925 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
THE HENYARD 
A Few Poultry Questions 
Can you inform me of the annual per¬ 
centage of mortality of hens and com¬ 
mercial poultry farms where hens are 
forced for egg production? 
When Leghorn pullets are hatched 
March 1 can they be used the next Janu¬ 
ary as breeders? 
When Leghorn pullets are hatched May 
1 are they liable to molt the next Spring 
the latter part of April? I have a pen 
of Leghorn pullets that are losing feath¬ 
ers on their necks. j. s. 
In well-cared-for flocks that escape 
much trouble from weak oviducts the loss 
should not reach 5 per cent, but that fig¬ 
ure is low for most commercial flocks. I 
think somewhere between 5 and 10 per 
cent would be nearer right generally, but 
with much trouble from weak oviducts it 
could easily run higher. The foregoing 
supposes that contagious diseases are not 
present; of course their ravages, while 
rarely in well-cared-for flocks, may be 
very severe. 
Concerning Leghorn pullets hatched in 
March as breeders the next January, Leg¬ 
horn pullets hatched in early March or¬ 
dinarily lay in July; if given good care 
they should continue laying into the Fall 
and then would molt; when they have 
finished the molt and start laying again I 
consider that they are good breeding 
stock. This molt is the important thing; 
the rest that a hen gets during it seems 
to give her chicks a vitality that is likely 
not to be present if eggs from pullets that 
have been laying steadily are incubated. 
Very often March-hatched pullets will be 
molting in January, hence will lay no 
eggs; if they have finished their molt 
their January eggs should be good for 
batching. 
Concerning May 1 hatched pullets molt¬ 
ing the following April, they should not 
molt in April if they have care and feed¬ 
ing that is at all regular. Unseasonal 
molting is more often than not the result 
of lapses in the regularity of the atten¬ 
tion that hens need. Early-hatched pul¬ 
lets that start to lay in early September 
or before are likely to molt in spite of 
good care. fraxcis f. Lincoln. 
Connecticut. 
Taking one year with another, I would 
say 10 per cent is a fair loss to expect on 
a commercial plant where the hens are 
forced for eggs. My own experience is 
much less than that, being nearer 5 per 
cent. Most of this loss comes in the Fall 
and early Winter, showing the severe 
strain on a hen’s vitality the long season 
of heavy production has been. As to us¬ 
ing early-hatched pullets for breeders, I 
think it would depend on whether they 
molted and took a good rest in December 
and January. One of the reasons for not 
using pullets for breeding is the fact of 
long-continued laying before the eggs are 
wanted for hatching, the bird’s vitality is 
so low that it is hard to rear the chicks 
after hatching them ; besides, you have no 
chance to cull the poorer layers out, and 
can only select your breeders from the 
early-laying pullets. So while March 
pullets can be used for breeders it is not 
the best policy to use them if one is try¬ 
ing to build up a fine strain of layers. 
No, May-hatched birds should not molt 
before the second Fall, but feeding and 
care has so much to do with molting that 
no one can tell absolutely what a pen 
will or will not do. I frequently have 
had pullets make a partial molt, losing 
some feathers from their necks, and check¬ 
ing their production considerably, but 
they were always early-hatched birds, and 
the molt was always in November or De¬ 
cember. FLOYD Q. WHITE. 
New York. 
From my own experience the annual 
percentage of loss in mature fowls on 
commercial poultry plants is from 8 to 10 
per cent. In the case of Leghorns the big¬ 
gest losses I have experienced are from 
heavy egg production, causing inversion 
of the oviduct, which almost always re¬ 
sults in the death of the bird so afflicted. 
With good care and feeding the losses 
with mature fowls from the common dis¬ 
eases can be kept very low. 
As to using March-hatched pullets to 
furnish eggs for hatching purposes the 
next January. I would strongly advise 
against it. In general, pullets’ eggs 
should not be used for hatching at all. 
The heavy egg production of the first 
year reduces the vitality and vigor of the 
chicks. Early-hatched pullets will pro¬ 
duce fairly strong chicks, if over a year 
old. when- bred to strong two-year-old 
cock birds. In general, commercial poul¬ 
try plants hatch entirely from two-year- 
old hens bred to vigorous cockerels. I 
would say that it is rather rare to have 
pullets hatched in early May molt the 
next April. Sometimes a sudden change 
in feed will cause fowls to start molting 
out of season. Regularity in feeding 
should keep up a fairly even egg produc¬ 
tion from Leghorns until the latter part 
of the Summer. c. S. phelps. 
New York. 
We figure the loss at about 3 per cent. 
I would not want to use such Leghorns 
for breeders before a year old. I think 
loss of neck feathers is feather-pulling 
inst ead of molting. WESLEY GRIN NELL. 
New York. 
We have had as low as 10 per cent and 
as high as 15 per cent. Pullets hatched in 
M arch might be used one season if one 
had no older hens to use as breeders. 
Rut the continued use of pullets each 
year will lower the vitality of the stock. 
We prefer to use two or three-year-old 
hens. We have not found that pullets 
hatched May 1 molt the next Spring in 
April. They will lay as late as any un¬ 
less cull pullets. FAITOUTE BROS. 
New Jersey. 
Leg Weakness 
I have hatched some chicks in the in¬ 
cubator. They are two and , six 
weeks old. I keep them in a warm 
chicken house, heating with a coal-burn¬ 
ing brooder. The house has a wooden 
floor. Every now and then they get 
cramps in their legs, toes and head. They 
do not eat, and finally die. What can I 
do with this? s. L. S. 
Ohio. 
Do not keep these chicks in a warm 
brooder house and upon a wood floor. 
Give them an outdoor run, preferably 
upon grass, as soon as possible after 
hatching. They should have warm quar¬ 
ters to which to return whenever they 
wish, but should have opportunity to get 
their feet upon the ground very early in 
life. . M. b. D. 
Curing the Chicken Cannibals 
If F. E. D., page 833, will hang a piece 
of meat in his pen so that the chicks 
that are eating each other can pick at it, 
he will find it will stop the cannibalism 
by giving exercise and satisfying that 
craving for blood. We used to dread this 
each Spring, but do not worry over it 
now. This year I only had to use the 
head of a fowl killed for the table. I 
skinned it and hung it neck down in a 
pen where I observed a picked toe, and we 
only had three chicks picked so far this 
year. Professor Rice told me of this 
some years ago, and I have never known 
it to fail, although some years they are 
much worse than others, and need care¬ 
ful watching to get the meat hung at the 
first sign of blood. F. Q. WHITE. 
New York. 
Referring to your request on page 833 
for ways of preventing cannibalism 
among chicks. I will contribute my bit. 
When the chicks must be confined to the 
brooder house, I darken it and admit light 
only at feeding time. It is necessary to 
make the house extremely dark. All win¬ 
dows, ventilators and cracks should be 
covered with some opaque material like 
tar paper. The most dangerous time seems 
to be around noon, when the sun is shin¬ 
ing its brightest, and it is at this time 
that the house should be darkened more 
than at any other. I usually use this sys¬ 
tem with the baby chicks until they can 
get outside, whether there i; any canni¬ 
balism among the flock or not.' As a 
great many cases of cannibalism originate 
in injuries to the toes and other parts, 
all cracks, etc., in which the chicks might 
get their toenails caught should be elimi¬ 
nated. Any kind of wire netting used in 
the brooder house should be covered with 
cloth or burlap. The underlying cause of 
this trouble seems to be nervousness, and 
the chicks should be kept as quiet as 
possible when in the house. 
Maryland. Joseph phipps. 
Clipping Wings of Chicks 
I never thought it would make any 
material difference in the growth or de¬ 
velopment of a chick to clip its wings. I 
do think a chick with droopy wings looks 
better to clip the wing feathers, and the 
appearance of a flock sometimes goes a 
long way towards better care. If the 
wing feathers are pulled out. as some do, 
I can see how it might m«i-e some very 
small difference, for nature at once begins 
to repair the loss by growing new feath¬ 
ers and thus nourishment taken for the 
new feathers which should be better used 
to strengthen the body, for the body is 
already too low in vitality or the wings 
would not droop. There is something 
wrong with the breeding stock, incuba¬ 
tion, or brooding and rearing of the babies 
to have drooping wings. I sometimes 
think we are wandering too far from na¬ 
ture in our mad rush for the 200 and 300- 
egg hen; we seem to forget that it has 
taken centuries to get even the 100-egg 
hen from the wild jungle fowl. Yet some 
of us seem to think that we have found 
the secret and know the trick'of produc¬ 
ing the 300-egg hen in one or two short 
years, but unless the secret is practiced 
by a master hand we soon find our chicks 
with droopy wings and low vitality. The 
best guide I can give for droopy wings is 
to get back nearer to nature and give a 
motherly broody hen a few eggs at the 
same time you start the incubator. Then 
follow closely every detail with the incu¬ 
bator, even mark the eggs and turn them 
when the hen turns, cool as the hen cools, 
put a thermometer under the hen and 
run the incubator with the same invari¬ 
able heat, and after the eggs hatch give 
the hen some of both the incubator and 
her own chicks, and then follow even 
pore closely the hen in brooding and rear¬ 
ing. Then if both lots have droopy wings, 
look to the breeders. i.. E. s. 
New Jersey. 
Bertie : “What’s that bell around the 
cow’s neck for?“ “Charlie: “Oh, that’s 
what she rings when she wants to tell the 
calf that dinner’s ready.”—Melbourne 
Australasian. 
“Any social distinctions in your town?” 
“Oh, yes. The laboring classes will have 
nothing to do with the rest of the popu¬ 
lation.—Judge. 
SPECIAL JUNE SALE S.C. WHITE LEGHORNS 
Prepaid by Parcel Post at Cut Prices 
Ready for Shipment June 2nd, 4th and 9th 
S. C. White Leghorns 
Barred Plymouth Rocks .... 
Rhode Island Reds ...... 
White Plymouth Rocks .... 
25 Chicks 
50 Chicks 
100 Chicks 
$4.00 
$7.00 
$13.00 
5.50 
10.00 
20.00 
5.50 
10.00 , 
20.00 
6.75 
13.00 
25.00 
lOOO Chicks 
$ 120.00 
Terms Cash with order. Can not ship C. O. D., but will guarantee to deliver the chicks in first-class 
condition. If any are dead upon arrival will refund your money or replace them free of charge. 
These chicks are from healthy, vigorous, Pnre-bred stock, the kind that will produce eggs and plenty of them 
To be sure of getting Kerr s Top Notch Quality Chicks order now. Send for FREE Catalog No. 4. 
Pnyoo WanloH 10 °- Rbds and Greys. 
rules nameu ROSS. BROWN, McFall, Alabama 
• 
• • 
RABBITS 
•** 1 
The Delaware Valley Rabbit Farm 
Breeders of High-Grade 
Rufus Reds and New Zealands 
From Prize-Winning Registered Parents. 
Every Sale Guaranteed to Please or Money 
Back. Get our June Lists. 
Address THEO. S. MOORE 
STOCKTON, N. J. 
IT PAYS TO RAISE 
RufusRed Belgian Hares 
If you are careful from whom you buy your Foundation 
Stock of any breed, out of six entries in Boston Jan. 15, 
1919 I won three. Muncie, Indiana, Feb., 1919, two prize 
winners. First Sr. and First Jr. Buck. 
Owner of Sheabarado, Registry No. 4655 
Who beat a English Prize Winning Buck, receiving First 
Prize at Syracuse, N. Y. State Fair, Sept. 1918. 
Only Pedigreed Registered Stock . Prices Reasonable. 
JOSEPH BLANK, 428 Highland Ave., MOUNT VERNON, N. V. 
Rahhitc Fnr SkIa flemish, new zea. 
naDDIlS ror udlfl LANDS and BELGIANS. 
Pedigreed and utility. Please send stamp for reply. 
FINKE’S RABBIT FARM, Ravens, N. Y. 
r lIRTY DAYS’ OiFFF.R, RUFUS RED BEL¬ 
GIAN HAKES. Registered Parents. *6 Trio. Two 
and three mos. old. ALBERT NKKF, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 
POULTRY 
Bob White, Hungarian Partridges 
Wild Turkeys, Pheasants, Quail, Rabbits, Deer, etc. 
for stocking purposes. 
Fancy Pheasants. Peafowl, Cranes, Storks. Swans, 
Ornamental Ducks and Geese, Bears, Foxes. Rac¬ 
coon. Squirrels, and all kinds of birds and animals. 
WM. J. MACKENSEN, Naturalist. Dept. 10. Yardley. Pa 
Buck’s Barred Rocks 
still lead the 40 pens in the American class at Vine- 
land International Kgg Laying and Breeding contest 
at the end of the 120th week. Won sj>ecial premium 
given by N. J. State Dept, of Agriculture on old male 
for best utility bird in American class at New Jersey 
State Championship Show held at Trenton, January. 
1919. Eggs from old birds selected for heavy egg 
production mated to 272 and 278-egg cockerels, *4 
for 15; *20 per 100. Eggs from yearlings, same 
strain, *3 for 15; *15 100. Nothing sold but what 
we raise on our own farm. No baby chicks. 
GARRET W. BUCK. - Colts Neck. N. J. 
400 Layers-800 Chicks 
CROPS-MACHINERY-INCLUDED 
35-acres chestnut-loam soil. 2 springs. 250 grafted 
fruit trees. Buildings. 600 head poultry. 7-room 
dweHing. Bank barn. etc. $4,500 ready to operate. 
Detailed information with catalogue offerings 3 
counties surrounding Philadelphia. 200 offerings 
thr u FRANK T. R EESE, B East Airy Street, Norristown. Pa. 
REDCUTION SALE 
Regai-Dorcss White Wyandottes 
to make room for my growing chicks I am offering 
10 good females and male for 830. 
H. W, BUNK _-_ Germanto wn, New York 
UJ11 1TE 1V1 ANDOTTES—“Regal*.” Bred to Lay. 
Mahogany REDS 
Colored Rhode Island Reds. Breeders selected many 
years for their persistent Fall and Winter lay¬ 
ing. EGGS. $2 50 for 15: $7 for 50: S12 for 100. Write 
for circular. C. QUflCKENBU SH. Box 800. Darien, Conn. 
S. c. R. I. R EDS 
Vibert 231 to 251-egg strain. Eggs, *8 per 100; Baby 
chicas. *25 per 100. 4 hens mid 1 cock, * 15 . 
ANNA M. JONES . CRARYVILLE, NEW YORK 
rt-1. R e d s;s 
father knows them ’ for their meat and eerar production 
Lggs, -S-i.SO per 15. FRANK del CANTO, Stonehouse, N. 
Single Comb REDS 
per 15; S7.50 per 100. Special pen. 260-egg pedigree c ck 
82.50 per 15. L. ARTHUR SHE LDON, Rout. 7, 0«We C o, N.tI 
Rose Comb Brown Legjiorns, Rhode Island Reds 
T Ari v ff W y a, “*V tt es. Eggs. 82-15. 
hLUiN cAbt - UrOWN POINT, NEW YORK 
Hatchimr J Free farm Bange Birds. Hocks, Rede, 
lldlblllllg Wyandottes. Leghorns, Hamhurgs, At.co¬ 
il as. Brahmas, etc. Guinea Pigs and Belgian-H area- 
Catalog Free. - H.‘t S0UDER, Box 29, SeMt r ,vJI«. P. 
BARRON’S WHITE WYANDOTTES £^ h *i ( ng 
Pullets for sale from stock imported direct with 
records. E. E* LEW IS, A pala chin, New York 
For Sale—S. C. W. LEGHOR\Oak Hill Strain 
Winners in the North American International Eg*r 
Laying Competition, 1918. Barron Contest Winners 
for foundation stock. Eggs. Baby Chicks, Cockerels, 
1 ullets. Write your wants. Circular free. Weshipto 
anv part of the world. OAK HILL ESTATE, Uniontown Pa 
PARKS WINTER LAYING 
BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS 
Won at Storrs. Northern American, 
Canadian and Missouri Laying Con¬ 
tests. Made the remarkable winter 
contest record of 134 eggs (5 birds) 
in Jan. Over 22 lbs. of favorable 
reports from customers. Gen ’1 Cir. 
FREE. Most instructive catalog so 
far printed 25c. it Is returnable. 
1. W. PARKS. Box Y ALTOONA. PA. 
Barred JrLOCl5.S 
Laying Hens for Sale. 
A. C. JONES, Marvel Homestead Farm, Georgetown, Delaware 
Frnnpilic Unplrc Hatching eggs. Also few 
F 1 (llltdla K.UCIL3 liens of high record 
breeders at reduce price. 8 to 10-wke. coekerels from ped- 
igreed pells. JUKES F. FRA.NC.4lS, We*t Hampton Beach, N.Y. 
Beautiful Single Comb Sheppard ANCONAS 
.. bred to lay, from prize-winning birds. 15 eggs. 82. 
UAl’Lfc Slum; FARM, Ed. Hollenbeck, BIlEESPOltT, X. T. 
Mottled Anconas 
Sicilian BUTTERCUPS 
Hatching Eggs from unexcelled Layers and Beautvs 
$3 per 15. OAKDALE FARMS, Port Jefferson Station, N. Y. 
CHICKS AND HATCHING EGGS 
?;£■ '',hi|e Leghorns, R.I.Reds, Barred Rocks. 3000Chicks. 
<■!»-' Eggs, weekly. Circular: «, B . HAIL, Wallingford. Coon 
Rahv fihielfe lQ.OOOeach weak; 20 varieties*utility and 
uau) Ulllbus e xh l bi t i o n stock; list free; Toulouse 
LPt-SB, Stamps appreciated. SPEHCER HATCHERY, Spoocor Ohio 
Giant Bronze Turkey Eggs ® 1U 
R. O. Red and B. P R. Eggs. S3 per 15. Shropshire 
^.heep. H.J. \ AN DYKE, Gettysburg, Peon. 
5 
per 10 
e 
“ PERFECTION ” BAItRED ROOKS iRlnglet.0 
Pens carefully mated and guaranteed to produce hirdsof 
showroom quality; *6 per setting-, three settings for $12. 
From thoroughbred utility stock ;** per setting;:! nettings 
for $S. Parcel post paid. Dr. GEO. T. HATMAN, Doyleilovn, Po. 
tin i, n 1 Fishel strain. Eggs. $9 per 100. 
WhltP It Al*k C *2 per 15. Chicks. $20 per 100. 
II HUG IWV/I13 A. 6. SCOFIELD, Groen Hoven. X.Y. 
WHITEROCKS Only 
Pens headed by pedigreed males. Eggs, $2 and $3 
per fifteen. Baby chicks. 25 cents. 
THEO. POOLE, Oept. R, Jamesville, N. Y. 
BUFF ROCKS-Eggs. FIELD, Somers, Conk. 
«t ■ * Prompt shipments by parcel post prepaid 
IftlIPKS ant * sRf* delivery guaranteed. S. V. White 
Vlllvnil and Brown Leghorns and Barred P. Rocks. 
Catalog Free, the; CTOLONE HATCHERY. Milleroown, Pa. 
June Sale of PULLETS 
Leghorn Pullets, bred and raised right for egg pro¬ 
duction; 3 to 4 mos. old; $2 each for June delivery. Every 
pullet guaranteed. COLUMBIA POULTRY FARM. Tonu River. N. j. 
Light Brahmas Only 
100— *9. HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN FARM, NORFOLK, CONN- 
Standard Fruit Books 
American Fruit Culturist. Thomas_2.50 
Citrus Fruits. Hume. 2.60 
California Fruits. Wickson. 3.00 
Plums and Plum Culture. Waugh. 1.60 
Fruit Ranching in British Columbia. 
Bealby . 1.50 
Farm and Garden Rule Book . 2.00 
Live Stock — Poultry 
Types and Breeds of Farm Animals. 
Plumb .$2.00 
Poultry Feeding and Management. 
Dryden . 1.60 
Swine in America. Coburn... 2.60 
Diseases of Animals. Mayo. 1.75 
Principles of Breeding. Davenport.... 3.00 
FOR SALE BY 
Rural New-Yorker, 333 W. 30th St., New York 
