168 MY POULTRY DAY BY DAY 
but one must remember that the story was American. Sensible 
people will not look for birds that lay 330 eggs per annum—at 
least not for many a long year, though the science of breeding and 
trap-nesting is gradually raising the average to unheard-of heights. 
A flock average of 283 in Australia is already an accomplished fact, 
while it is certain that many of our general farmers and a few of 
our back-yard poultry-keepers do not get 100 eggs per annum from 
their birds. What one may call the progressive egg-farmer is not 
content with anything less than an average of 150 per bird per 
annum, and I fear that those whose sole ambition is to get big 
supplies of winter eggs will hardly reach this average. 
One must not allow oneself to be carried away altogether by 
the ery for winter eggs. It is imperative to remember that while 
it is manifestly desirable to get eggs when they are selling at top 
prices; it is also necessary to see that your supplies are not to give 
out when eggs fetch moderate prices, for it is certain that, however 
successful one may be in getting winter eggs, the supply ought to 
be greatly increased—doubled at least—in the natural laying 
months of February, March, April and May. Birds do not need 
any forcing to lay in the early spring, because Nature then 
imposes her demand, and the fowl responds cheerfully and 
- frequently. 
If one keeps heavy breeds only there is the difficult problem of 
broodiness to be faced. No matter what remedies be adopted, there 
are always birds that will defy every effort to get them back to the 
normal egg-laying condition. And there are fewer things more 
exasperating than a large proportion of broody hens. When your 
broody coops are full your egg baskets are usually empty, and the 
fact that you get some eggs during the three worst months of the 
year is little consolation for a dearth of eggs in the spring. For 
a continuous all-the-year-round supply of eggs there are few more 
successful methods than making one-third of your stock heavy 
breeds or first crosses, and the remaining two-thirds White Leg- 
horns. The latter are by no means bad winter layers, and they 
come along in the spring months with a perfect avalanche of 
snow-white eggs. 
