REPORT OF TEE POULTRY MANAGER 



259 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Results of Six Months Egg-laying by Pullets and Old Hens. 



No. 



12 



11 



12 



11 



11 



11 



11 



6 







10 



10 



♦23 



*23 



Variety. 



Buff Orpington .... 



White Leghorn 



S. G. Dorkings.... 



Black Minorcas 



White Leghorns . . . 



Bnff Leghorns 



Black Hamburgs.. . 

 S. S. Hamburgs . . . 

 S. L. Wyandottes.. 

 Buff Orpingtons . . . 

 White Wyandottes. 



B. P. Rocks 



White Wyandottes 



Age. 



3 years old 



Pullets 



2 and 3 years old . . . 



Pullets 



2 and 3 years old . . 



Pullets 



1, 3 and 4 years old 



1 and 2 years old . . . 



2 years old 



Pullets 



3 years old 



Pullets, late 



It 



Totals 





49 

 185 



95 

 136 

 129 

 112 

 122 



95 



72 

 103 

 102 

 349 

 304 



1,85: 





70 

 178 



73 

 180 

 143 

 112 

 173 

 108 



60 



38 

 117 

 300 

 304 



1,856 



c 



71 



1.35 



52 



119 



111 



85 



120 



f7 



28 



67 



84 



228 



292 



1,479 



o 2 



^ s 



O " 



511 

 878 

 474 

 618 

 499 

 481 

 587 

 421 

 296 

 482 

 513 

 1,201 

 1,220 



8,181 



* These pullets were in a poultry house with scratching shed attachment, 

 windows of the dcratching shed were open on fine daj's during winter. 



No artificial heat. The 



Some deductions from the above record are noted as follows : — 



Ten Wliite "Wyandotte liens, 3 years of age, laid more eggs than the same number 

 of BufF Orpington piillets. 



Eleven White Leghorn hens, two and three years of age, laid more eggs than the 

 same number of Buff Leghorn pullets. 



In both the foregoing cases it is likely that the older hens were of a better egg 

 laying strain than the pullets. But experience has shown that it is advisable not to 

 arrive at a hasty decision in this respect for in several instances it has been noticed 

 that poor egg laying pullets made admirable layers the year after, when hens. In 

 connection with this feature it is remarked on page 239 of 1904 report, under the 

 caption, ' Are fowls as good layers one season as another ? ' as follows : ' Records of 

 egg laying by pullets and hens in our department, extending over eight years, go to 

 show that pullets which laid well during their first winter did not make as good layers 

 the next, when hens.' It was also shown that poor egg laying pullets made admirable 

 layers when hens the next year. It will be interesting to note if the selection by trap 

 neste of the best layers from year to year will overcome this feature. As a further 

 means of obtaining data on the subject two breeding pens each of 6 White Leghorn 

 pullets and cock bird, have been placed side by side. The pullets and cock bird in one 

 pen are from parent stock which the trap nests have shown to be poor layers, and the 

 pullets and cock bird in the other by the same agency have been noted as excellent 

 layers. Useful results are anticipated. 



Another lesson pointed out is that the majority of 23 Barred Plymouth Rock, and 

 same number of Wliite Wyandotte pullets did not begin to lay until March. They 

 were actually improductive during the winter months of highest prices. The coldness 

 of the house may be advanced as a reason for their non-laying, and to a certain extent 

 it doubtless retarded their growth and rapid maturity. But these pullets should have 

 been well developed and laying before going into winter quarters, and these results 

 can only be attained by early hatching. Again, the pullets came from parent stock 

 which had not been accustomed to cold quarters. This, in combination with late 

 hatching, would certainly be deterrent to early winter laying. 



Remedies for the latter and other undesirable features shown by the record are 

 suggested as follows: — 



16— 17i 



