Poultry Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 February 1913, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

WHEN TO DISCARD THE HL«A The effect of retaining fowls I'or <"gg production after they have passed their second year is dealt with i" a Buttetin issued by the Maryland ((*>'.A.) Agricultural Experimental Station, and is givt,*n as one of tho causes which account for the low average veld of eggs in that State A flock of GO pullets selected from -i largei" flock of 2'50 White Leghorns was used for the experiment. .During the pullet year the (50 birds produced 10.280 eggs, or an average of 171.3 eggs per bird. fn the second year the same flock produced 8.943 eggs, or 149.0# eggs per bird. Tn the third year the number of eggs 7>roduced was 6.907. or 115.1 eggs per bird. Thus, while the decrease in the number of eggs per bird for the ,-,coond year was 22, tho decrease in the j third year, as compared with the first year, Mas 5(5.2 eggs per bird. I liis represents a considerable 'oss to tho fanner, and one object of the experiment was to bring this loss to his notice. The difference in production between the first and second year was "inch less marked, and it was not sufficient to justify the discarding of second-year birds, especially as such stock is well suited for breeding purposes.