Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-05
:sET five ECCS FOR
EACH PULLET DESIRED
Counting Chickens Before They Are
Hatchcd Pleasant, but
= Improbable.
MUST. COUNT ON SOME LOSSES
Unforeseen Accidents Are RESPONSE
BILE for Greatest Mortality, Hence
Liberal Allowance Must Be Made
to Overcome Losses.
ny Fl. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS.

The probable mortality in brood OF
chicks is rather a dishcar;cninE sub
jcct TO contemplate. and yet If the
poultry keeper wishes to lay plans for
certain number 81 layers for next
winter: he must consider this subject.
Experienced poultry men have long
since learned 10 figure on II. quite rs
definitely as feed bills and other eX-
penscs. otherwise they could not con-
duct their enterprises on n business
like basis.
Losses in the broodcr arc 10 be eS
pectcd, just the same as losses In tho
incubator, III tho shape OF infertile
GEES ana unmatched eggs, are to be eN-
pectcd, and the sooner the poultry
raiser is rcconrilcd 10 this fact. the
sooner he will be spared 4 lot OF dis
courag cement.
Beginners. especially, are greatly
disturbed By losses OF this kind, and
If the mortality runs high at times.
they are stricken with gloom and dis
appointment. sometimes they are
moved TO abandon their projects as
failures. In the majority OF times they
will tell YOU that they had no idea Of
: how delicate chicks are to raise. or
they would never have undertaken the
work. They will admit they expected
10 lose one or two chicks ina hundred.
at the worst i've chicks: but not
twenty-five CHICKS. why, tnat is one
fourth OF the flock!
Recently beginner complained to
the writer about having hard luck
with a brood OF Lcghorns The COM
plainant was a woman. and her story
was one OF woe and despair Finally
she got down to figures, which were
TO the effect that she had lost twch;y-
eight chicks out OF a hundred, which
she had bought day-old from a more
49, .s,,a
mainder. she said. were now four weeks
old and doing nicely. She was con-
fdent she could raise them without
further losses.
When l told this woman that
thought she had done very well, and
that she had nothing 10 complain
about, SO far as could see, she was
very much surprised She probably
thought me very !nconsiderate. until
l explained that her losses were less
than those experienced on commercial
farms, taking the season as a whole.
which usually exceed so per cent.
HERE Is VERY SIMPLE
BASIS EuR ESTIMATING;
Here is very simple way TO esti-
mate flock. Il dsreSards that old
proverb. never count your chicks be-
fore they are hatched." because il is
possible TO count" the chicks. prov!d-
ing YOU properly discount" them at
regular stages.
II you have fined on the idea that
YOU want 100 pullets, and you expect to
90 your own Matching. YOU should set
500 eggs. If you cxpcc, TO make a
start with baby chicks, YOU should
buy 500 chicks. In other words five
eggs equal one pullet. o. three chicks
equal one pullct, and here is how /,
works out:
We start with 500 eggs in the in
l1,,1
cent hatch, or 500 chicks. This is con-
sidered good average on commercial
poultry farms. There are exceptions
to II. OF course: We have heard OF 30
per cent matches. but they are rare
indeed. Ten 10 10 per cent or the eggs
are likely 10 lie infc%t.ile, another Ia
per cent arc apt 10 start development
and subsequently die. ana the balance
or the 40 per cent are likely to com
p!cte their incubation but fail TO break
through the shell At Matching time
Thus We place 500 chicks in the
hrooder. AS rule. ,wo-thirds OF
them survive; a 20 per cent mortality
Is 10 be expected whore chicks are
raised in large numbers Hens them.
selves seldom do better than this nm
less the conditions are especially ia
voracle. Furthermore. OF tie 700
chicks which reach maturity. approx
mate IL half o. them viii devotion into
coclcfGls. Which leaves 100 puilets for
the laying house, HENCE the rule-nve
gigs equal enc pullct.
The forer Ding estimate NAV sound
dlscouras! ngly low 10 the beginner, and
* IS To-" but II is conservative II
you are fortunate YOU will do better
than this. Tho point that wish to
estao!ls Is this: Don't eXpec, to
hatch % per cent OF the eggs set, and
,heh rear 80 per cent OF the chicks
hatch"d from which you hope 10 secure
50 per cent pulets: because Won ara
certain 10 be disappointed, extremely
disappointed BE s7cmis,ic; hitch
Eotr wagon 70 star aim for 100
per cent success, be as hopeful as YOU
can out don't expect the !mposs!b,e
as SO many are nrone 20 do. and then
aoahoon Eour Efforts because the re-
Sutts 90 not measure up to expecta.
tons. Remember. II vow get ON.
pul!et from every I've eggs Sc, Won
are successful. and doing quite as well
as the other fellow.
SMALL CHiCNs Liable
TO CONTRACT DISEASE,
Assuming tina: the normal mortality
is 90 per cent, it would appear tina,
young chickens are heir TO and proue
10 contract about every disease i,rIo,
the sun, and tia, IN are excccdimr,y
iTai! and weak. Not II all. Chicks
are deAc1tc In sense. as is the cas-,
with young o, an creatures. but me-
are IN no way difficult 10 rca-. so "a,
as disease is concerned. The creates,
!no'teuty Is due TO accidents rattle.
man disease, and over which It Ia ,
hard mater 20 exercise control .,
ms Is meant the unexpected hapnr,.
Ia reviewing the misfortuncs nhlcl
are lheiy 10 occur. We viii comnenr,
e the incubator 1t is no, uncom,no,
e These are brand n.w tubes taken out Al
-hsw care. when Installing E..enasy