Evening star., 1915-04-03

and a lot of study on the subject we
nave come to the conclusion that It
VIII be better to confine our attention
to single breed, and. taking all things
into consideration, we think there viii
be more profit in the rocks.
The rocks we hatched and raised last
year were no great shakes as egg
ayerS-neither were the Leghorn. 1t
it evident that If we are going to have
profitable flock of producers we
have got to build up our own strain,
and the sooner we buckle down to
work with one breed the sooner we are
likely to accomplish it. With this end
in view we have engaged from al
white rock farm in Pennsylvania two
settings of white rock eggs, to be de-
iivered later this month. These we
shall hatch under hens and VIII save
the cockerels for next years breeders.
This farm claims to have highly
productive strain of rocks, and outside
inquiries We have made incline US 10
think the claim Is justified. We plan
to mate four of these imported cock
erels to about fifty of our best produc-
ers for next years breeders, and the
pullets from the imported eggs we
will mate up to one of the best blrds
now on the place. This Will give us
two lines for breeding and by careful
selection and breeding from that on
we ought to build up our strain OF lay
ers-if it is possible to do so at all. II
it isn't possible, the quicker we hnd II
out and abandon chickens as a com
,nercial propositton the better It will
be for US.
Plans for Enlarging Plant.
We are going to get along with our
nresent incubator and brooding outfit
this wear. except that / have ordered
one additional oil-lamp hover But
next wear we will increase the equip
ment so that we can hatch in March all
the chicks from which layers are to be
raised. This will mean the buying OF
another and much larger incubator
and either mammoth mover, 70 care
for 500 or more chicks at one time, or
A battery of the smaller hovers our
hoyers now are in small brooder houses
which later are used as colony houses
for the growing pullets. but before next
spring I will have built special
brooder house This viii make II pos
sible to give the chlcks Detler care.
with a lot less work.
Now that we have bought the place,
all future building is to be with view
to permanency as well as economy
What building I did last year was of
Temporary character, with only econ
omy in view. / am going to start work
this wear on a sectional bookcase sort
of permanent laying house. 1t is to be
eighteen feet wide and long enough to
fifty hens each, giving each hen four
square feet of floor space. Construc-
tt0u this wear viii start with the end
nearest the house. and ! VIII build
enough of the f1fty-hen sections to ac-
commodate our flock as it Will count
next fall Then, as the flock increases,
will add sections until the 1,oO0-hen
capacity is reached. This house, you
Is to be for the layers only.
The breeding focks are to have sepa-
Nd nj do y1n N or
Fifty Hens to Flock.
We decided on fiocks of fifty hens
each in the laying house because 1t
seems to be agreed among poultrymen
that hens, especially of the heavier
breeds. do better when handled that
way rather than in larger flocks No
doubt it does increase to some extent
the item of labor. but having to make
choice we decided to try for the larg
est possible number of eggs. Four
square feet Of floor space for each hen
is a liberal allowance. but as we are
going to follow the intensive" system
with our layers we decided to guard
against overcrowding, even at the ex-
pense of higher initial cost for build
ing When a pullet goes into one of
those twelve-by- eighteen sections she
is there for life" unless she escapes
by qualifying for the breeding pen.
There will not be even outside runs
for the laying fiocks. They will get
their exercise by digging in deep litter
for grain, and green stuff will be sup
piled them the year round in some
form or another.
This is the system followed on most
of the big commercial poultry farms,
and most experts agree 1t is best un-
less the hens can have plenty'of range.
That is not practical on our limited
acreage If we are to carry out the rest
of the program we have decided on.
We expect to maintain the vitality of
our flock by keeping the pullets on
range until they are ready to put in
the laying house and by giving the
breeders plenty of range all the time.
Each fall all pullets will be placed
in the laying houses. and those which |