Putnam patriot., 1929-11-07
TIM ELY FARM TOPICS
 by the County Agricultural Assnt

Poultry depend entirely on day .isht for producing their food supply
 They are further handicapped by hay ing limited capacity, which means that they must eat over n reasonably long period. IL naturally follows that ienghtening the day by the use or artificial light means an opportu- nity for eating more food and results m higher egg production.
 This fact has been plainly demon strated over period of years. but the question of how to light and how to feed under lights is still open to discussion. There are four very de- mite reasons for lighting tist) To increase food consumption and as result increase egg production
 t2nd) To prevent a fall mott or win ter pause: (3rd) To obtain a better distribution of egg production throughout the year; and f4th) To lenghten the working day for the op- orator as well as for the hens during the short-day period.
 The three most popular systems of lighting are-The Night Lunch Plan. from 9 to 10 P. M., Morning Light. from o'clock until daylight; and Morning and Night Lght-from A. NJ. until daylight, and from dusk until 6 P. N. The Night Lunch sys- tenn has been very popular in the past due to the fact that it will give maximum egg production with min- mum amount of lighting. It cannot be best operated. however, without feeding the birds by hand while the lights are turned on. This means constant drudgery for the operator and is therefore being avoided by many. Morning Light'-from A. M. until daylight--is the popular sys- tenn for the dairyman, and for others who may have to get up early in the morning for other purposes.
 Lighting from A. Nj. until day light and from darkness until P. NJ. Is at present the most popular system because of it's several advantages. Hens are bound to come of of the perehes in cold weather just before daylight. If the lights are turned on, so that they can start work at once, there is less danger of their becoming chilled before daylight. In the after noon the birds are bound to fill up with feed just before dark. If the lights are turned on at dusk and the birds are fed at 5.30, it is much the same as a second supper-whieh means a greater total food consump- ton. Another advantage of the six-to- six lighting is that it gives the oper- ator m opportunity to put in long CT day than when birds have to be fed at 3.30 or 400.
 Early-hatehed outlets got into good production during August or Septem- Der should be fed verey heavily on grain 90 as to keep production down to 50ee. With such treatment. the bullets should lay for two or three months-or until late in October before starring te mott. The lights should be turned on at the first evil dence of mott, 9s shown by loss of feathers and drop in egg produe- ton. The process of lighting should delay the mott until January and per haps entirely avoid it.
 I.ate-hatched bullets should be lighted November lst, whether they are laying or not If very late, the lights will hurry them to maturity.
 For high fall egg production, old hens should be lighted August 15 to September lst and continued under lights until sold. or until spring if carried over. Hens which have not started to mott before lighting will held up to 50et production well into November. Hens used for breeding should not be lighted in the fall; or