Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-04-03
Agricultural.
EARLY HATCHED OH1CKEHs.
Agricultural Epitomist.


We End by experience that early
Matched chickens are always best. We
set our incubator early in April and in
November the pullets begin to lay. In
the latter part Of the summer the pullets
are as large as the old hens. Early
pullets make our best winter layers, and
the eggs from them are much better for
Matching purposes than from late hatch
ed chicks. The eggs are larger, with
more vitality in them. They will hatch
q larger per cent of chicks that will live
and grow we'll. than will eggs from late
Matching. A late Matched chick will
never attain the size of an early one.
The early one gets its full size while the
weather:is warm and the forage is album
dant, but the late one has to make the
finish in the winter on dry feed in con-
hnement. Nothing grows 80 we'll in
confinement as when left to run at will.
STUNTED GROWTH.
Late hatched chickens grow very
nicely while they have chance to run,
but winter comes on while they are yet
growing and they 20 into the house and
stay rather than wade in the snow. The
change is SO sudden and unnatural that
the rapid growth stops and they become
stunted never getting SO large as they
would had they got their proper growth
during warm weather. believe if the
plan Of keeping late hatched pullets for
breeders wss followed for long term
Of years that the fowls would become
smaller from year to year until they
would become worthless
a Word OF CAUTION.
Sample copies of poultry magazines
are constantly being sent out; the re-
suit is that every day there are new
cases of poultry fever" and many 90
into the business knowing absolutely
nothing of its requirements only to meet
with disappointment. If one feels a
strong desire to become q poultry
breeder, and the intention is to start
with only few fowls as a side issue,
there can be no objection to that. Then
if one is successful and wants to branch
out in larger business it generally is
safe to do so, as there has been some
practical experience gained But for
the novice to 60 into the business on q
large scale is q very serious matter.
One may have the means to start with
well-equipped poultry plant, but that
is not enough; there are so many little
thin IS upon which success depends that
the inexperienced breeder is entirely
unaware Of
COUNTLESS DETAILS.
This business is one of countless de-
tails; new conditions are constantly
arising, and in spite Of the valuable in
struction contained in the poultry papers
one must rely upon himself and settle
his own difficulties How is he to do
this if Ignorant of the most elementary
principles of poultry breeding2 The
work itself is not hard, but continual {;
and when anything needs to be done it
is imperative that it should be done at
once Delay and neglect will not do
here. II one takes a personal interest
in the fowls themselves, they are in-
voluntarily led to give them better care
and more attention, and it is largely
owing to this fact that the inexperienced
are sometimes successful Again, lack
of patience may be the cause of failure.
If things go wrong and one meets
with few failures one becomes discour-
aged and gives it up. instead. one should
try all the harder, study the cause Of
failure and stick to it until the difficult
ties have been overcome. Any expert
enced poultrymau knows that there are
often pleasant surprises as we'll as disap.
paintments, and that the business is
most fascinating to the true lover of
poultry. To him the care of the fowls
is pleasure, but to one who cares only
for the money part of the business the
numerous duties often become irksome,
finally neglected, and another case of
failure is the result. There is much,
very much to learn before one can hope
to be successful, and while learning one
should incur as little risk as possible il,
the way Of money aud loss of time.
Ellen Layson, Salem, Neb
WINTER POULTRY Pointers
II we expect our chickens to produce
reasonable amount of winter eggs and
come out in good condition for spring
and summer work, we must exercise care
in the proportion Of feed given them -
in summer the green stuff. bugs and
worms they get even up the binding eff
iccts Of grain ration. but in the white,
We are likely to overlook this matter
until We notice our fowls going around
with clogged, soiled feathers behind -
This results primarily from feeding
dry diet. exclusively. corn, generally
and giving too little water aud green
stuff. The water may be handy, but in
winter it is chilled or icy. aud chickens
will 90 without before they will drink
icy water. Neither do they like warm
water. but in winter the cold edge musl
be taken of oil drinks given them.-
Washes, alsn, should be given to them
warm This clogged condition results
from indigestion, aud along " tn a dry
diet may also partly result from lack
Of good grit. 10 frozen or snowy wealth.
or, chickens cannot scratch out sharr
stones to grind the grain If box Of |
such is not handy, the fowls suffer in
consequence. If the clogged condition
goes on it finally resultsIin looseness of
the bowels The hens will often persist
in living aud lay on fat while this con-
tinues, but they will not lay eggs. and
il they do, who wants them Eveu if
these eggs prove fertile, the chickens
hatched from them die of bowel disease.
One must look out for this condition 10