POULRTY FLOCK IMPROVEMENT 3 



General Managerial Practices 



Hatching Period 



A glance at Table 2 shows that the hatching period each year extended over a 

 period of several weeks. This permitted a more careful selection of eggs than would 

 have been possible with only one or two hatches, but made it more difficult to 

 compare early maturity in each generation. 



Rearing 



All birds used in this project were brooded in colony houses and grown on a 

 good grass range. The brooding and rearing units were reasonably small and the 

 grass was good throughout the season. Growing shelters were used for the over- 

 flow from the brooder houses. From the close of the brooding period, cracked 

 corn and mash were kept in open hoppers, accessible to the chicks at all times. 



Housing 



The adult birds were housed in pens 9 by 14 feet, with an opening 5 by 5 feet 

 for each pen. The houses, therefore, were far from being comfortable in the 

 coldest weather. During the breeding season, doors between pens were thrown 

 open allowing freedom of mating for both males and females. 



Feeding 



The birds were allowed to balance their own rations from hoppers containing 

 whole corn, whole oats, and mash. 



Elimination 



As this project does not entail trapnesting, the following methods were used 

 to eliminate from the flock undesirable specimens, those that would not be suit- 

 able for the reproduction of the flock. All pullets on the range were carefully 

 handled and only the choicest specimens were placed in the laying houses. In 

 most cases this included about 75 to 80 percent of the pullets raised. All small 

 or backward pullets and those which were not good representatives of the flock 

 were discarded. 



Maturity. — All birds were either toe punched or banded, and those not showing 

 evidence of laying or not being about ready to lay at 210 days of age were elim- 

 inated from the flock, as this was the only method whereby early maturity could 

 be determined and maintained. 



Body Weight. — For the first two years, each bird was weighed the first of each 

 month from October 1 to May 1 ; but the last two years it was felt that not very 

 much could be gained by continuing the weighing after the birds were mated. 

 All birds not weighing over 5H pounds or nearly 6 pounds at sexual maturity or 

 soon thereafter were eliminated from the flock. It is interesting to note that the 

 numbers eliminated under body weight and under maturity requirements were 

 about equal. 



The last two years nearly all birds that did not show a gradual gain in body 

 weight from the time they were housed until the breeding season, and especially 

 those that had lost one half pound or more during any month, were eliminated 

 from the flock. 



Cessation of Production. — Birds that stopped laying for any great length of 

 time for any cause whatever were not allowed to remain in the flock. 



