POULTRY KEEPING 583 



fat. Roasters are roughly classed as "small roasters" and "largo 

 roasters." The greatest demand is for small roasters weighing 4 

 or 5 pounds each, though the demand for large roasters weighing 8 

 or 9 pounds each is steadily increasing. Yellow skin and yellow legs 

 are more generally demanded than a white skin and dark legs. 



If the chickens have been properly grown and are in good 

 healthy condition, about ten or twelve days' confinement in a pen 

 and small yard, with fattening feed, will put them in as good condi- 

 tion as is desirable. They should then be dressed and packed accord- 

 ing to market demands. The growing and marketing of roasters is 

 an important business in some parts of the country, especially in the 

 vicinity of large cities. Near Boston, in what is known as the "South 

 Shore" district, the production of roasters engages the attention of 

 many people, several of whom make it an exclusive business. A 

 poultryman living near a good market or having good shipping 

 facilities which bring a good market near him can often dispose 

 of his surplus cockerels as roasters to good advantage. (F. B. 287.) 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON EGG PRODUCTION. 



Flocks that laid best during the first two periods also laid best 

 in the last period. In other words the flocks that laid poorly in the 

 early winter, when they did begin to lay did not surpass those that 

 had been laying at least fairly well all the time. It is also shown that 

 it was the flocks that laid best in December and January from which 

 the greatest profit was secured. (Cornell B. 204.) Leghorn pullets 

 hatched in April gave better results than those hatched in late May. 

 The profit was about one and a half times greater from the April 

 hatched than from the May hatched. (Utah B. 51.) The egg pro- 

 duction of pullets was notably in excess of that of hens particularly 

 in the earlier periods when the price of eggs was highest . (Cornell 

 B. 212.) Forced pullets produced more eggs of a larger size, at less 

 cost per dozen than retarded pullets. (Cornell B. 249.) There is 

 nothing in the results that leads to the conclusion that it is necessary 

 or advisable to crack the corn fed to hens kept for laying eggs. (Me. 

 B. 114.) The average food cost of one dozen eggs for the year was 9.2 

 cents. (Cornell B. 211.) The average cost of feeding a hen for the 

 year was 99.6 cents. For laying hens the rations containing animal 

 food proved superior to others in which all the organic matter was 

 derived from vegetable sources. The vegetable food ration supple- 

 mented by bone ash proved equally efficient for limited periods. 

 (N. Y. State B. (Geneva).) The result of two year's experiment 

 with floored and unfloored houses shows that fowls remain in as 

 healthy condition, and lay as many or more eggs when kept in un- 

 floored houses, as they do when kept in houses provided with floors. 

 (West Va. B. 60.) Hopper-fed dry mash gave better results in 

 gain of weight, production of eggs, gain in weight of eggs, hatching 

 power of eggs, days lost in molting, mortality, health and profit per 

 hen, than wet mash. (Cornell B. 249.) Mature hens, which are fed 

 very sparingly for about two weeks and then receive a rich nitroge- 

 nous ration, molt more rapidly and with more uniformity, and 

 enter the cold weather of winter in better condition than similar 



