The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-09-09
Eggs and Chickens.
(Cor. American Cultivator.)

The first object of every poultry
keeper who wishes to succeed in
his business Is to have his produce
ready for market when the COM
modify is scarce, since of course he
can secure much higher price
then than at any other time.
Where there is II large and pcr'na-
ncnt population customers ca ~
ways be found for really fresh eggs
and plump Wcli-ird chickens at the
best price.
A very frequent complaint
among poultry Keepers is that
they can Get any number of
eggs at that time when they arc
plentiful, and therefore cheap, but
when eggs arc scare they get few
or none. What is wanted is to
keep only those birds known as
prolific layers, such as LrghornS,
Minoros, Ilundaus, Black Ham
burga, Lonw#haus, or Plymouth
Rocks. The matter OF housing and
feeding should also have the great
est attention. There are many
pCnp!" who Nave the right Kinds of
birds ana who house and feed them
we'll and vet who cannot obtain
egg very early in the year, and OF
rnurs" cannot have early chickens,
the entire cause being that their
birds are too late. Birds above two
year, old do not commence laying
uHtil the end of February or the
beginning of March, no matter how
good layers they may be, and if
only they be used then neither
carly eggs or chicks can be OK
p~ctud.
TO obtain early eggs, only Young
bird, That is pullcts, Of the first or
second wear mUst be used. Birds
of the V0riuu,> breeds named above,
il hat~hrd in March and April,
Wtli begin II lay ut least in Sep
tcnsbcr, October or November, and
Will continue to do 50 right through
the winter. At first the cggs Will
be small, but will gradually inn
prove in this respect, aud prllcts
Of the previous wear viii, if wen
housed, begin lo lay +abuut Deccm-
h"r, and thvir eggs will be large
anG we'll formed. Under careful
management ii is not very difficult
TO obtHin 4 constant supply Of eggs.
1t Is OF no use expecting that
May or June hatrhcd birds viii
commence to lay much before the
spring. They may do 80 if the
autumn and early winter br very
favorable. January and February
hatchcd birds are too carly to be
used rs layers, and do not, as Il
rule, answer for this purpose, as
they begin about August, fall into
Il mOult II little later on, and are
very uncertain in their produce
during the winter. Forcggs, there
fore, birds hatched in March and
April, and not more than two years
old, L preferable. In Il we'll ar
ranged yard, half the stock of lay
ers will be bred each year and half
will he killed annually.
Those who wish to have carly
chickens must follow the same
rules. The hens should be mated
together early in November for the
earliest matches, and later in the
month all those not required so
Oon BY using pullets of the first
year for the former and those
twelve months later for the latter,
with young and vigorous cockercls,
fetile eggs may be expected within
Il few days of birds being mated,
and thus Il succession of chiccnS
produced to be ready at any time
when they n scarce and dear.
OF course the number of pullcts to
each cOckCrcl must be regulated,
and should not exceed half Il dozen
at the outside, and that number
only for the most vigorous breeds.
The birds " | Rquirc to he housed
comfortably md fed well, and in
winter time the eggs should be
gathered as soon after they are
laid as is convenient.