Alma Sutter Ferrin

SUTTER, FERRIN

Posted By: Phyllis (email)
Date: 10/19/2004 at 12:56:37

ALMA SUTTER FERRIN, PROMINENT POULTRYWOMAN

Alma Sutter Ferrin moved to Larchwood, the Ferrin homestead, as the bride of William M. Ferrin in 1895. She became a pioneer in the early days of poultry breeding, feeding, and management. When she ended her career in 1937, owing to poor health, she had become internationally known in that field.

Poultry breeding before the turn of the century was not a highly specialized field. Her flocks consisted of various sizes, colors, and breeds, and no one she knew possessed a flock any different from hers. According to Alma's records, she neither expected nor got any winter eggs, no one did, and the September and early October eggs were stored for winter use. Eventually, with no idea of how much "scratch feed" her flock required, Alma began scattering feed twice daily and kept the containers filled with water. Receptive to new ideas, she tried "mash" (a mixture of bran, meal, etc.) which she home mixed using an Iowa State College formula. For the first time, she got winter eggs; but no one believed it was due to her improved feeding program. Everyone thought it was due to the superiority of the breed and wanted to trade eggs with her.

With Iowa State advice, Alma developed a Rhode Island Reds flock which began setting Iowa records around 1925. She exhibited for the first time at Aurora, Iowa in 1927. It [Aurora] was "a show of 600 birds with a strong class of Reds, the largest and strongest ever shown there" according to Alma's poultry records. Alma won First pullet in a class of thirty-nine which also won the Grand Champion of the 1927 show. In Alma's estimation Aurora "always had a splendid show of fancy birds". Later, during the fall of 1931 at Aurora, she won twenty ribbons, every First and 5 Grand Champions. For four consecutive years she won Best Display at Aurora's show, every blue ribbon, besides several Grand Champions. By 1936, Alma had exhibited nearly 500 Reds, all placed but 13 birds, winning 328 ribbons and prizes, 80 Grand Champions and best display at 18 shows. The majority of her ribbons read: Aurora Agr'l Society-Aurora, IA or Aurora Fair-Aurora, IA with their respective years. By the end of her career in 1937 she had shipped eggs to every state and four foreign countries. Her mailing lists included inquiries from the Philippines, South Africa and France.

Today, not a single chicken can be found at Larchwood, located five miles south of Aurora, In remembrance of that ime period, a white enamel tea kettle in the form of a chicken sits on the electric range.

Source: Submitted by Phyllis Smith Jensen [granddaughter] to the "AURORA, IOWA OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR HOME - 1999 CENTENNIAL EDITION."
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