry raising, conducting his work successfully according to present-day standards. To do these jobs in the best possible way devolves upon the poultry man the possession of some specific knowledge and skill relating particularly to them. Vocational training for the poultry enterprise should be based upon this essential knowledge and skill. The jobs with the suggestions as to the essential things a poultry raiser should know and be able to do as set forth in this course are not intended to train commercial poultry specialists but to fit students for handling a small flock of poultry as a side line to general farming or

on a larger scale where poultry raising is the most important enterprise on the farm.

The jobs in the various enterprises on the farm may be classified into two groups-management jobs and jobs of operation. On most farms the farmer acts in the capacity of farm owner, manager, and laborer. Very often he must occupy himself with a series of jobs at the same time not realizing or making any distinction as to the classes of his jobs, yet the managerial and operative elements exist. Some of the farm jobs are wholly managerial, for which the farmer needs knowledge of a general intelligence value but no manipulative skill. Other jobs on the farm may require both managerial ability and operative skill on the part of the farmer. If the farmer does his work without hired help he may act in the capacity of both manager and operator. If he employs help he will function more as a manager and the employees as operators. A group of operative jobs may be related so as to come under the same managerial job. The job classification makes it possible to arrange in a more concise and definite manner the things to be taught in the poultry course. The managerial job is designated by M. J. and the operative job by O. J.1 This classification is rather technical and would perhaps be confusing to students in vocational agriculture unless time is available to fully develop an understanding of its significance. It is made more as an aid in teaching than something to be taught to the vocational student.

The knowledge and skill an individual must have for efficiency in an enterprise may be evaluated by the formula_E=M+(T+I).2 In this formula E represents the fitness, skill, and knowledge required for efficient service in the enterprise. M represents the manipulative skill required in the use of equipment and the handling of farm animals. T represents the knowledge of the technical content of the particular agricultural enterprise in question. I represents the knowledge of a general intelligence value which can be shown to function directly in efficiency for the enterprise. In the preparation of this course M is used to represent the manipulation necessary in doing each operative job, and under T value are grouped the things that should be known to do the job in the best possible way. The equipment needed in the enterprise has been grouped according to its use under each managerial job. This refers to actual farm equipment separated from school-laboratory materials and supplies. A classification of related subjects has been made to show what phases of these subjects may be correlated with the poultry course to function for

1 The job classification was taken from the job analysis of the hog and cattle raising enterprise by C. V. Williams and H. L. Kent.

This formula was taken from Theory and Practice of the Machinists' Trade, Federal Roard Bulletin 52, by Chas. R. Allen.