The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-06-13
Matching and Rearing Chickens.
T Jonathan Periam. in Chicago Breeder
Gazette.

Jonathan Periam. in Chicago Breeders
Gazette.l
The incubator and brooder has
already fairly revolutionized the rails
ing of chicks for early broilers. They
are already appearing in the market
not quotabe in the daily markets yet,
but hotels and restaurants of the first
class and private families who will have
them know where to get them. The
eggs placed in an incubator Feb. l, on
the first day of May are chicks two and
a half months old and should weigh
about one and half pounds each and
sell for fifty cents each. They will
probably not bring more if kept one
month longer, when they should weigh
two pounds. When large enough to
become quotabe in the daily markets
the price will not be less than twenty
five cents pound. When broilers
become plenty the price will drop to
twelve to fifteen cents per pound. This
price will not vary until broilers come
into the market raised by the mother
hen, and then the season for incubator
broilers will have passed.
Hence the farmer who would now
make the most of chickens must use in
cubators and be prepared to get profits
when the market for eggs and brollers
ranges at top prices. The day for
making money fast from sitting hens is
about past. The incubator has come
to stay. Nevertheless the sitting hen
has her use. Chickens Matched and
brooded by the hen are undoubtedly
the best as breeding stock. They get
exercise, insects and Il variety of other
natural foods in the fields, giving them
stamina, good digestion and of course
strong constitutions. They are proba-
bly, longer lived than artificially
Matched birds, but for autumn and early
winter layers the incubator again has
its place. Pullets lay freely at from
six to seven months of age. Chicks
Matched April first may be turned out
to pretty well take care Of themselves
by the first of June if well fed and
housed at night and during cold storms.
At three months old they should be
| taught to roost in special houses.
They will incline to lay the latter part
of October or first of November. Fresh
laid eggs at this time generally bring a
good price. Hence it is wise. man
who selects the best of the pullet chicks
Matched in April or May, with cock
erel chicks i'll the proportion of one to
eight or ten of the pullets. The eggs
resulting are not to be used for hatch
ing Hens of one or two years old are
best for the breeding stock and with
cocks of the same age.
When the young egg-producers cease
| laying fatten them and sell them. The
cockerels may be fattened and sold as
soon as the pullets commence laying.
Fowls for breeding should be Matched
as early in the season as possible-not
later than June /. The proportion of
cocks to hens to insure perfect fertility
in the eggs should be one to six.
Where eggs are to be sold for cooking
it is not necessary that they be fertil-
lied, yet L think young pullets lay
earlier and more eggs where there is
due proportion Of cockerels running
with the flock, at least until they get
fairly well under way with their laying.
Where hens are to rear chicks it is
necessary that they have nests where
the eggs are secure from small preda-
tory animals, as rats, for instance, and
also danger from chilling. Early in
the season nine eggs make a clutch
that are fully and securely covered;