1922.] 



Profitable Egg Farming. 



401 



cockerels for mating up his breeding pens with which to 

 replenish his stock. 



The breed kept is in practically every case the White Leg- 

 horn, which so far has proved the most economical and best 

 suited for the particular object in this district. 



Everything is done to reduce labour to a minimum, and in 

 consequence the stock are housed in large buildings of the 

 snatching shed type, up to 600 birds being run in one flock. 

 In one or two cases even 1,000 or more birds are kept in one 

 flock, but the general rule on farms of the larger type is to run 

 the birds in units of 400 to 600. 



The pullets are housed apart from the hens and the latter 

 are mated only during the breeding season when fertile eggs 

 are required, it being preferable to produce infertile eggs for 

 consumption, besides which the cost of feeding unnecessary 

 male birds is saved. 



Certain conditions stand out as of major importance, one 

 being the necessity for a perfectly dry, light and well-ventilated 

 house, with plenty of scratching litter which must be kept dry. 

 Fowls under natural conditions lay chiefly in the spring and 

 summer, but by providing suitable houses with dry floors and 

 well protected from the weather, it has become possible to 

 obtain an abundance of eggs during the winter, from young 

 stock hatched at the right season. The land required, provid- 

 ing it is of a suitable nature, being fairly dry and well drained, 

 is not great. One acre on this system will be found sufficient 

 for 400 birds, but it must be so fenced that only one half is in 

 occupation at a time, whilst in the run which is " resting " a 

 kale or other suitable crop is grown to serve the double purpose 

 of cleaning the land and supplying green food for the stock. 



Incubation and Rearing. — Artificial incubation and rearing 

 are practised, and on many of the larger farms the Mammoth 

 Incubator, heated by means of an anthracite stove, is used. 

 These machines have proved entirely satisfactory and are a 

 great labour-saving device, especially when fitted, as practically 

 all modern machines are, with an egg turning arrangement, 

 whereby all the eggs in one side of the maehine can be turned 

 at once by simple movement of a handle outside the machine. 



Whilst the system of incubation is practically universal 

 various systems of brooding chickens are adopted. On some 

 farms a large brooder house is installed, heated by means of hot 

 water pipes running through a number of divisions, each of 

 which will accommodate up to 150 chickens. On other farms 



