Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-02
Successful Management
Means Comfortable Living
Quarters and Proper Feed
ing
Discussion Of the Relative
Merits of Grain RatiOns
and Animal Foods
BY Prof. James B. Norman

Former Expert for the United States
Department of Agriculture.
It is well recognized that pullets
make better layers than hens. But
the Fail when eggs are scarce and
high in price. Probably it is because
they were not Matched sufficiently
early, or they were not properly man.
aged. The purpose of this article is to
tell how pullets may be fitted for fall
and winter laying.
Egg laying in late fall and early
winter is not in accordance with nat
ural law. Fowls are domesticated wild
birds. The natural period for laying
is during spring and early summer.
Therefore, to get eggs from pullets in
winter, it is necessary to give growing
chickens special care and attention.
The first essential to success is to
keep the young birds growing steadily.
The pullets should be separated from
the cockerelS when about three months
old. When four months of age the
pullets should be growing into promis-
ing layers. At this age they should be
naturally. But it is mistake to force
pullets too rapidly. Such a practice
may produce a few more eggs at the
start, but it will usually result in dis
appointment. The pullets may moult.
In that case egg production in winter
will cease. Or the pullets will not
reach normal size when they begin to
lay; in that case the eggs will probably
be small in size. BY no means force
pullets by overlooking with such high
animal protein feeds as ground bone,
meat scraps. fish scraps or skim milk.
They need small amounts of animal
protein for proper growth and normal
egg production, but overfeeding is fatal
to success.
To be properly fitted for laying a
pullet should be in full flesh with a
small amount of surplus fat. The lat
ter is required to maintain the normal
body heat as cold weather comes on.
Body heat is constantly being radiated,
and the supply must be kept up by
means of fat. To produce a proper
amount of fat, growing pullets must
be fed balanced ration. How to do
this successfully is one of the prob
lens of poultry raising.
Advantages of Penning Pullets
1t is good practice to pen pullets by
ter egg laying. The pens should be
prepared as early in the fall as pos
sible. They should be properly cleaned
and thoroughly disinfected. If pos
sible, each pen should have good size
yard and have roosting Quarters,
scratching pen, dust bath and nesting
places. These should all be under
cover, we'll lighted, and dry and we'll
ventilated. Cleanliness and roominess
tend to keep growing pullets healthy
and vigorous, and both are essential
to successful egg production!
Another advantage of penning pull
lets by themselves is to provide for
normal development. 1t is not always
easy to do this successfully. All poul-
try feeds contain different combi-
nations of water, protein. starches, fats
and mineral salts. These elements are
required by chickens for their growth.
vide feeds in sufficient quantity and
variety to allow for organic wastes and
normal development. To this end it
is a good plan to provide certain feeds
in hoppers that growing pullets may
help in balancing their own rations.
Guarding Against Illness
But feeding and housing are not the
only precautions necessary for fitting
pullets to lay successfully. 1t is not
wise to let pullets run at large in wet
grass or weeds during the fall months.
If the under feathers about the abdo-
men get wet, the pullets soon have a
bedraggled appearance. If the abdo-
men gets wet and is chilled by the
raw fall winds, bowel trouble or some
other local ailment is likely to arise.
While sickness of this nature is not
apt to prove fatal, it affects the vigor
of the pullets. Their health is likely
to become more or less undermined
and this will delay or prevent their
laying. This condition should certainly
be avoided If one is striving for profit
able winter egg production.
If pullets are kept off the wet grass
ana long weeds. they keep themselves
neat, clean and healthy. Under these