Evening star., 1918-07-14
POINTS ON FEEDING
TODEvELOP PULLETS
Change Gradually From Growing
to Laying Ration-Get Into Win
ter Quarters Early.

Maturity must necessarily vary
with the breed. For instance. Leg
horns mature before birds of the gen.
eral purpose breeds. Five months OF
age is plenty early enough for the
first eggs to be laid by Leghorn pull
let's, and little more age will do no
harm. One New York state breeder
OF Leghorns, who has reputation for
birds of extraordinary size and vigor.
they are six months old. He hnds the
allowance Of plenty of time for the
birds to mature quite worth while In
point of production. once they start.
With the general purpose breeds six
months Of age is plenty early enough
production is started by the seventh
month there is little to worry about.
However. the puliets should not be let
go beyond this age.
The chief thing to look to Is that
the birds have attained their full
growth as to frame. and that they ire
fairly well supplied with fat, as no
layer can give lasting production un-
less a reasonable amount of fat Is
present
IL the birds are allowed to mature
before beginning to lay they will be
the very first. also they will be capa-
BILE Of keeping up the production.
Many breeders make the mistake Of
leaving the young pullets out in the
colony coops until the bad weather of
winter sets in. then they must be
rushed into winter quarters and per-
haps kept closely housed for the rest
of the winter. Nothing will do more
damage to the production Of ones
flock than this last.minute rush plan.
For one thing. the older pullets are
we'll started in their laying. and the
moving from range to confinement en-
tirely upsets them. Thus the advan-
tage of moving the hock to winter
quarters early in the fall is that the
laying is started in the new quarters.
while the flock can still have outdoor
freedom. Then as winter closes in
the flock can be moro closely confined.
SO that all changes are made grad
ually.
After the winter quarters are In or
der the first thing the poultryman
fowls his housing accommodations
will permit. The temptation to over
crowd the quarters Is often a hard
one. especially IL one has an extra
large flock Of fine pullets. However.
keeps the buildings comfortably oc-
cupied. and no more.
The amount of necessary floor space
depends to very great extent upon
the number of fowls to the flock.
II ioShD VI AtoHi i~GHty IL Culy -hNC
birds should have about ave square
feet Of floor space per bird, say. pen
ten by twelve feet.
In f1ocks of 100 birds or more. from
three and half to four square feet
of floor space per bird is sufficient.
The popular size of a pen for 100
birds is twenty feet square, and the
poultryman will find this arrange
ment gives maximum results with the
minimum of labor. Larger fiocks may
-, t,or 20 n 60 IN, hue
duction is usually smaller in very
large flocks.
There is such a thing as having too
much floor space in winter, for then
the fowls cannot develop sufficient
heat to keep warm. This Is especially
true of f1ocks of fifteen hens or less.
skillful Feeding Is Important.
After all, the most important thing
in caring for the pullets 10 feeding.
AS q! usual thing, up until this time
the flock has been kept on q growing
ration. This must be changed to a
more concentrated ration in order to
The following plan Of feeding. with
slight variations, has been followed
by a successful breeder for a num-
Der Of years with excellent results.
morning the hens nnd grain in the
litter, consisting of equal parts corn.
oats and wheat. Since the war the
mixture has consisted mostly of equal
parts cracked corn and oats with the
addition of some kafiir corn. The grain
allowed at this feeding is about a
quart to each twenty-five hens. va
ried. of course. to suit the appetites
Of the fowls. The hunting for this
grain keeps the flock busy until the
house has warmed UP. About 10
o'clock green food. consisting Of
either cabbage. sprouted oats or
mangles, is fed. The cabbage and
mangies are allowed in such amounts
as the flock will clean up during the
day. In feeding sprouted oats such
amounts are given as the flock will
eat in ten or fifteen minutes.
At noon a moist mash is fed, con-
sisting of the following materials: