Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
BIG PROFITS IN EGGS
DEPEND UPON CULL|NG
It Does Not Pay to Keep Weaklings.
Breed From Birds With
Good Records.
Early Matching Will Enable Owner
to Have Pullets Laying When
Market Is Highest.
BY REESE V. HICKS.
rnnvrish:. 1915.l

| Copyright. 1870
| The production Of market eggs has
always been the most profitable END
| of all poultry enterprises in the past
and there is every prospect that TINS
| condition will continue for years to
come.
! Since the greatest profit is in the
| production of eggs, it is important
| that eggs be produced in the greatest
quantities when the demand for them
is strongest and the prices highest.
| As socu as the hens have completed
| their mott, cold weather begins TO
| have a serious effect on egg produc-
| ton. In fact, even in February and
March, when the production has m
creased considerably, sudden. changes
to cold weather will lower the egg
production materially, and this VIII
raise rhe price OF eggs on the market
In connection with egg production
an important thing 10 consider is the
breed best suited for the purpose IT
must be a breed that viii come TO
maturity quickly, stand heavy reed
ing and go through the mott quickly
and easily.
The effect OF. mating on the produc-
ton of eggs is only shown after years
quickly like an Improvement in color
or shane. because the production OF
eggs is largely a matter Of high Vi
1ality and ability to digest large guam
titles of feed.
Increase the Average Production.
In mating for egg production both
males and females should be used that
come from a strain that has been bred
for egg production. They should pc
from d family OF heavy egg producers
rather than from any one particular
bird that has a high egg record in
dividually. but has no ancestors behihd
it with a. similar record.
1t is better to breed from the mems
that have made good average iecofd"'
Eggs from the hen that has made the
highest record do not usually hialch as
well or produce as strong and vigorous
chicks as those from hens whose pro
duction is only slightly above the
average.
The most important thing III breed
ing is never to use birds thai nave
been sick or stunted in growth. In
order to avoIu this it is we'll to Gull
out constantly any sloW-erowing
youngsters, as well as any that are
sick, and put them in Il pen by them
selves or market them. SO they VIII
never be used later for breeding stock.
Selection becomes an important prob
lem for every poultry grower. 1t rs
not a matter Of selecting right at the
time the males ana females are put
together or mated up as it is called,
but the selection should be made from
the time the eggs are placed into the
incubator.
Only choice, even eggs should he
used Eggs that show a weak germ
on the fourteenth day should be re-
moved from the machine. All chicks
that do rot hatch by the twenty-frSt
day should be destroyed. while all the
crippled and defective ones should be
done away with.
=, If the percentage of weakly chicks
is heavy and the poultry raiser wishes
to convince himself that II will not pay
to keep these Weak'ings he should
keep the healthy and weakly birds
separately and then give both groups
the same treatment and feed. He will
soon find that the heavier death rate
viii be among the weakly chicks and
by far the larger proportion of culls
will come out of this weak group. He
will find later on, too, that the pullets
that come out of the weak group will
not begin to lay early as the others,
nor will they make as good an aver
age egg production throughout the
year. They will also lay larger per
centage of small eggs that will not
bring high a price in the market
In some communities any egg is an
egg, without regard to size, but the
choicest markets. are now u'VlulnS eggs
into No. ! and No. 2. No. must
weigh twenty-six ounces or more to
the dozen to meet the requirement.
Early Hatchings Important.
/ Early Matching is important for two
reasons:
The pullets will begin to lay in the
early fall and lay through the winter,
while the pullets that are Matched late
in the season will not begin to lay
sometimes, until well into the winter
and this will hold the egg production
down.
The second reason is that a pullet
lays small eggs at first, and when
Matched early in the season will lay
all her small eggs and begin to lay
her large eggs when the market is
high. If she does i not start to lay
until January the majority of eggs
will be small and will not bring as
much on the market. She will not be-
gin to lay large eggs until after the
price has considerably deprecated
1t is also contended that the early
Matched pullet will make better
yearling layer than the late one, be
cause the late one does not seem to
have as much size and vitality.