LECTURE XCIV. 



MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION. 



The production of summer eggs is not a difficult matter at 

 all. Nearly every farmer with his ordinary scrub flock will 

 always have some eggs to carry to market. There are so many 

 producing eggs at this season of the year that the supply is 

 large and the price naturally falls until there is very little 

 margin left for the producer. 



During the last winter we have seen eggs 50 and GO cents 

 per dozen, and in many of the eastern cities the price reached 

 even a higher limit, going in some cases to 75 cents. This 

 is, of course, very hard on the consumer, but the seller reaps 

 a handsome profit. During the past winter there was a great 

 scarcity, due probably in part to a reduced number of laying 

 pullets on account of cold, wet seasons of 1903 and 1902, when 

 young chicks could not be successfully reared. The excep- 

 tionally high prices of the winter of 1904 can be accounted 

 for in part, but taking one year with another the winter egg 

 is the one that yields the large profit to the producer, and it 

 will continue to do so for sometime, at least, until a very 

 much larger number of men have learned how to breed and 

 feed for winter eggs. 



There are three or four essentials to success in this busi- 

 ness. In the first place, we must have the right breed. Some 

 breeds are naturally summer layers. These are the Leghorns, 

 Andalusians, Minorcas, all of which may with care have cer- 

 tain strains bred for winter laying. The American breeds, 

 Rocks, Wyandottes and the English Orpingtons, are better 

 winter layers. In choosing a breed for winter layers it is 

 better to select one from the last three named. But it must 

 be kept in mind that more depends upon the strain than upon 

 the breed. There are good and poor laying strains in every 

 breed. The laying character depends upon the breeding and 

 training rather than upon the breed. 



Young pullets are usually the best winter layers. These are 

 obtained by having chickens hatched along the middle of 



