Page 21 - Poultry Review June 2008
P. 21

POULTRY REVIEW                              21

    those from the exhibition matings are,
                                          good qualities  of  their  ancestors  to a
    if any thing, larger but have not as yet
                                          much greater degree than those bred for
    commenced laying and we do not ex-
                                          exhibition, and that the  small  space
    pect they will before July ist to 15th.  system and  the  brooder  coop  will
      The one thing that has surprised us
                                          develop the pullets in the best possible
    most of  all  is the fact that al!  pullets  condition and in the shortest space  of
    from the utility mating commenc-d lay-
                                          time.
    ing within a week after the first com-
                                            The following is the egg record of six
    menced and there was only  three days
                                          of the pullets in the winter colony coop,
    difference in  the  starting time  of  all
                                          with  one cockerel, from June 14th to
    pullets from one mother, while those
                                          20th:  Sunday, 4; Tuesday, 5; Wednes-
    hatched from other matings sometimes
                                          day, 4; Thursday, 4; Friday,  5; Satur-
    vary a month or more in the length  of
                                          day,  5.  We expect an average of five
    time required before commencing to lay.
                                          eggs per day next week and w^ill be sur-
      The two hens above   referred to are
                                          prised if we do not get six eggs at least
    the  results of the  third generation  of
                                          two days during the week.
    selecting for utility, but were not used
                                            The average weight of the six pullets
    for breeders on account of the under-
                                          June 1st was four and one-half pounds.
    size of one and white in the ear-lobe of
                                          June 15th the average weight is five and
    the other where it should be red.
                                          one-half pounds  and we   expect two
      Several things are  learned from this
                                          pounds will yet be added to the weight
    experiment:  First, that to get the best
                                          of each  pullet.  The pullets from the
    utility birds we cannot  lay too much
    stress on show  points.  Second  that  smaller hen are one-half to one pound
                                          heavier than those  hatched from  the
    breeding  for great  egg production  for
                                          eggs of the heavy hen.
    several  generations  will  produce  the
                  Questions and Answers.
      Do you approve of hatching by incu-  of the success of raising winter chickens
    bator  all  the  year, or only during a  by our system,
                  —^J. R. H.
    certain period ?                                     +  *  *  *
                                            AV'hat is the difference between  the
      The locality, market conditions, etc.,
    liave much to do with the time  of the  term "cock" and "cockerel" ?-— J. R. H-
    year best adapted  for  hatching. We    .A cock is a bird hatched before Janu-
    expect to hach every week this year.  ary  J St and a cockerel  is hatched after
      It requires skill to raise good chickens  January ist.  The term cockerel is used
    during  July, August,  November  and  during the spring months to distinguish
    December.   The months best adapted   a bird two years old from those hatched
    to the work in  this locality are March,  the  previous  year, and  is often  used
    April,  May, September and October.   when the birds  are fifteen months old.
      We have fully as good success during  We consider a  bird a cock when one
    January and February; but  it  requires  year old.
    close attention and the very best  care.  We are now breeding from cockereb
    The fact that we now have many pul-   hatched in 1908 and if we were to write
    lets  laying, May 30th and  ,-5 1st,  that  an article on this work using the term
    were hatched January ist and 15th this  cockerel  nearly  every  reader  would
    year is pretty good evidence and proof  think the bird was hatched during 1907.'
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