146 PROFITABLE POULTRY PRODUCTION 



taken to prevent overcrowding. The sooner the 

 flocks are made up, the better as a rule, because 

 they then get accustomed to their quarters and 

 there is less danger of upsetting them when they 

 begin to lay. 



None but mature pullets should be selected for 

 laying. All that are puny, undersized, lazy, weak 

 or otherwise undesirable, should be weeded out and 

 sold for the table. They will not pay their board. 

 Of course, this statement does not apply to late- 

 hatched pullets ; only those that are inferior to 

 other stock hatched at the same time. 



Only such hens as have proved their worthiness 

 in the previous season should be kept over for a 

 second or third winter. They usually make good 

 breeders and the breeding flock should be selected 

 from them rather than from pullets. Too often, 

 however, in the farm flock, the reverse practice is 

 followed, namely, of selling of? the hens that are 

 in best condition and using inferior ones for egg 

 production. This is suicidal to profit. It should 

 be reversed. 



It is just as important to feed well for eggs as it 

 is to breed well for them. As soon as cold weather 

 approaches, corn must be added more freely to the 

 ration than during the warm weather. Contrary 

 to popular opinion, hens that are molting should 

 be fed well. It does not pay to stint them. How- 

 ever, they should not get a ration too rich in nitrog- 

 enous matter, because they are not, as a rule, laying 

 and they do better when given a ration richer than 

 usual in carbonaceous ingredients. Even if this is 

 a fattening ration, it will do no harm. Ev this, it 

 is not meant that the nitrogenous matter should be 

 cut out of the ration altogether. Feather produc- 



