50 POULTRY SECRETS REVEALED. 



Forcing means ruin. 



Precocity is abnormal. It is gained only at the expense of the 

 vital powers. 



If you are running an egg farm, and replenish your stock by buying 

 a new lot of pullets every year, you may slaughter the innocents — 

 forcing early maturity, forcing heavy laying, and sell the broken 

 down, played out birds the next summer, just before they begin to 

 moult. But you cannot breed successfully from such birds. 



The light, nervous Mediterranean breeds may be hatched in June 

 with excellent results. They should begin laying in December, and, 

 if properly housed and fed, will continue laying through the winter. 

 Winter layers in the American breeds must be got out earlier. The 

 first of May is late enough. 



Crowd your pullets for size. Get them "on the.r legs," large of 

 frame, big of bone. Give them muscle first, and nieat later. 



If the youngsters look "leggy" you may be sure that they are 

 doing well. 



The "gawky" pullet usually makes the biggest, healthiest, best 

 laying hen. 



Better retara laying than hurry it, except as noted. Unless running 

 an "egg farm" I would move the pullets from one pen to another, after 

 housing them in the fall, so that they would not lay too early. 



Let the young birds have free range as long as possible. If not 

 overcrowded they can be kept in colony houses until the middle of 

 October, and sometimes even later. 



