GETTING AN EARLY START 



The mother hen shines as a brooder, although she may not be broody when needed. A hen 

 can brood niore chickens than she can hatch; so hens as brooders may supplement the 

 incubator. The usual number of eggs in a sitting is fifteen; this hen is brooding twenty- 

 one chicks. Photograph from Bureau of Animal Industry. (Fig. 17.) 



meet the scarcity caused by the molting 

 of the hens, we should time the hatching 

 so that the pullets begin laying when 

 the hens begin molting. To be on the 

 safe side, the poultry experts advise 

 spreading the hatching over two months 

 so that pullets of different ages are 

 coming on and the eggs are not "all in 

 one basket." 



DEVELOP THE PULLETS 



The second rule is "Develop the 

 pullets properly." Here we are in 

 rather more danger of overdoing than 

 of underdoing. Of course, pullets to 

 do well as fall and winter layers must 

 be vigorous, thrifty and well developed. 

 The temptation of the amateur is 

 therefore to feed too well and his pullets 



"begin too strong," start laying with a 

 rush, molt, and begin a heartbreaking 

 imitation of their elders. Considerable 

 skill is required in handling this matter. 

 Rules cannot be laid down which can 

 be followed implicitly. The beginner 

 must learn as much as he can from the 

 experience of others and a study of his 

 own flock, so that the mistakes of one 

 year may be turned to advantage later. 



GOOD HOUSING IMPORTANT 



The third rule is "Furnish good 

 quarters for the following winter; feed 

 liberally when laying begins." After 

 the piillets have begun to lay the 

 management of the flock has much to 

 do with a steady, continuous supply of 

 eggs. Exposure to cold and storms 



135 



