BREEDING STOCK 85 
of his stock for breeding purposes. The 
question then arises whether he should use 
pullets as breeding stock. 
Until recently it has been the consensus of 
opinion that a man should not use pullets 
as breeding stock under any consideration. 
This belief probably was due to the fact that 
formerly men hatched their chickens con- 
siderably later in the season than now 
(formerly, say, in the latter part of April, 
May, orin June). Such pullets probably did 
not reach maturity until the latter part of 
November or early in December. Under 
these conditions the birds would be alto- 
gether too immature to use the same season 
as breeding stock. 
Pullets Satisfactory. To-day the mod- 
ern commercial poultryman hatches chicks in 
February and March and has his pullets lay- 
ing in July and August. Thus, conditions 
have changed. Under these modern circum- 
stances the judgment of the author is 
that pullets may be and should be used as 
breeders. 
This conclusion has been reached after 
several years of successful use of pullets as 
