318 POULTRY CULTURE 



Breeding stock can be sold at a higher price than butcher stuff. 

 In order to build up a greater egg-laying strain trap nests are 

 resorted to, and those showing a high egg-laying record are 

 used to breed from. Male birds from these high-laying strains 

 should be used, as inheritance of high egg-producers is also 

 transmitted to the offspring by the male. 



An important factor in the success of winter egg production 

 is the manner in which the pullets are started out in the fall. 

 The young pullets that are expected to lay the high priced 

 eggs in the fall and winter should be properly housed in their 

 permanent winter quarters as soon after September 1st as 

 possible, and with the least possible excitement accompanying 

 this moving. New surroundings always occasion a setback 

 in pullets just entering the laying age. The set back is more 

 pronounced in the nervous, active breeds as the Leghorns than 

 the heavy sluggish breeds. Decker relates an experience in 

 which 60 White Plymouth Rock pullets were moved twice 

 after September 1st, the last time being on October 10th. 

 These puUets did not settle down to laying till after Christmas, 

 whereas others of the same age and breed that had not been 

 moved were laying regularly by November 1st. Some com- 

 mercial egg producers shut their pullets in the house all fall, 

 winter, and spring, force feed them for laying, and sell them 

 in the summer when the eggs are a low price, and again take on 

 a new lot of puUets raised that year. The youngsters are 

 raised on range, and when it is time to take them to their new 

 quarters they are fed gradually closer to their permanent 

 house, are finally enticed into the house where they soon begin 

 to feel at home, and roost at night. Finally when there is no 

 danger of disturbance from closing the doors, they are shut up 

 and there remain for the winter. 



It is very important that the young pullets receive an abun- 

 dance of green feed daily after they are confined in the laying 

 house. This green feed may be cabbage leaves, lettuce, 

 second growth clover chppings, sprouted oats, green corn 

 blades and stalks cut fine, sweet corn planted closely and stalks 

 thus grown cut finely in feed cutter. Lettuce may be planted 

 each week from as early in the spring as it will grow to as late 

 in the fall. In the South it may be grown all year round. 



