tion although these poultry peoples who were using the 

 enclosed system, having been the least affected. This goes to 

 strengthen the argument of not allowing chickens outside 

 during cold, foggy, or rainy weather. Also this condition 

 manifesting itself at the end of a laying season found the 

 hen especially in a generally run down condition due to the 

 heavy strain attended upon the winter's heavy laying. This 

 is another argument as regards to judicial use of lights 

 being placed on the hens during the laying season. To guard 

 against a reoccurrence of this, one should strive to maintain 

 all the vitality and laying strength possible by keeping mites, 

 lice, and intestinal worms under control, everything thor- 

 oughly disinfected and by not using lights any longer than 

 to give the hen a fourteen hour day, thereby conserving her 

 strength to meet any such emergency. 



In throwing out early moulters, a great deal of care and 

 good judgment must be used. It is in a measure true that the 

 early moulters should be thrown out, but nevertheless there 

 are a great many early moulters that will stage a quick come 

 back so it is up to the person doing the culling to exercise 

 great care in culling, giving a good hen the benefit of the 

 doubt rather than throw her out. 



THROWING OUT THE MOULTERS 



It has been the practice heretofore by a great many poul- 

 trymen and demonstrators, to cull out the early moulter, 

 that is to say the hen that would moult or begin to moult 

 before September 1st. Many a good hen is sent to the 

 market that should have been kept in the flock as a good 

 producer on account of having been thrown out as an early 

 moulter. Especially the season of 1921 if one adhered 

 strictly to this rule there wouldn't be many layers left after 

 culling, on account of the cold wet spring that we had 

 throughout the West. Also the putting on of the lights has 

 a great deal to do in reducing the vitality of the hens and 

 when in a weakened condition, she is more apt to go into 

 the moult not only from this cause but from ill feeding, lice, 

 and mites. Give the honest-to-goodness hens a chance and 

 they will make good. Do not condemn them when they 

 start to slip and throw them out of the flock when you your- 

 self are to blame. If not you, then it is a cinch that the 

 weather conditions of 1921 were certainly against the 



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