AUTUMN HATCHING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8360, 21 February 1913, Page 2

AUTUMN HATCHING

'..r AN-’AUSTRALIAN OPINION. Mr Charles _Leach,_ an Australian wKaTwh ipßSftA study of autumn - hatching, finds that one of ihe-'lmt^iiidoiamtsh-miatekeb made- In jßithhifig autmnh chickwis is using pullets ~ that—hare.. just . started . as breeders,- moatly because they will give ■rfopd : teffillty; while -old "bens- at this ■ Inser of. 1 the :yeat- ate heavy in moult. .Chickens from pullets, being weak, never m«Jie good growth,-..and-, this is. often-, put down .to . the: fact of their; being OUJt. of ■siuttSii- ■; The way Mr Leach .OTercoines -this.'diijßcul’iy ip.,. as fallows: —Early in January of, each .yesfThe - sheets a: two; or that, are in full; lay .sid show.’ no 'signs',.of:moulting. These birds are; put bn; torn gboyl grassJArd^;rese^ed;- 'fbj- - ; that. • piir-pbte/.-.antt t£e& ration: is .reduced to hhout'a; halfrhandfnl of wheat la day. Make’ them db without mash altogether. - This : has. .the .effectlof entirely stopping ’the egg *yield- after a few,-days, Bfif the ; -hirto ;boing;;vefy-hprigiy are scndibhiiig about‘in the grass all- day; whirh puts, them in—good -hard- condition. - They' ate kept going like this till the end of dtebruafy, ’ when’. a start U made, to’ bring ’them bn laying 'again, A: few - cockerels hatched the previous July or August are mated with the hens, as- old males are? useless'at that time of the year;- • - [ ’ V - Resume thb ; usual ratiohs. gradually, ats-if the full quantity ii-lgjiveh-Straight away?frtiJSt of the'hens .will go ' -into Bibp.lt;.: , In ab.but.'two .'.weete’, tinie they will 'start telay the eggs that the

scanty feeding has held back, and will continue to lay right through until about early in May. As the weather is cool at the time when the eggs are hatched out the chicks make very quick growth, and the cockerels can be marketed during the time of the year when they are scarcest. Mr Leach has got as high as 7s lid a pair for Leghorn cockerels eighteen weeks old, and 9s'6d for Plymouth Rocks.