1920.] 



Winter Egg Production. 



618 



thing in the morning and last thing at night gives excellent 

 results. The quantity should be j oz. per bird in the morning 

 and 1J oz. per bird at night. A suitable mixture would be 

 wheat, oats and kibbled maize in the proportion of 2 : 2 : 1. Soft 

 feed should be given at mid-day. to include plenty of vegetables, 

 cooked or raw ; bran 1 part ; fish meal 2 parts : crushed oats 4 

 parts; and sharps S parts. Soft food should be mixed the* 

 previous evening. Grit and shell should be continuously before 

 all birds: the average consumption by a bird in full lay is &J- lb. 

 per annum. 



Surplus Cockerels. — The aim with surplus cockerels should 

 be to get the birds as heavy as possible, although unless a 

 ' 1 killing ' ' trade exists it is questionable whether they will repay 

 much trouble and expense. As soon as they reach a marketable 

 size they should be penned and fed for three weeks with a view 

 to putting on flesh. Equal quantities of crushed oats, barley 

 meal and cooked potatoes may be fed. mixed with sour skimmed 

 milk. This represents a cheap mixture to finish oft the birds 

 where no special fattening facilities exist. 



A small quantity of greaves, up to | oz. per bird, may be 

 gradually introduced into the mixture. 



The cockerels should be starved for 24 hours after penning, 

 and sold at the end of three weeks, as after that time the birds 

 rapidly lose condition. 



Hatching operations have at this time of the year for the 

 most part ceased, and the young stock reached a stage 

 Winter E requiring less frequent attention. The 



PrTdrction° detection of the sexes among the March and 

 April hatched chickens that will provide the 

 pullets for the production of eggs during the winter month- is 

 by now within the powers of any novice, and the numbers for 

 which provision has to be made can be easily ascertained. Avery 

 important point to remember is that no more birds than can be 

 properly accommodated should be retained. It is far more 

 economical to sell off some of the pullets than to overcrowd the 

 houses or pens. Surplus pullets command a ready sale at good 

 prices, and if reared in adequate space will improve greatly in 

 quality. 



Except for small flocks enjoying a good range and a sheltered 

 position, the birds should have a covered shelter in addition to 

 the roost house. The extra expense entailed is well repaid, pro- 



