PRACTICAL FEEDING OF POULTRY 



Agriculture, Leghorn pullets gave an average return over 

 feed costs of $2.72 for the first year; $2.18 for the second 

 year; and $1.94 in their third year. 



The value of eggs over feed costs in the general pur- 

 pose breeds is much less in the older hens than for the 

 Leghorns. The value of eggs over feed costs for the 

 first year being $2.86; for the second year, $1.25; and 

 for the third year, $0.39. The common practice on com- 

 mercial Leghorn farms is to replace from one-third to 

 one-half of the hens with pullets each year. The tendency 

 in recent years is to have a larger per cent of pullets in 

 the flock and some poultry farms only keep pullets for 

 egg production. 



Yearlings and older hens make better breeders than 

 pullets and the best of the hens should always be saved 

 for that purpose at least. The cost of raising the pullets 

 and the price secured for the stock which is sold must 

 also be considered. If sold for market, hens usually bring 

 the same price per pound regardless of their age and will 

 therefore bring just as much per pound when two or 

 three years old as at the end of their pullet year. Yearling 

 hens sold as breeders are in much better demand and will 

 bring considerably more money, than older hens. 



The best of the general purpose hens, while not nearly 

 as profitable producers as Leghorns in their second and 

 third years, should be kept for breeders and only a few 

 of the older hens kept for market eggs. It would ordi- 

 narily be a better policy to keep a larger per cent of 

 pullets in a flock of general purpose birds than in a flock 



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