MANAGEMENT OF THE BREEDING STOCK 



that the poults hatched from such eggs are somewhat 

 superior to those hatched from eggs laid by pullets. 

 Early hatched pullets will as a rule start laying earlier 

 in the spring and will lay more eggs than yearling or 

 older hens. Late hatched pullets should never be saved 

 for breeders. Not only do they fail to attain as good size 

 as the earlier hatched birds but the stock produced from 

 them is not as satisfactory. As in the case of early hatched 

 pullets, so early hatched well matured cockerels or young 

 toms can be used for breeding if they show that they are 

 good vigorous individuals. 



Late hatched toms, that is July or August hatched, 

 while they should not be used for breeding the first year 

 will often make good breeders the second year and can be 

 retained if desired for that purpose. These late hatched 

 toms seldom if ever attain as good a size as early hatched 

 males. While some breeders claim that they get no bad 

 results from breeding together well matured cockerels 

 and well matured pullets, most breeders prefer to mate 

 pullets with yearling or two-year-old toms and to mate 

 cockerels with yearling or older hens. In no case should 

 slow growing birds of either sex be saved for breeders. 

 A plan which is often followed by turkey breeders and 

 which works out to good advantage is to use about half 

 yearling hens and half early hatched pullets. Old hens 

 are not apt to be as satisfactory breeders as well matured 

 pullets or yearling hens. As a rule these older birds 

 are inclined to be too fat and for this reason to lay 

 fewer eggs, eggs which are less fertile and a consider- 



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