124 Thoroughbred Poultry for fi'armers. 



point in favor of the Leghorns is that the surplus cock- 

 erels when killed as broilers and spring chickens make hand- 

 some carcasses that sell well in our markets. White eggs that 

 are absolutely fresh will average over 35 cents per dozen 

 during the year. They retail in New York city at from 40 to 

 75 cents per dozen, according to the season and the location of 

 the market. There is little difference in the laying capacities 

 of the different varieties of Leghorns, but for practical farm 

 use I would prefer the Whites. Another advantage is the 

 wonderful fertility of Leghorn eggs. They always hatch well, 

 and are especially adapted for hatching in incubators. 



Where eggs and meat are desired, I pin my faith on the 

 Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks. Both breeds are fine 

 winter layers, and if the eggs are carefully selected for hatch- 

 ing purposes, a strain of fowls will result that produce a fine 

 lot of uniformly brown eggs. I could always obtain as much 

 for brown eggs as for white, but my markets were the special 

 customers in the city who simply desired clean, fresh eggs. 

 The best way to handle these breeds is to sell the eggs from 

 September to March, when eggs are high in price. Begin in 

 the month of January to set eggs for early pullets. The latter 

 will commence laying in September in time to supply an active 

 market. I generally continue to set eggs up to May i, when 

 I sell off the surplus old hens, keeping only the finest ones for 

 breeding purposes the next winter. By using eggs from two- 

 year-old hens for hatching, better stock will result, as a rule. 

 The first lot of chicks will contain many cockerels that can be 

 profitably sold as broilers, but in all later hatched chickens, 

 the cockerels had best be allowed to reach four to six pounds 

 before they are sold, as the demand for such roasters is always 

 good, especially after August, but not later than November. 

 From November to January i, the general market is apt to 

 be flooded with poultry. 



In regard to handling thoroughbred fowls for laying, I 

 always pen them up, usually 20 to 25 in a pen, in a yard of 

 50x20 feet. More eggs can be obtained in this manner than if 



