The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-22

. individual incubators of the 50 to 400 size are general used
 Many poultrymen believe that it pays to have an incubator capacity large enough to hatch the bulk of their stock in two or three patches, so that much time is saved in tending to the incubators and breeders, while the chickens are more even in size than those that are matched when the incubating period extends over longer time.
 Chickens can be matched at any time of the year, but it is the chickens matched early in the spring that give the best re- suits. One reason is that if no special effort is made to hatch early on the farms throughout the country the hatchs ing season concludes too closely With the planting season, and matching operations are reduced on that account.
 Early matched birds. as rule, are the strongest and most vigorous in the flock because they are produced rom eggs laid while the hens are in their best breeding condition. After a long period of laying the hens lose something of their vitality and their capacity to transmit vigor to their offspring, and so late matched chicks are on the whole decidedly inferior to early-hatched ones in vigor and constitution. Because they are thrifty ana NlROTOuS lIS tdllS NhiShS iie'fNN quicker and better growth than the late ones Thrifty chicks get more from a given quantity of food than others. Weak and undersized birds often consume as much feed as the larger and better de- veloped ones, but make no perceptible growth
 The early chicks develop to stage where they can withstand extreme hea. and an attack by the parasites which ure more numerous and troublesome in hot weather The severe heat is apt to check the growth of the late chicks and in their weakened condition they easily become prey to ice and mites. When the cold, wet weather comes in the fall they arc peculiarly susceptible to it and likely 10 develop colds. while the vigorous carry chicks find the coolness stimulating.
 When eggs do not hatch well early in the season there is time to find the req son for the poor matching and to cure IL before the season is too lar adVanceo When late matching is not successful che crop of poultry is cut short and egg pro- duction falls
 Early matched cockerels are ready TOT the market when prices are highest. Early ba+ched' pullets mature before cold weather. and lay when prices of eggs are highest Late-hatched chickens are not mature before cold weather sets in ana often will not lay until spring
 There are people who have the right variety of fowls, who house and reed them properly. and yet who can not oo- tain eggs early in the winter becaus" their fowls are too old. It seldom pays to keen hens for laying after they are years old; not that they will not give profit but that younger fowls will give greater profit. A great many poultrymen who make a speciality of winter egg pro duction keep nothing but bullets, dispos- jnc of the 1-year-old hens before 1t IS time to put them in the winter quarters The champion of the girls poultry clups Of Mississippi keeps nothing but bullets.
 Early matched outlets if property grown, ought to begin laying in October or early November and continue to lay through the winter. Yearling hens seldom begin laying much before January l ana older hens not until later. It IS the November and December eggs that bring the high prices. The laying breeds should begin laying when about from to , months old, general-purpose breeds at 5 to months. and the meat breeds at to months.