Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-30
NOw Is the Time For Pro-
greSSiUe Chicken Raisers
to Get Busy
Selecting Breeders, Cleaning
House and Looking After
Flocks' Health Are in
Season
by Michael IL. Boyer
Poultry Editor of the Farm Journal


Poultry ECltor OF tne T. arm journal.
Copyright, 1915
The poultryman's busiest season
should be the Spring. Then it is he
lays the foundation for a successful
or unsuccessful year.
There are the breeding pens TO be
made up; the purchase of new stock to
be considered; the general health of
the stock, especially the breeds, to be
looked after; the cleansing of the
quarters warning against vermin and
a score of things to be done that will
keep the poultry raiser busy. Repairs
to the poultry house can then be made
and general overhauling of the
premises can be attended to. Do it
now-iS the slogan for this season.
/ Ii will pay handsomely later on.
Spring is the busiest season for the
poultryman and il is none too early to
begin preparations at the beginning OF
the year. The majority of poultrymen
mate up their breeding pens in Janu-
airy so their fowls may become well
acquainted with each other by the
time the eggs are needed for Matching
In making uD the pens great care
should be taken in selecting both the
male and the females. The selection
must be made according to object de-
SlltAA--IA AhA AaAlAGr kAAt SkdlluGIu re-
Quiremeuts must be met as near as
possible: If for meat. then plump. full
/ breasted and broad backed specimens
should be selected; and if for eggs. the
lonS-bodied birds. with pelvic bones
wide apart. should be chosen. If in
addition there is q trap nest record of
the birds in their pullet year. so much
the better.
Poutrymen generally save the pull
let's from their March. April and May
matches for future layers, marketing
the rest as table poultry. If pullcts
are selected from the matches of the
above named months II will be pos
sible to have table eggs for sale during
the last three months Of the year. a
! time when the old hens are in their
molt and eggs in consequence are very
| scarce.
Now is q good time to purchase new
! blood. 4 better choice might have
! been had a month or two ago. Delay
! ing the purchase of new birds until
| Spring generally results in dissatisfac-
ton. as the choicest went with the
| early orders.
| 1t is assumed that good sized pens
/ have been provided for the breeders
I so that the floor may be heavily lit
[ tered with straw. hay or leaves. Exer-
/ else is the keynote of success both in
/ eggs and fertility. There will be q
\ NUMBER OF DAYS yet Nnen the weather
! will be such as TO make it unsafe tC
l allow the fowls outdoors. If the house
II is comfortable and the exercising KEPT
II up. they will not suffer at all by thi.
/ confinement. In fact. it will do then
good.
rs To the Breeding Flock
In mating up fiocks for breeding III.
size must be governed by the breed. Ii
other words. in the Asiatic clas!
(Brahmas and Cochins) I find ST,
females and a male about right. II
the American class ten to fourteen
females 70 male is good. In tn,
Mediterranean class il should be abou
twelve to twenty females to a male. il
order to secure better fertility anC
stronger chicks more than one NAL,
(brothers il possible) should be Sc
lected for the pen. so that they can b,
alternated. about once week. Thi