8 April, 1908.] Poultry Notes. 255 



Breeding Pens. 



Breeding pens are an absolute necessity. Poultry should be properly 

 penned and housed and if supplied with a ^■ariety of food, ample green 

 stuff, and fresh water daily, good results may be expected. A box con- 

 taining a supply of mixed grit such as broken crockery, bones, charcoal, 

 cinders, and oyster shells should also be provided. 



At this particular period of the year close attention should be given 

 to the pens where it is intended to place the best birds. As the soil may 

 have become impregnated with disease germs it should be turned over 

 with a small plough and then sprinkled with unslacked lime. Thoroughly 

 disinfect the houses, limewash the insides, cleanse the perches and remove 

 all stock for twelve weeks. In June the pen will be ready to receive the 

 stud birds. 



Commence well if you wish to do well. Select eggs laid in July and 

 August for early stock and remember that 100 early birds are worth 

 200 late ones. They mature rapidly and thus make early layers for 

 the following autumn. Manv of the cockerels by forcing will be market- 

 able at Christmas and the later ones before Easter. The real cost of 

 eggs depends entirelv on how manv you get and more particularly ivhen 

 vou get them. Thus it follows that the early pullet makes the early and 

 profitable layer. 



Do not kee{) too manv breeds. Make a study of one breed, whether 

 for eggs or table, and success will attend your efiforts. 



Size of Eggs. 



A matter of importance to those who are anxious to succeed in the 

 egg business is that greater care in selecting eggs for incubation should 

 be exercised. Select eggs from those known to lay a large shapely egg — 

 the eggs that will go 18 lbs. to the long liundred (120). I have made 

 exhaustive tests with the view to a.scertaining whether the selection of 

 fairlv large eggs for hatching purposes would be satisfactory, and I 

 have no hesitation in stating, for the benefit of those who wish to similarly 

 experiment, that they will be more than compensated for the additional 

 time taken to determine that such is the case. Therefore avoid breeding 

 from tTie layer of small eggs. 



The ideal hen is the one that will lay 200 eggs per annum. Tins 

 type can onlv be obtained bv careful breeding and selection. Start 

 with the hen that vou know has laid, sav 120 eggs. Some of her 

 progeiiv will produce 150 eggs, and from these layers make your selection 

 and so on imtd the 200 egg hen is reached. Due importance must also be 

 paid to the selection of tlie male bird — he must be from a good laymg 

 strain. 



England's Imports. 



The following figures show the imports of eggs and poultry into 

 England during the past three years, exclusive of the imports from 

 Ireland : — 



Eggs 



Poultry 



Total ... ^7,718,227 ... ^7-967-254 •■• ^8,037,379 

 These figures should be sufficient to convince poultry farmers that, pro- 

 vided they maintain a good standard, practically an unlimited market 

 exists for our poultry products. 



