Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-08-25
.CULLING CAMPAIGN
COMPLETED

Poultry is the third most import
ant industry in Fulton County. Grain
raising is first, dairying second and
poultry is third. Poultry brings in
over a million dollars each year in
the County, in spite of the fact how
ever that the total returns are SO
large the average production per hen
is only about seventy two eggs per
year. There is plenty of room for
Improvement in the fiocks of Fulton
County.
If our poultry men had studied the
breeding and feeding of poultry as
our dairymen have studied the breed
ing and feeding of Holstein cattle
there would be different story to
tell with regard to the average pro-
duction of our hens.
Our greatest need is first to learn
and be willing to feed our poultry
properly. Many a good hen has
been greatly limited in her produc-
tion and therefore been improbable
because she has not been supplied
with enough of the right kind of
raw material out of which to make
eggs.
A hen in order to be profitable
should lay eggs from nine to ten
months during the year. A hen
which rests five or six months during
the year is like the dairy COW that
goes dry three or four months dur
ing the year. She is unable to pro-
duce enough during the rest of the
year to make her profitable. In order
to lay eggs over long period, how
ever, hen must have an abundance
~ L
very hard to convince people of this
however, because they have been so
used to considering poultry side line,
that they do not seem to realize that
lit will pay to keep a good egg pro-
ducing ration before the hens the year
around.
The flocks of poultry are very
commonly neglected in the summer
time from the standpoint of feeding
/ A heavy producing hen must have a
plentiful supply of animal protein in
her feed if she is going to be able
to lay steadily. And any flock owner
who expects heavy producing hen
to forage all over the farm for this
animal protein in the form of bugs
and worms is making a big mistake
An egg producing mash should be
kept before the flock of laying hens
the year around, one which has given
good results through out the State
is as follows:
10 pounds of ground corn.
10 pounds of ground oats.
! 10 pounds of ground white mid
ldlings.
10 pounds of bran.
/ 10 pounds of meat scrap of tank
age.
! If milk is available so that all the
sour milk can be given that the birds
will eat the meat scrap or tankage
can be limited to two pounds.
After giving the hens a chance to
show their worth by feeding them
&. well then the second great need is to
lcull out the "loafers."
One of the most rapid ways to in
crease the average production of a
flock is to select thirty five or forty
of the very best hens in the Fall for
a breeding pen. These hens should
have great capacity and give every
indication of being heavy producers.
They should be placed in a coop by
themselves for the winter, two roost-
ers from high producing fiocks
placed with them, at least two weeks
before eggs are saved for Matching,
and then all eggs to be used for
Matching, birds to be kept in the
flock should be taken from the coop
of select hens.
In the culling demonstrations just
completed seventy meetings were
held and an attendance of 1112 peo-
pie, who owned 45528 hens. This is
about one seventh of the hens in the
County and practically every person
attending these meetings signified
his intention of culling the poorest
hens from his flock within the next
few weeks.
That there is great interest in the
improvement of the poultry fiocks
of the County is shown by an aver
age attendance at these meetings OF
about sixteen persons This in spite
! of the fact that they were held dur
ing the busiest season of the year
Poultry raising must be put upon
: a business basis in order for it to be
profitable. 1t is expected to follow
the culiing work by establishing as
many demonstration farms in the
County as possible, where careful
: records will be kept of receipts and
expenses as well as the results OF
careful culling and breeding.
PILE ER~F