The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-06-15

hardy and great rustler, will generally
develop into an early layer. Some times
they will begin to lay at five or six
months of age. We have seen such
pullets begin laying in November and
lay steadily all winter until about the
first of February and then become per-
sistently broody and worthless for egg
production the balance of the year, with
perhaps a short intermission in the
latter part of July and until about the
middle of August. That is about as
good, and even much better than the
average, for common fowls. If one
may get from 60 to 100 eggs per an
mum per bird and be able to market
those eggs at an average price of soc
per dozen, that would represent a gross
profit of from $3.50 to $40 per bird
Such birds will pay for their keep be-
sides a margin of profit, and they will
require just as much care and attention
as a thoroughbred bred-to-lay hen
that will lay from $50 to 200 eggs per
annum, which would yield a margin
of profit of from $2.10 to $2.7O per
bird more than the common hens, per
annum. It will not require much fgur-
ing to determine definitely which hen
will pay best to keep even at the diff
ference in cost of BIRDS that is the
first cost, for it does not cost any
more to raise a thoroughbred when
once we have the stock, than it does to
raise a mongrel. Tt is therefore ex-
tremely doubtful If any farmer or any
one else engaged in poultry culture in
this age of artificial incubation can af-
ford to bother with Matching with hens.
The results are so inferior to what may
be attained with even a small incubator
and two or three brooders that the
additional cost of the machines is hard
ly worthy of consideration. When one
considers the saving of time, of fussing
with Matching hens, the freedom from
lice and their attendant ills, the in
creased output Of healthy vigorous
chicks, and the fact that one may hatch
continuously at will the year through,
it will be readily seen that under such
conditions the hen that will pay best
is the one that will not become broody
at any season. If you say the non
sitters are not large enough to suit
that you prefer the larger breeds, like
the Rocks or Wyandottes-you may
have such birds that are almost nom
sitters. We have seen a strain of White
Wyandottes that would average nearly
200 eggs ger bird per year, and you
may know from such an egg yield, there
was very little time left for broodiness.
It is therefore quite safe to state that
under the present conditions of pou1-
try culture, it will not pay to keep a
hen that becomes broody easily.
There is too much time lost in break
ing her up. Now, aside from the
strictly fancy and for brooding pur-
poses, it is a safe proposition to make
the statement that it will not pay to
keep any hen over eighteen monhs of
age. This applies to utility only. 1t
will take the average chick six months
to get ready to become of value. When
that year is ended, it is a good rule
to follow, to select those eighteen
months old hens and market every one
of them to make room for the younger
layers that are coming on. We believe
by judicious handling of such birds
enough may be realized in disposing of
them at market prices to pay a little
more than the cost of their keep from
the time Matched until sold, leaving the
value of the eggs produced by them
in one year as net profit Tor the poultry
man. With proper management a flock
of thoroughbreds may be made to yield
a profit of from $3.50 to $500 per bird
per annum and in some localities, con-
siderable more. In summing up then,
we believe the hen that pays is the old
hen in the strictly fancy and for brood
ing, and the layer from six to eighteen
months old for market purposes. In
the fancy, very few pullets will be
found to yield good results unless bred
in line