French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-02-01

With the coming of February should
o,so come increased activity in : the
rou1trv ward. The healthy, vigorous
lens and puIlets, the only kind worth
tpeping, should be singing their
morning song as they prepare for their
davis task in the reproducing line,
and then, the lively cluck will tell OF
the "last lay OF the Minstrel" Keep
ewes and ears both open, and, with a
little patience in watching, it is not
dificuit to tell the workers from the
drones.
The main point is this: unless you
wish to feed q lot OF dRones-star
boarders-it will pay to get immedi-
atelv acquainted with each individual
hen and the time so spent, is used
right, will so far In telling which OF
the flock to Gull out and, no matter
how handsome looking a bird, male
or female, may be, let performance
he the proof of their value in the flock.
When O high-bred flock is kept
treeders-it is better not to trust just
IA observation. In fact, with valua-
BILE birds. it is often important to be
able to identify every egg as the pro-
duct of the particular hen that laid it
or, reversing the statement, to identi-
fy every hens product. The trapnest
and the leg band then play leading
part We suspect chat some breeders
who have tried to use them hardly I'M
,derstand the use of either
What is q leg band? How used3
Usually a leg band is a narrow strip
of flexible metal, upon which certain
numbers, or numbers and letters are
stamped, and that are put on one of a
fowls legs and fastened in such a
way that the number is always visible.
Records are kept, showing the num-
Der of the band on every bird on
which it is desired to keep tab" The
record usually gives age OF bird data
as to mating special markings, etc.
The bird is usually allowed to retain
that band as long as it is kept for
breeding. Colored ceI'uloid bands are
useless unless they bear numbers, and
no bird needs, or ever should have but
one band. An exception is, that pull
lets and cockerels are sometimes
banded before acquiring full size, and
then the band may need to be chang
ed when it becomes too small.
Then what is q trap-nest2 Without
attempting details trap-nest is one
inclosed on all sides, though the ma
terial may De in part woven wire, for
ventilation. The entrance is by
door at front. swinging from hinges
at top. The door, OF light boards, US
ually has a V-shaped cut at bottom, OF
size sufficient to allow the hen to part
ly enter, but Of close enough to Mt ehat
her shoulders push against the sides,
and as the nen goes in, lifts the door
lightly. The door. when set for the
hen, is held at an angle Of about 40
degrees, and supported by catch, on
the side, which, as soon as the hen
tries to push her way in, is released,
and when the hen passes in, the door
swings shut and the hen must be re-
leased by an attendant who opens the
door when the hen has laid.
The use of the trapReSt must be
continuous for at least one to three
months, and in the case Of promising
birds should be for a year. Trapping
for few days is of no use. Often q
heavy layer will drop. out for two or
three dayss4er even d WeekTalad then
resume. Some hens viii lay continu-
ously at certain seasons. then stop en-
tirsly. =. No record can be Of value that
does not cover all such cratic work
and give seasons results. Breeding
today means trapping for q year -
then you know where you are.
! This is the season when corn ts or
most use. 1t is a heat producer. Care
should be exercised in selecting It
sound, free from moldiness and free
from green eheart."-F. j. r, In Pro-
RranaSazn