Milford chronicle., 1914-09-04

AdIUA
OF too large flock of birds. This is
not only true of those who make a q
specially Of breeding for show purposes.
out also OF those who carry a purely
uulitarian strain for commercial pur-
poses.
In breeding and raising fowls for show
purposes, with hope of carrying off some
OF those coveted prizes in this season S
shows, It Is not only necessary to breed
and hatch likely fowls, butitis necessary
to give the prospective candidates for
high hOnors the best and most careful
attention. that they may not drop into
the class of ''alsO-rans
The care and attention necessary to
produce show birds of quality cannot be
given if the tlocks are large and over
run with culls. Neither can one make
his birds realize a profit from d utility
standpoint, if his yards or pens are fill
ed with birds of all shapes, colors and
sizes.
In either case, then, it is necessary
to Gull out-and closely at that. What
is the sence of carrying over into the
coming season a lot of birds that you
know full well will be Improbable, from
both the standpoint of utility or for
show purposes.
The job Of culling, however, should
not be completed all at once, but gradu-
ally. Start the process by selecting all
of the youngsters that show signs of
developing into something worth while.
Market the balance at once and thus
convert them into ready cash Now
after a few days, 90 over the flock
again this time using a little more care,
and again market the undesirables.
Continue this process of elimination
until nothing remains but birds of quality
that come as near to the requirements
of the standard of perfection as it is
possible for you to get. If this work is
properly done each year, with special
attention paid to the mating, your birds
will be winners in course Of time. Don t
hope to build up a prize winning strain
the first season you are in the game and
get mad and quit if you are not sue
cessful. Remember that time and per-
severance Accomplished all things.
Content yorself with the knowledge
that prize winners are bred, and that
by careful study and work you have as
good a chance to occupy the top rung
of the ladder of fame as the other fel-
low. Don't get disheartened because
you cannot win at every competition.
Remember that the other fellow works
hard to produce standard birds, while
YOU may be fooling and idling your time
away.
But then you will possibly say, | am
not breeding for fancy or show birds
and never expect to enter into com
petition in a show room. As am breed
ing solely for utility why should | Gull
nv focks Right here is just where
the average breeder makes a serious
blunder. You may have a large flock
of birds from which you are getting
fair quantity of eggs, but are you getting
as MANY eggs as you should from these
birds ? Some may be good layers while
some of them may be very poor layers
and not worth feeding.
Then why feed them Make each indi-
vidual hen yield you a profit. Hens that
do not make you a profit are simply
drones or producers and should be
singled out and disposed of. To do this
if is necessary to Gull out those that are
moor LAYERS. Breed only from your best
LAYERS. with the one idea OF improving
your flock.
Now is the OppOrtune time to Gull out
the hens, as the moulting season IS al
most here, and all hens will lose more
or less weight during this period. so
therefore. if YOU have not already begun
this annual house-cleaning in your poul-
trv plant, start at once and 90 II 10
| Queens taste.
It rarely ever happens that more than
one-third of the hens are of the KIND ana
class that should be retained as breeders.
Hens more than two years OF age are
rarely worth keeping for any purpose
and indeed are looked upon as money
losers. with the possible exception OF
show birds. They lay but few eggs
while at the same time eating their por-
tion of the feed. Feed is now purchaSseu
I at a very high cost, in fact too hlgh 10
l feed to non-prOducers.
AS soon as the culling process IS over;
ali culls should be sent to market ana
converted into ready cash-but not until
| tbev have been fattened. This usually
\ takes about ten days. In fattenlng 1t Is
l hest to confne the culls in small coopSS'
We'll ventilated, and placed IN a snaoy
l Mace. If convenient, place them III
! darkened coop, to which the llght may
ho admitted three times a day or wnlle
tbev are feeding. A good ration ior
fatfening the culls may be had by mix
inc equal parts of corn meal, shorts ana l!i
Ground oats, moistened with mix uhtli
ssoft enough to run slowly. Many per
SONS add to this little beef scrap oTt .iI.
tbis is not really necessary. Sour lt mllk
NAV be utilized in place OF the sWeeI
milk and will serve the purpose yusl qs a.,
well. Water should be kept conunualiy IAN :.
before the culls while they are Oeing
fattened. .o,diro them
20 market for sale serves a double pur--
nose. First. it increases the weight VI
he fowl to be sold and makes It nrIlng
. bigber price. and secondly, 1t makes axes
The fesh of the bird more juicy and tehuer
than If would otherwise be. -
Now get busy while the tune Is 5,.d,, rlPe
anJ 11C cull YOUR flock to gain every adVah-
fage la to be derived therefrom.
A SUGGESTION
MANY persons keeping but few Gnlch- i.a
ens g in their back yards, or on small l9us, Us.
c,ive them absolutely no attentl9Sn .Il oInea
han INN 70 throw them little feed twice VICE. I