Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-22
HANDLING NEXT
YEARS. LAYERS
Make Your Selection of PuIIetS
as Soon as Possible and
Watch Them.

We begin to make our selections of pull
let's for next winters layers just as early
as possible First. the cockerels and pull
lets are separated as soon as the sexes
can be distinguished; then the cuIling OF
pullets begins when they. are ABOUT six
weeks old Of course it is impossible TO
determine at that age the pullets that
eventually will be kept, but we can Gull
out all that are understood, lack vigor or
show any signs of weakness. In this way
the flock intended for layers is kept at a
high standard from the start, while the
less vigorous chicks, being kept separate,
will make better progress than they would
If kept with the stronger ones and can
be more quickly brought to market size.
At the first culling the pullets are re-
moved from the breeders to colony houses
In focks of IS to a 100 to each house,
The houses are of various sizes being for
the most part constructed of waste lum-
her of odd lengths, and While they are
necessarily roughly constructed they are
as convenient and comfortable as more
expensive structures Most of them are
about four by six feet four feet high in
front and two and a half feet at the rear,
tight boarded on three sides, and upper
half of front covered with wire netting.
There is door in the center of front and
a small sliding door at the end for the
chickens to go in and out Roofs are COW
cred with tar paper over thin boards.
When the chicks are first placed in the
colony house hovers are provided, but as
soon as the pullets begin roostng on top
OF the hovers perches are provided. A
drop curtain over the open front gives
protection al night
In developing the pullets the feed prob
lem is important We want the pullets
to make a steady but not necessarily
rand growth. 1t is best not to attempt
to hasten maturity and have the pullets
LAYING at an abnormally early age. 1t
can be done but only at the expense of
the bullets constitution. We do not want
our bullets TO begin laying until they have
attained practically their full growth.
Thus. we aim to have our April Matched
Ieehorns laying the first of October not
earlier This allows ample time for Their
development without resorting to forcing
methods Their feed while on the range
is substantially the same as used in the
LAYING houses The morning grain feed
is equal parts of wheat and cracked corn
fed in deep litter. In the afternoon the
grain used is oats, corn and little
wheat In the hOppelS petore the pulels
at all times is mixture Of bran and dried
beef scraps Crit, shell and fresh water
are always at hand Being on range, the
chickens get all of the green food they
require as well as large amount of an
imaI matter in the form of insects and
worms MIX is fed whenever we have II
to spare and is one Of the best foods for
promoting growth
After the pulets reach the age of two
months there should be little trouble from
disease of any kind if ordinary precau-
tions are observed, but we must be eter-
nally yigilant to keep lice in check. Be
fore transferring the young chickens to
the colony houses we examine them and
If any lice are found the chicks are
creased on head, throat and rump with a
srnixttre of lard and kerosene. BY clean
ing the houses daily, whitewashing them
frequently and painting the perches with
lice paint. We have little trouble with the
pest but to keep them in check we must
keen everlastingly at it twelve months in
the year A few weeks neglect will give
the lice such a start that il Will require
long and persistent effort to control them