Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-20
POINTS ON BRINGING THE
PULLETS TO MATURITY
Get the Young Stock in Per
manent Quarters Before the
Winter Weather.
Feed Should be Ora duaily
Changed From Growing
Ration to Laying Diet.
Ry I Raymond kessler
Practical potlitryman

EarIy maturity Is desirable I'm all
noultry aocks hut there Is such
thing as forcing the growing chicks I"
mature too early We frequently hear
pouItrymen boast of having members
Of their Young pulet flock lay The hrst
egg nj four months of age. Sueh
occurrences do not prove that The par
ticular flock has any cxtaofdinay
ability as layers. merely that me p,fuH
have been subjected To forced feeding
methods. and If the plan oi forcing
early egg production rs persisseo w ~
is ainost certain to result in strain
of runts.
Maturity nn,N necessarily varY Win
the breed For instance. leRh0rns maj afe
before birds of the general purpose
breeds Five months ut age Is pletltI
early enough for the first cggs 10 'e iftd
bv IcQhorn pullets, and \ iittle NOR aR'
will do no harm. one New ofk s21!'''
breeder of Iephorns, who has fepltat''h
for birds nf extraordinary size ana Vl99t
,c,ar allows his pullets 10 lay before theS
arc CIV months old lie finds the allow
ancc II plenty If time for the hirds I"
mature quite worth Whlle ~ lflal - ~
duction. onrc they start
With the general purpose breeds sfS
months nf age - ilcuty early euonRh Tor
the pllcts 10 start 20 lay, md = rraaae
,ion ,s started hq the seventh month
there - little to worry nhdut However.
tho nnIlcts should not he lei GO hcyefd
The chief thing T. lenk tn IS thai the
b,rde have attained then fill growth rs
~ frame. and that ihee an tmtlf W''l
s,lpplIcd with fat. IS no laEef ean elEe
| lasting PRODUCTION unless reas'naoi"
| amount If fat IS present
! II the hlr,l4 arr allowed . MIXTURE be.
| fore beginning to lav they will ~ lai ~ g
! lay much larger eggs from the very 'ifst
alao thcy Will 10 capable ni keeping u
/ the production.
nurse TuI rtiEffs - fstlf
Nou, hrce.ler4 mike the mistake z
| leaving the Young pllleis eu - -
c,,t,u,. ctape uutii the had weather !"
,,ntcr zrta m. then they must he rushed
INTO winter quarters and perhaps keT'
rloaolt housed for lhr rost at the winter
nothing vill Do more damage = the pro
d,,ctton of nnc's fIoek than ilns last nun
,tc rush plan Tor one thlnE he olde
ullIcts arc we'll started - fhtH lafihe
pnd the moving fren rnnfe to fehiihe
mont cntlrrl, uI,4ris them lals tic ~
,.ontarc nf moving tbr flock I" "intc'
quarters e,rly ln tho fall s that the lawns
L atartrd IN the new quarters. While III
aork can atill have outdoor freedom ! nc
i. winter closcs IT.. tic fioek ean he NOR
closely confined, 50 thai nj rhanFs5 af'
made gradually
\ftrr the winter quarters are ~ ntie
tho first thing the r"ultrNfnan sho'ild q
! determine the number oi fowls u
housing accommodations RIli permit
Tb, tetnptattnn 10 ovrrcrowd the quarter
IS often Il hard one cspcrml1 i one TN
m extra large flock u tinc paliets. How
ever better results will be insured i On
kecps the buildings comfortably occupied
and no more.
rLooR SPkcE REqrltfr.
The amount of necessary floor space &c
ncnds to a very great extent upon 10
number of fowls to the tlork. floeks
from 20 Ia - birds should have about fF
s,uIar,, feet of floor space per hlrd aitk
pcn ten by twelve ieet
In nocks of 100 hirds or more. irel
three and a hall t. four square ieet Z
floor space per bird Is sufficient
nopular SIZE oi q pen for Ion hirdS ls
feet square. and the poultryman viii IN
tins ARRANGEMENT glXes maNmum reSlI
with the minimum of labor t.arg'
aocks may cut labor to a certain eXten
/ hut production II usually smaller III vel
large tlocks
= There Is such Il thing rs having +.
I much floor space III winter. tor Sheh Il
fowls cannot develop stiilIelent neat
+ keep warm This u especially true
nocks OF II hens or less
shILLFUL rEfmNG II IMPORT AIT.
I After all the most important tmng
t caring for the pullcts Is teedlng
!, a usual thing up until tins time the uo'
has been kept on Il growing ration II
i must be changed u a more eoheehtfa0
ration IN order 70 encourage pfeduetie
q The following plan OF feeding. vi
slight variations, has been followed ny
I YIccessful breeder for a number ei yea
, with excellent results
n on coming of the roosts IN the mornt
the hens find gram III the litter. consi
ing Of equal parts. corn, oats and Whe
|, Since the war the mixture las eunsistt
. mostly of equal parts cracked corn u
oats with the addition OF some hathr col
, The gram allowed al tins feeding Is abe
: a quart to each D hens varied OF eoar
to slIlt the appcttcs OF the toWts. /
hunting for this grain Keeps the te
busy until the house has warmed
! About ten O'Clock green food consists
+ of either cabbage sprouted oats or nj
= giles is fed The cabbage and mangtes
: allowed in such amounts as the flock Y
\ clean up during the day In teed
4 sproutcd oats such amounts are gwen
I the flock will eat IL 10 or Il minutes
+ At noon II moist mash Is fed consist
y Of the following materials IOo pour
+ wheat bran. 100 pounds corn meal
+ pounds middlings loo pounds hns'
+ meal. 100 pounds gluten meal, loo Pou
# alfalfa meal, 100 pounds ground oats
+ 200 pounds beef scrap
+ 10 four buckets of tins mash IS ail
r one bucket Of short eat aifalfa or clio
II that has been soaked IN hot water
II several hours The mash and short
+ hay is then thoroughly mixed and led
# N-shapcd troughs Tie hot water
i which the cut hay Is soakel makes
+ mash warm fer feeding Tie mash
I made molst not SLOPPY An alloWa
# Of eight quarts Of the mash e each h
+ drcd hens has been found about TIC
~ m EsX X-s4ritsd II