The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-11
PROFITABLE AGE OF FOWLS.

PROFITABLE AGE OF FOWLS.
The question as to which is the
most ,,uetablc breed OF , wls, is very
ireqcpntiy asked Thee are un-
dcN,etly differences in breeds b,t
undue importance should no; be plae
cd up n breed, The trap ncS; has
,hcwn thai there is more difference IL
individuals than in breeds, Breed
isn't everything We must get away
from that idea in poultry-keeping II
a man starts in the poultry business
with the best breed, rs he believes,
and has with it the notion that breed
is everything he will meet with newt.
able failure, The breed may be all
right but the fowls must be encourag-
ed to do their best by good care and
management When eggs are firm
at 40 cents dozen and the hens fail
to respond the owner is likely to be-
come unreasonable and take up with
another breed, and most likely the
fault was not in the breed. The fault
is usually one of two things: either
the hens are OF poor or non.produc-
tive strain OF the breed, or the man
agement is poor.
II is point in management that
wish TO speak OF here, one point in
many that must be taken into account
liz poultry-keeping is to be made a
success. II is question OF the most
profitable age OF the hen, Poultrymen
Who have kept in touch with poultry
investigations during the past few
years are pretty well informed on
this point, but the importance OF this
subject is not yet generally appreciat-
ed The writer carried on for several
years at the Utah experiment Station
IA line OF experiments with the object
OF determining the value of the hen
at different ages for egg production,
The same hens were Kept year
after year under similar conditions
and a record kept OF production and
OF food consumed These expert
ments proved that the hen is different
from the COW which retains or inn
proves her productivity with age. The
first year was the most profitable, and
there was a gradual decrease in pro-
ductiveness each succeeding year. II
is safe to figure this decrease at Is
per cent. each year. With average
prices for food and for eggs it is not
profitable to keep hens after they
have finished their second year OF
laying. The first, or pullet year is
very profitable, the second will give
satisfactory profit, but during the
third year the egg yield will seldom
pay for tthe food consumed.
These conclusions apply only OF
course where the eggs are sold at mar
ket prices. Fowls that have special
value as breeding stock should be
kept longer, but the notion that "the
old speckled hen" is the good layer
J should not be cherished unless she is
caught in the trap nest The fact that
she sings joyful lay, paints her comb
: brillian read and scratches a Wig
} orous scratch should not be accepted
as sufficient grounds for committing
sentence.
: 1t is safe to say that the poultry
| keepers of this State would be many
3 thousand OF dollars in the pocket BY
I vigorously killing off the hens every
t two years and replacing them will
! new stock-with the exceptions noted
above
/ Where the pullets and hens are al
lowed to run together it will be nee
/ essary to mark them, otherwise i
!, will be difficult to separate the ole
e stock from the young when it is de
h sired to market them The usua
y method OF marking is to punch hol'
:. in the web between the toes when thu
s chicks are hatched. This is easil!
: and quickly done with punch which
$ may be purchased from the poultr.
e supply houses for rs cents. A mum
k Der of different markings may b.
e made in this way. Where the practice
c is to dispose OF the hens every two
E years it will be sufficient to mark then
: every other year.
I Curing G Fish.
: A curious experiment was tried q