The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-10-30

mas, Langshans and Cochins, are. as
a rule, better winter layers, which is
because OF their being fluffy and heay-
Ter feathered, enabling them to with.
| sthnd the effects of cold better than
those not so heavily feathered; but for
any OF them to lay in winter is to q
certain extent unnatural.
The manner in which some neonle
speak OF fowls laying in winter leads
TO the impression that it il their
oounden duty to do so, and failing
| therein, they evince want In the ele.
ments dnat go to make up worthy
| ioWl. rms ls all mistake, and when
a breed OF fowls or any part of them
produce eggs IN winter, they are doing
| Tor their owners that which is in onno.
sltlon to their natural Instincts. To
combat their instinct or deen-seated
tendency, man set about by domesti.
cation and other agencies, to so lnould
the plastic organization peculiar to
uhe animal as to transform their orig
mai characteristics, and establish. ss
III were, a new process or course of ma
ture. 1T Is well known that wild birds
living In temperate climates are ac-
customed to breed in the spring, after
! the cold weather is over, aud to raise
/ Their young, which will begin to props-
| gate ana raise young themselves at n
corresponding period of the next year.
we thus see that they must, of neces-
| slty, nave this characteristic instinct
well founded for the propagation of
their KIND IN the spring time, q season
when they can raise them.
| Even in their natural wild state the
young do not begin to Law or raise
young until a corresponding season Of
the next year after they were Matched,
and this shows the unerring provis,
IONS OF nature. If, for instance, young
birds should begin to lay at from five
to seven months old, the ends and
purposes for which they produced the
eggs would be thwarted; they could
not raise their young, even if thew
Matched them, and not only time, but
much vital force would be use
lessly expended in the effort.
| However, no such mistakes are
| made In nature, and when left to
their Instincts fowls will only lay eggs
at a season OF the year in which they
can hatch and raise their young. This
characteristic of spring laying and
raising their young was inherited in the
wild jungle fowls for thousands of gen.
eratlons, and we cannot expect them,
even after so many generations OF do
| mestlcatlon, to transform their origi-
nal characteristics without struggle.
This tendency to put off laying until
spring or warm weather begins is so
| deep seated that we have to make use
OF artificial means and agencies to
| combat this natural tendency, and to
whatever extent we use such means
and agencies, in the same proportion
may we expet our hens to vary from
their natural habits, and produce ue
eggs in winter during cold weather.
By g. process Of generous feeding and
warm quarters, young fowls may be
induced to lay several months earlier
than their wild progenitors, while old
fowls may be made to do so soon alter
their annual session of rest-during
the moulting period. We cannot,
therefore, rely upon q breed or strain
of fowls as specially adapted to winter
laying; although some breeds, as |
stated before, are better adapted for
the purpose. Yet there are times
when and any all of them will resist
this innovation upon their natural
rights to reserve the production OF
eggs until spring time.-Practical
Farmer