84 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Felch. I do not feel competent to answer that ques- 

 tion. I have seen it stated that a hen will not lay after it 

 gets to be four or five years old. But, two years ago, there 

 was a Light Brahma hen at the exhibition in Boston, that was 

 twelve years and three months old, and she laid three days 

 out of the week. I have had a Light Brahma in my yard this 

 year, — eight years old, — and she laid some forty odd eggs. 

 I believe, therefore, that hens will lay until they are pretty 

 old. I do not believe, as some do, that they will cease laying 

 at four or five years of age ; but, as a rule, birds, after they 

 are three years old, begin to fall off in the production of eggs. 



Question. Are not pullets the most economical kind to 

 keep for eggs ? 



Mr. Felch. The second year appears to be the year of 

 greatest profit. You may raise two chickens, — a pullet and 

 cockerel, — and the day they are twelve months old, the pullet 

 will have supported herself and the cockerel, and if sold at 

 the end of twelve months, that cockerel is net profit. You 

 may base your calculations of profits upon that, and you will 

 find it to be true. A Leghorn, when she commences to lay, 

 will lay, usually, until she moults, and, generally, will not 

 commence to lay again until the next spring. But you get 

 the start of a year, or longer, before it comes to that, if she 

 has good blood in her. 



Question. If you were only keeping a few hens for eggs, 

 what kind would you select? 



Mr. Felch. If I were keeping hens for eggs alone, I 

 should most certainly keep the Leghorn breed in preference 

 to any other. Keep the pullets up to the time of moulting, 

 and then sell them and replace them. 



Question. Have you had any experience in regard to the 

 laying qualities of the Hamburg? 



Mr. Felch. The Hamburg family will lay as many eggs, 

 probably, as the Leghorn. They are handsome birds ; and if 

 any one has an eye for beauty, and wants a few handsome 

 birds for eggs alone, I should recommend the Hamburg 

 family. They are a little tender in raising, but, like the 

 Black Spanish, they seem to become hardy afterwards. They 

 lay well. I have had Hamburgs that laid one hundred and 

 fifty-one eggs in six months. That is recorded in the report 



