FABMJflKS' INSTlTUTJaiB. 815 



farmer made a j'curly average of 190 eggs from a flock of UOO White Leg- 

 horns, while his neighbor made a yearly average of 194 eggs from a flock 

 of 140 Barred Plymouth Rock hens. The latter flock, being smaller than 

 the former, the average could not be said to be equal, but the comparison 

 show^s what is possible with the American breeds. The common egg 

 record for a pullet is 120, but breeders are striving for the 200-egg hen, 

 and I expect she will soon be produced. 



The Utah experiment station claims that a two-year-old hen lays but 

 half the number of eggs a pullet does and a three-year-old hen one-third. 

 So it stands to reason that a flock of old hens is not a paying investment. 



To obtain the high-priced winter eggs it is necessary to prepare for 

 it the spring before. Pullets should be hatched early enough to begin 

 laying before cold weather sets in, otherwise they will not lay before 

 the last of January or February. 



As to the feeding; The greater variety the better. Wheat, oats, corn 

 (not in excess), sunflower seed and millet (sparingly) are all grains which 

 can be raised on the farm and these fed in a litter (so as to induce exer- 

 cise) will keep the hens scratching, and hence healthy and in good laying 

 condition. Nearly all authorities recommend a warm mash once a day, 

 but differ on the time it is to be fed. The mash is composed of moistened 

 ground grain, table scraps, parings (cooked preferred), with some animal 

 food of some kind, such as blood meal, meat meal, tankage, or green cut 

 bone or beef scraps if you are near enough to the market to feed while 

 fresh. These contain in a very large per cent, the protein which is so 

 necessary for egg production. These are better than condition powders, 

 for they keep the fowls healthy and produce eggs without stimulants. 

 The fowls must have an abundant ration during egg laying, in fact, 

 "must be fed to the maximum." 



The house must be comfortable and free from drafts. They can easily 

 be made so by stripping, with double walls or lining with tarred paper, 

 and the expense will soon be repaid and good interest given in the number 

 of extra eggs produced. Then there should be windows to let in the 

 sunlight and give the chickens a chance to find every grain in the litter. 

 Clean water, grit, charcoal and dust baths are self-evident necessities, so 

 we do not dwell on them. 



A good profit can be obtained by combining the egg and broiler busi- 

 ness. Broilers to be choice should be rushed almost from the time they 

 leave the shell until they are on the market. The ancestry of the foAvl is 

 of importance then, so that the broiler may have by inheritance a strong 

 constitution which can assimilate food readily and respond quickly in 

 growth. 



Form is of next importance. We want a chicken which will be at- 

 tractive when dressed. It should be full, deep-breasted, broad back, short, 

 thick thighs and strong legs, yellow preferred, as that usually bespeaks 

 a yellow skin, though the latter is often obtained from grass I'uns. If we 



