Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-19
NOW IS Time TOSTART
YOUR POULTRY STOCK
High Grade Pullets Will Furnish
Plenty of Eggs in Win
ter Months.
Several Good Strains of Chickens
May Be Obtained-It's Case
of Take Your Choice.
BY J. HARRY WoLSIEFFER.
Poultry Editor and Author.
Copyright. 1851

This is an ideal time to start keeping
poultry, says the practical poultryman.
whose advice to beginners is given
here. He advises care in the selection
of the stock. so that only fully matured
pullets. ready to lay through the WIN
ter, will be obtained, and he makes
suggestions regarding the care of the
flock.
Eggs-strictly fresh. fresh OF storage
are high in price every fall and win
ter. Often it is impossible to obtain
new-laid eggs. even at top prices: and
eggs that are offered as strictly fresh"
are frequently days, or even weeks,
old.
The difficulty of securing eggs known
to be new-laid, at q price within reach
of the ordinary purse, leads thousands
every year to keep poultry to supply
the home table. Now is an ideal time to
start. Almost every one with a little
space and few minutes spare time
night and morning can turn table scraps
and grain into eggs at a cost consid-
erably below that of the market price
of eggs.
Buy Only Matured Pullets.
In choosing the stock for the home
flock the beginner should be careful to
select only fully matured pullets. in or
der to insure a steady yield of eggs
throughout the fall and winter, and
he should see that they are from a
breed that is known to lay we'll in win
ter. AT the same time he should choose
breed that will furnish meat for the
table, so that the surplus cockerels
may be used as broilers and that the
hens, when supplanted by younger
birds. may be used for roasting or
stewing.
IirI ch1 n he Ill
around fowl and these desired qualities
are found in the heavier breeds, such as
Plymouth Rocks. Wyandottes, Rhode
Islands Reds. Orpingtons. Light Brah-
mas and Sussex. All of these are hardy,
stand confinement we'll, will lay during
the coolest weather and mature early
for their weight. There are many va
rieties that haze one or more desira BILE
good qualities of every other breed. but
none is a better general purpose va
riety than those named. Their charac-
teristics are much the same.
Plymouth Rocks mature early and
produce brown eggs of good size. When
properly grown and from good strain
they are beautiful birds. The amateur
may have his choice as to color, as the
varities include the barred. white. buff.
silver penciled. partridge and Column
bian. The barred variety is most popu-
lar and may be seen in largest num-
bers at the poultry shows.
Weigh One Pound Less.
Wyandottes weigh one pound less
than Plymouth Rocks. generally mature
little earlier and lay equally well,
and make excellent broilers. Here, too,
the beginner has wide range for
choice of colors and markings, there
being white, silver. golden. buff, black.
partridge. silver penciled and Column
bian Wyandottes.
Rhode Island Reds are popular, and
nearly every one admires their deep
rich red plumage. They, too. are good
layers of brown eggs during the winter
months. make excellent broilers and
roasters and are hardy and vigorous.
The Orpington has fine meat, with
white skin. 1t is becoming more popu-
lar each year. Bluffs. black white and
blue are the varieties to choose from,
with the buff and white most common
ly grown.
Light Brahmas are an old variety
again beginning to boom. They are un-
usually large, but when properly cared
for they are good layers of large brown
eggs While they do not mature as
early as some other breeds, they are
worthy of a place in the home flock.
Sussex are new to the American pub
lie, but have jumped into favor because
of their utility qualities.
Choose Breed You Like Best.
The beginner will succeed best with
the breed that he admires most, be-
cause with liking for his flock will
come the desire to care for them prop
erly. Satisfactory results never can be
obtained from neglected focks.
High-Grade Pullets Best.
High-grade pullets of good weight
1,;o
chased. SO the owner will be able to
get eggs regularly in November. De-
cember, January and February. Since
they are to be the mothers of the fu-
ture fiocks, they should be from a
strain known to be good layers and up
to standard weight. Early Matched
puilets are best, and these generally
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