Winter Egg Production. 



53i 



in March. April, and May. Pullets of good laying strains 

 commence to lay when from six to seven months old, and, as 

 already indicated, all birds should begin to lay in November. If 

 they begin earlier they will probably moult, which causes them to 

 cease laying until the following spring, whereas, if birds do not 

 start until November, they generally continue laying through 

 the winter. If, however, pullets be unduly forced and commence 

 laying before they reach maturity, they will always produce 

 small eggs. 



Depend mainly upon young birds, as these are the most 

 prolific. No hens should be kept for laying after they are 

 two and a half years old. To secure a succession of pullets 

 hatch a number sufficient to renew half the stock annually. 



A warm, well ventilated, weather-proof house is absolutely 

 essential. It should be placed in a sheltered position on 

 dry ground where the greatest amount of sunshine can be 

 obtained. Dampness is fatal to success. If hens are allowed to 

 run on cold wet ground, the number of eggs laid will be con- 

 siderably reduced. 



To obtain the best results, it is necessary that from November 

 to March shelter should be provided for the fowls on wet, cold, 

 and stormy days. This can be done most thoroughly by 

 adopting the scratching shed system, which requires the pro- 

 vision of a fairly large shed attached to the roosting house. 

 The shed is open in the front, which is covered up with wire 

 netting, and boarded up two feet from the bottom. Here the 

 hens are confined when the weather is unfavourable. Nothing- 

 causes them to stop laying more quickly than cold winds and 

 dampness. 



When the scratching shed system is adopted, everything 



possible should be done to induce the birds to scratch and keep 



themselves occupied all day long, otherwise the benefits of the 



system will be entirely lost. The shed should be littered to a 



good depth with short straw, which can be shaken up daily and 



the excrement removed from it. Some corn should be buried 



in the straw and the fowls made to search for every grain. A 



cabbage or turnip may be hung up for the fowls to peck at, 



This should be placed just within their reach, and will provide a 



certain amount of exercise and diversion. On fine days the 



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