The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22
REPLACING FLOCK Is
Big AID TO SUCCESS
Keeping Weakings Does Not
Pay: Breed From Birds
With Records.
EARLY MATCHING Is WISE
nv REESE v. HICK y,


Former, pr.aiden, Of ms Amsy'ccm pos'foyy
Roncocds Poultry Farms, Bro'ons AtHs'
n. Y.
The production Of market egg has
always been the most profitable END OF
nj, poultry enterprises In the past and
there IL every prospect that this condi-
ton will continue for years to come.
Any one who Is producing broiiers
and roasters must repla g his mock every
year. This makes his incubation and
brooding problems far greater thin
those OF one engaged simply In produce
ing eggs for market. A hen will lay
proftably two years and many of them
Tor three years.
Since the greater profit is in the pro-
duction OF eggs. II Ii important th,s
Eggs be produced In the greatest guam
titles when the emand for them Is
strongest and the prices highest. The
time when the egg production IL the
lowest In rom September TO January.
In the early fall months the hens are
going through a heavy moult and the
majority OF the pullets raised on the
average farm are not yet ready for
heavy frying.
AS soon az the hens have completed
their moult old weather begins To IA
a serious effect on egg production. In
fact even In February and March. when
the production has increased consider
ubly, sudden changes TO cold weather
VIII lower the egg production materially.
and this will raise the price OF eggs
on the market.
In connection with egg production an
important thing TO consider IL the breed
best suited for the purpose. II must
be a breed that will come TO maturity
quickly. stand heavy feeding and go
through the moult quickly and easily.
Non-sitting Is another important factor.
The White Leghorn has proved itself
To be by far the most economical pro-
ducer considered from practically every
standpoint. The Leghorn. however, is
not a meat producing breed. yet many
people engaged In egg production realize
a nice amount from young cockerels. sold
At Ia to IN pounds and known as
SQUAD broilers. In the early part OF the
season they bring as high as 90 cents
a pound gross.
The effect OF mating on the produc-
ton OF Eggs is only shown after years
or careful breeding. Ii does not show
quickly like an improvement in color or
shape. because the production OF eggs is
largely a matter OF high vitality and
ability TO digest large quantities Of feed.
In mating for egg production both
males and females should be used that
come from a strain that has been bred
Tor egg production. They should h.
from a family of heavy egg producers
rather than from any one particular
bird that has a high egg record in
dividualiy. but has no ancestors behind
II with n similar record. In other words.
instead oil breeding up for individual
records by means OF trap nests the most
important thing Is 10 increase the aver.
< production Of the entire flock.
Ii is better to breed from the hens
that have made good average records.
Eggs from the hen that has mad. the
highest record do not usually hatch az
well or produce as strong and vigorous
chicks as those from hens whose produc-
ITO is only slightly above the average
The most important thing in breeding
IL never To use birds that have been
sick or stunted In growth. In order to
avoid this IL Is well TO Gull out con-
stantly any slow growing as
wei! as any that are sick and nut them
In a pen by themselves or market them
80 they will never be used later for
breeding stock, Often a slow growing
or slow feathering bird will develop
and look practically as good as those
that grow and feather quickly Yet
such n bird is lacking in tanina and
Will produce weakly chicks and females
that will not show the highest egg pro-
duction.
Selection becomes an important prob.
lem for every poultry grower IL is
not a matter Of selecting right AT the
time the males and females are nut to-
sether or mated up as 1t Is called,
but the selection should he made from
the time the eggs are placed in the in
cubator.
Only choice. even eggs should be used
Eggs that show a weak germ on the
fourteenth day should he removed from
the machine. All chicks that do not
hatch by the t~wenty-first day should ne
destroyed. while all the crippled and de-
fective ones should be done away witt.
IL may look as " some of them might
be saved, but they are only an incum-
orailce to the flock and will not give n
high enough average when il comes to
egg production.
Many poultry establishments have
made the mistake Of Matching from all
kinds OF ggs keeping all the chicks
that are Matched. and afterward breed
ing from them Unfortunately.
II the percentage Of weakly chicks il
heavy and the poultry raiser wishes 10
convince himself that IL will not pay to
keep these weddings he should keen
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 will he
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 cume out
OF the weak group will not begin to lay
as early as the Others nor will they
make as good an average egg production
throughout the year. They will also
lay a larger percentage OF small eggs
that will not bring as high a price in
the market.
In some communities any egg is an
egg without regard to size, but the
choicest markets are now dividing eggs
into No, l and No. .. No. l must
weigh 26 ounces or more to the dozen
TO meet the requirement.
Early Matching Is important for two
reasons
The pullets will begin to lay In the
early fall and hay through the winter,
while the pullets that are Matched late
In the season will 10 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 10 lay her large eggs
whom the market is high. II she does
not start TO lay until January the ma
jority OF the eggs will be small and will
not bring as much oil the market. She
will no, begin to lay large eGgs unit
after the price has considerably depre-
ciated.
1t is also commended that the early