The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
FOWLS NOW CHANGE
SUITS OF FEATHERS
Faded. Broken, DiscOlOred Coats
Being Discarded for
Bright Ones.
MOlLTING SEASON Is HERE
Starving 10 Force Process Is
One Way of Limiting
Lean Period.
MOrLTING SEASON Is HERE
ny PROF. r. II. sTONEBURN.

throughoW. This change IL maze In the
fail or early winter, thus insuring com
plete protection for the birds during tho
cold season which is before them
The moulting period especially In the
case OF old fowls, Is n trying one. The
birds are not only subjected TO the drain
upon their systems, caused by the neccs.
sity OF making new feathers, but they
| also often contract colds and other SINH
/ lar troubles, due to exposure to cold
and rain while they are without the pro-
! lection OF their normal coats. Therefore
/ the poultryman may well adopt such
! measures as are necessary TO hasten the
/ mounting process, TO keep the stock free
| from sickness and TO induce the layer,
: to again take up the duty OF laying at
| the earliest possible moment.
/ In most nocks OF poultry kept under
, average conditions. many individuals will
1 b" found in partial or complete moult az
/ this time. Therefore. II is none too early
To- give this very practical question the
! consideration Il deserves,
1 The moulting process varies with In
( dividuals. Some hens moult slowly. shed
: ding few feathers at time and re-
/ placing these Immediately with new ones
/ The attendant will frequently fail 10
! note this gradual change and will sud
! denly awake 10 the fact that these slow
, moulting specimens have IN some mysteri-
Gus way secured patches OF new feathers
other hens seem to drop their old
| feathers practically at one time and for
| n little while are ridiculous looking OBJ
jec's In such cases. the new feather
growth seems to start simultaneously on
/ practically all sections Of the body, in.
stead OF following a regular sequence, as
/ Is usual In the slower moult
Because the mounting hens must bend
! their energies 10 the secretion of feather
making material. they naturally cease egg
production, either partially or entirely.
Some few individuals. especially those
which are moutiug slowly or ara7,ossessed
Of unusually vigorous constitutions, may
continue TO lay more or less regularly
but such are only exceptions to the gen.
eral rule
The effect Of this annual change Of ap
parel on tho part OF our layers and IN
consequent StoppaGc Of production is re-
Elected in market egg quotations. The
winter shortage ~ the egg crop is moi
40 much due to unfavorable weather con
ditions as 10 the fact that more than
half OF our layers are so husly engaged
IN other work during the late fan and
early winter months that they forget &
visit their nests
Poutrymcn have long recognized this
fact and have attempted In many ways
20 induce early mouting. and SO get The
mock back IN laying condition by the
time tho period Of high prices arrives
. one favorit. method 5 10 induce early
moulting by the so-callcd starving proc
css," the idea being to cause the flock &c
do their moultlnC when eggs are II com
paratively little value, and 50 he prepared
to give good daily Yield when theii
product IL in such great demand
Since q usually takes about ninety day
for old hens 10 complete their moult an
again get into LAYING condition, Doultry
men who make practice Of forcing tn
moult start tho process IN August. TIT
usual procedure Is about a. follows Tn
selected hens are confined to their houses
T or AT least. 20 small wards. to proven
them from picking IN any food save ma
! supplied 10 them The daily rat on Il
then gradually reduced. until at the en-
OF week they are receiving but hal
the normal amount each day In SOM
, cases this half feeding Is continued 70
another fortnight and during the fourN
, week the amount IL gradually Increased
: until nj the end 81 the month II IL arai'
restored TO the usual amount In other
food 10 entirely withheld for four or nv
Y davs during the second week, and Is the
! gradually supplied so the stock Ia q
9 full feed again at the end OF the th'r
= week or course. water - supn'ed Y
- abundance during the time when tho bird
\ arc kept on total fast
q Either plan results In a total stoppag
q ! ~ egg productlon al'tr inc H's' w
- ! upsets tho normal condition ana actiNl
| ties OF the fowls and almost invariably
S throws them into moult. Then when the
again receive a full ration. rich In mea
s and other heterogeneous foods, they hegi
n building feathers instead OF PRODUCING
q eggs
a There is no actual cruelty involved II
= | this treatment, though Il may seem
, | BIT harsh As a matter Of fact Few,
u any hens will appear 10 he seriously ar
L rocted and the loss in weight will be hu
7 a few ounces a bird.
. There is a difference OF opinion as Il
r the practical value OF this plan Som
. very successful egg farmers believe II u
n | he the most satisfactory and use II ever
- wear. The writer's own experience IA
, caused him 10 regard tho forced moult
', as being Improbable and this view !
Il s,nported by the results OF certain care
= rul experimental work. notably at CorneI
Y agricultural experiment station
Il At tho above institution two equal lot
=, OF White Lcghorn hens, containing NOR
. ihan 100 individuals each, were tested 10
about fifteen months one lot was per
. | mf,ted to moult naturally the other wa
| nut through a forced moult I'm summn
- M the comparative results secured, IN
> Investigators say;
n "The findings would indicate that wit
Is the methods employed, with WHIT" Leg
% horn fowls one, two or three years ol
y II does not pay to force moult b
10 starvation method and that apparently
- is good policy 10 encourage hens. by goo
care and feeding, to lay during late sun
. MGR and fall, rather than to resort I
II unusual means to stop LAYING I'm orde
I" 10 induce early moult, with the hope 9
j. increasing prOduCtiVencss during earl
~ wiutcr a season which Is naturally VI
o favorable for egg production. In shor
I uigp whom hens want 10 Ia