Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-05-29
Early Hatched Chicks.

early Matched chicks are more
thrifty and vigorous, better able to
stand the heat of summer anc the
attacks of parasites which are more
prevalent at this season." advises A.
L. Smith, poultry specialist assigned
to the extension service of the Uni
versity of Vermont and State Agri-
cultural college by the United States
department of agriculture.
Early Matched pullets lay when
eggs are highest and the cockerels
your eggs into the incubator or un-
der hen at once This is the last
call. In selecting your eggs for
Matching take only those that are
| clean, fresh, uniform in shape and
size and of normal shell. Remember
that in this case, like begets like. If
eggs have to be kept any length Of
| time they should be placed on their
sides and kept at about SO to 60 de-
grees temperature and turned once
| daily. The germ is always on top of
| the yolk, which in turn, is lighter
than the white and should not be
turned into the large end, nor kept
in one position too long, so that they
may stick to the inner shell men,
brane. Heat the incubator up three
or four days before putting in the
eggs, to learn it's operation; then fol-
low carefully the manufacturers di-
rections.
| If hens are to be used, and it is adj
visable for small f1ocks, back-yarders
and beginners, see that she is deter
mined to set, then remove her quietly
after dark to where she is going to
hatch the eggs. See that the nest
has a fiat bottom and clean straw,
use insect powder freely and let her
set day on china eggs. Then put
10 eggs under her if in cold weather
and Is if in warm weather. Let her
come off twice daily, if she will, to
eat, drink and be cranky, using same
feed as usual.
| Test the eggs on the seventh and
fourteenth day; if many hens are set
at once, this allows you to double
them up. Avoid making any distur-
bance Do not put any so-called
medicated eggs under her. Do not
handle the eggs other than for test
ing. If eggs get dirty, scrape them
clean, do not wash or rub them.
SELECTION OF BREEDS.
For general farm use and for the
back yard flock the American or gen.
eral purpose breeds would probably
be the best, such as Plymouth Rocks,
Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes.
For the egg breeds, if one desires to
specialize in that feature, the Leg
horns, Anconas, Minorcas and Span
ish are the most popular. Generally
speaking their popularity ranges in
that order.
You will find that there are good
and poor laying strains in any of the
above breeds. But with the present.
day science and efficiency methods
you can make great Improvement in
any strain you may have, towards
making more eggs, more meat, or for
exhibition. So when it comes right
down to which breed, it really makes
no difference; use your preference,
but be sure that they are pure bred
and then improve that strain along
the lines you want to follow.
The advantages of pure-bred birds
over mongrels are manifold. Pure
| bred poultry means uniformity Of
product: Uniformity Of product
means increased profits, if properly
marketed; that is, with mongrels
and meat-but with pure-bred birds
you not only have eggs and meat,
but large demand for Matching eggs
and day-old chicks, cockerels and
pullets
1t is in this combination of poultry
products where the money in poul-
try lies today. They are a part of
the efficiency methods spoken of
above. For more information on this
subject, write to County Agent H. F.
johnson at Newport or to the Exten-
sion Service, College of Agriculture,
Farmers Bulletin No. $50, "Back-
yard Poultry Keeping" issued by the
United States Department of Agri-
they are doing in cooperation with
the state COLLEGE of agriculture