, 1918-06-27
RETARDED LAYING
GUARDED AGAINST
One of Most Important Things to
Prevent in Keeping Flock
of Chickens.
PULLETs BEST LAYERS
Young Fowls Whose Growth Has Been
Continuous From Matching to Ma
turIty Are Almost Invariably
Largest Producers.

The difference between early-laying
pullets and late-laying pullets may be
the difference between profit and loss
In poultry keeping. Retarded laying,
therefore, is one of the things to be
guarded against by all poultry keep
ers, whether Oh a large or a small
scale.
Normally, laying begins when growth
ceases. Individuals of the small, pre-
cocious breeds may begin laying be-
fore they cease growing. That, though
likely to be Of some permanent dis
advantage, need not give the grower
serious C Individuals. of what
ever breed, may fail to begin laying
at maturity, and that is a matter of
serious concern to every poultry
keeper. The pullet that fails to be-
come an egg producer at maturity, in
stead Of being an asset. becomes a
dead expense, absorbing a large part
of the profit that she may make In
later life.
Early Laying PuIIet.
Almost without exception the pullet
whose growth from Matching to ma
turity has been regular, not subject to
checks and Interruptions. Is an early
layer. A check to growth at any stage,
according to poultry experts of the
United States department of agricul-
ture, is likely to retard laying. In
support of this statement, the fact Is
pointed out that 1t is not unusual to
find May-hatched pullets laying earlier
than their sisters that were Matched
in April and were retarded in the
early stage of their growth by unfa-
yOrable weather. R~etardation by wealth
er conditions, however, is only N of
many things that may check the nor
NAL growth of a pullet and defer the
beginning of her usefulness as a pro-
ductive fowl.
Egg production depends upon activ-
ity of the reproductive organs, which
should begin Mt or before the cessation
of physical growth. Apparently. infiu-
ences unfavorable to the development
Of the body are still more unfavorable
to the development of the reproductive
organs, and 1t is not uncommon to find
pullets of apparently perfect outward
body development in which egg pro-
duction is deferred for several months.
Disturbances Retard Laying.
Any disturbance affecting the habits,
nutrition or comfort of a pullet, at any
previous stage of life may retard lay
ing at maturity and therefore, is to be
assfduously guarded against. Shifting
from place to place or changes in diet
may constitute n sufficient disturbance
to retard laying. In fact, these are
common methods in use among poul-
try fanciers to retard the laying of
pullets that they desire to keep In con-
dition for exhibition as pullets. It
follows, therefore, that the disturb
ances encouraged by fanciers for ex-
hibition pullets are among the things
that must be avoided by poultry keep
ers whose object is to develop pullets
into early egg-producing hens.
The fact to be borne constantly in
mind is that the main factor in egg
production is activity Of the reproduc-
tive organs, and that the development
Of these organs is continuous from the
earliest stages of the growth of the
bird instead of beginning, rs was once
supposed, at or near maturity. Pull
lets about to begin laying are more
sensitive to disturbances than at
earlier stages of their growth, and
therefore require greater are in
handling, but disturbances ~retarding