WITH 4200 HENS 111 



of the time he got them and they made a flock average of 

 better than 170 eggs in their first year — which is rather 

 good for culls, especially since only one of the birds was 

 discarded. 



We take out none but the plainest sort of culls — birds 

 that are far undersized, scraggly, thin, draggy specimens. 

 Anyone can spot these. They are usually an eyesore in 

 the flock. Others that are lagging in developrhent we 

 segregate and keep to themselves for a few weeks, feed- 

 ing them as we feed the broiler cockerels. This will bring 

 them out if there is anything to bring out. If they do 

 not respond to it we get rid of them. We think this plan 

 is well worth following. 



These slower birds may not equal the high-laying 

 record; but if they pay their feed and as little as 50c 

 profit per bird we have made money by the transaction. 

 If they are constitutionally weak they will go down in 

 the first moult, if we do not cull them out meantime, so 

 they are no detriment to our breeding plans. It would 

 be an easy matter to band them if one wished to be 

 absolutely sure of their proving no detriment. 



The matter of culling will be discussed further in ,i 

 subsequent chapter devoted to that subject. 



Feeding and Handling the Cockerels 



As our cockerels for breeding are taken from the Jan- 

 uary hatches we do not force the January lots at the 

 start. They are continued on dry chick mash, with 

 sprouted oats fed at 9 to 10 a. m., and grain in the even- 

 ing. Green stuff is fed, of course, and a pan of shell and 

 grit is kept in each compartment of the yard. At 8 or 9 



