FORCING HENS FOR EC<; PRODUCTION ":> 



FORCING HENS FOR EGG PRODUCTION. 



Nothing we have read more nearly coincides with our own views and 

 experience in forcing hens for great egg production than does the follow- 

 ing clipped from Commercial Poultry and written by Mr. W. B. German. 

 Read and study it, brother poultrymen. 



It has got to be quite a fad now to advertise eggs or stock that comes 

 from hens with a big egg record. Such advertisements are all right and 

 not misleading when such record is produced through natural means — 

 that is, not forced on highly stimulating feed beyond the natural capacity 

 of the hens for egg production, which means a deterioration of, not only 

 health and strength of the hen in question, but also of all subsequent 

 stock emanating from that source. I will admit that it is possible by 

 proper selection and mating to produce a strain of hens that will be great 

 layers and while this fact should be worked upon by all breeders yet great 

 care must be exercised or harm will be done by exhausting the vitality of 

 the hen and that of her offspring. To show how it will effect youngstock 

 where the parent stock is overworked I only need say that chicks 

 hatched from eggs laid by hens that have been forced to lay in season and 

 out, will be puny and weak and half of them will not live, and those that 

 do will not reach that state of perfection that would warrant using them 

 as breeders. We can see the magnitude of this mistake when we know 

 that this lost vitality, or weakness, is handed down from one brood to an- 

 other for several seasons. Indeed I doubt if it is ever wholly overcome, 

 so long as a trace of the former blood remains. While it is possible to 

 force a flock to great egg production at the present, yet if they are used 

 as breeders while under this strain or even afterwards, the work of breed- 

 ing up the flock will be lost and we will be heavy losers through lack 

 of health and vigor in our future flocks. There is a limit to all 

 things to go beyond which brings a reaction which is disastrous, 

 and I would not think of getting eggs for setting from any breeder if I 

 knew his hens had been fed for eggs through the winter, because eggs 

 were bringing a good price. It is contrary to nature for a hen to lay ex- 

 cept at certain seasons of the year, and while nature may be assisted and 

 improved upon and great changes brought about through this assistance, 

 yet there is a limit past which it is dangerous to go, without endangering 

 our future success. Hens used for layers may safely be forced for a large 

 egg production in a short period, but those used for breeders dare not be 

 without a corresponding loss of vitality, reaching into future broods, 

 thereby lowering chances for success. 



EGG PRODUCTION DURING MOLT- 



A portion of this article appeared in the Poultry Standard for Oct. 

 1902, contributed by the author of this book. The rest is protected by 

 copyright. F. O- W. 



The molting process is one that should receive more attention from 

 poultry raisers than is usual. This is a critical period with all birds and 



