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1 May, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 351 
EGGS FOR PROFIT. 
Poctory culture divides itself naturally under two heads—the rearing of fowls 
for table purposes, and the rearing and subsequent management of fowls kept 
solely for egg production. Some poultry-keepers combine the twoto a greater — 
or lesser extent, but in the present article I should like to consider the hens. 
kept for eggs alone—eggs not sold for sittings, but marketed for consumption, 
There is, indeed, another branch—the rearing of poultry for exhibition purposes, 
and the sale of eges for hatching from prize stock; but this the farmer, in 
spite of the profits that some people make out of it, should leave severely alone. 
We should start with pullets, and it is not advisable to have these too 
early hatched. Then we must consider whether it will be profitable to sell 
them or keep them longer than twelve months. If we are well satisfied with 
their laying, perhaps it is best to keep them another year; but cireumstances 
must decide. : 
The next question is, How many should we keep together? Iam dealing 
with birds in fairly large quantities—say, 100 or 200—and it is inadvisable 
to let more than 50 run together. Even then the yearly average will not be 
so high as from smaller pens. These 50, if in confinement, should haye 
from a quarter to half an acre of land. It may suit the owner, however, to 
give them entire liberty. This is really the best plan; they are less prone to 
disease; they can forage for themselves, and, by picking up a portion of their 
tood, lessen the corn bill. But, on the other hand, in this case there is 
the fear of not getting all the eggs. Hens are prone to steal a nest, as itis 
termed—laying in a hedge or behind a clump of bushes—and such nests are 
often hard to find. It is sometimes possible to effect a combination of restraint 
and liberty. Hens do little, if any, damage to arable land, except when the 
corn is quite young, and again when it is ripe, and if they are confined at such 
times they can be let loose when the corn is too tall to be damaged, and again 
when it has been carted. 
TWO HUNDRED HENS TO THE AORE. 
But if we keep 200 hens to an acre, we must remember that the land will 
not bear them so thick for long, and even cutting the grass and giving a 
dressing of lime is only a temporary measure. A time must come when the 
land becomes tainted, and before that period the birds must be removed. to 
fresh pasture. 
Land sheltered on one side by a belt of trees is a:great advantage, 
especially if they lie on the north or east, for, though poultry will thrive 
fairly well in exposed positions, they have first to become acclimatised. 
The question of feeding our stock is of considerable importance. Laying 
hens require liberal feeding. A hen in full lay will sometimes produce 4-lb. of 
eggs in a week, and this tax on her requires making up. Yet the difference in 
the amount eaten by a non-laying and a laying hen is really not great, and 
therefore we want as few unproductive fowls as possible. All must share 
alike, and have as much as they show keen appetite for. ‘To stint is very poor 
economy. ‘l’o make sure they have enough, the owner should occasionally 
handle the birds on the perch at night. The crop should feel full. Wheat 
especially swells inside the crop, and overfeeding on wheat should be avoided. 
Maize may be givenif we are not setting the eggs and the birds are not pure 
Asiatics. For birds with entire liberty and of an active disposition, such as 
Leghorns or Minoreas,.it is quite harmless. The danger in maize-feeding is in 
its use for well-fed breeding stock kept in confined runs. 
THE MORNING RATION } 
should be meal, and this goes further if mixed with boiling water, which 
partially cooks it, and renders it more palatable. In cold weather it should be 
mixed with broth made from boiling bones or butcher’s rough meat. 
The birds, once established in their houses, are very little trouble. Two — 
visits to feed, two to collect eggs, is all the daily attention they need. A 
weekly cleansing of the house must not be forgotten, and a coat of whitewash 
