Pullets Vs. Older Hens For Egg Production
Every now and then we hear some one advise, "Don't use anything but pullets for winter
layers ; if you want winter eggs, kill your old hens," etc., etc. How about it? I have
bred utility poultry for several years and until two years ago I followed much of this
advice. Mrs. S. had five or six Brown Leghorns given her by her father. Let's see; yes,
it was five or six years before and they were hens then. They were laying in the spring
and had laid all winter. Here was a pretty strong argument for hens vs. pullets and we
decided to keep them as long as they paid. So we began keeping "tab" on them the first of
May, 1908. I have a record of them every day for the twelve months to May 1, 1909. One of
the six died early in the winter or late fall, but their egg record for the year was
1136. This is the actual record, not of one or two best layers multiplied by the number
in the flock ; or of the flock for a short time in best season multiplied by rest of the
year. As one of the flock died in the fall, if we divide this record by 5 we will get the
actual record per hen for the year and we find it to be 215. Do you know, or have you
heard of a pullet or pullets that might, could, would or should average this in their
pullet year? If so, I should like to have name and address, and their age when they began
and how many they laid per day. These hens had only ordinary care, feed and housing, but
they had at least five months start of any pullet (I am setting three to four eggs per
day now from them) and the best pullet that ever laid would have to get going to overcome
five months handicap. Now as to winter eggs, I believe it is entirely possible for hens to
lay in winter, because these did and they were from two or three to five or more years
old.
The hen that lays the year round is the hen for the utility poultryman. Winter eggs, like
winter milk, cost more to produce than in summer, at least mine costs from twice to three
times as much, and the difference in price doesn't cover it. But, as I said before, the
hen needs to lay the year around. If she is a pullet we have her keeping for at least
five months before we get a cent, and taking the extra work, eggs for hatching, etc., I
believe a pullet costs as much the first year as any year afterwards. Besides, her eggs
are smaller and not so good for hatching as the older hens. Let's not put so much stress
on the pullet as the ideal layer. They are good winter layers, but we need more than that
for a good utility bird. We must have pullets before we can have hens, if we raise our
stock; but for breeders, and even for good egg machines I prefer yearlings, and I believe
most utility breeders do. If so, let's not advise those going into the business to sell
their hens, especially so long as they pay. I am writing this now because as soon as the
pullets come many neglect the hens to force the pullets, and later kill or sell the hens.
Try keeping your yearling hens this coming winter, and give them just as good care this
summer as you do your pullets. They will more than pay their way during the summer when
pullets do not, and next winter I think they will still keep ahead of your pullets.
MATING BROWN LEGHORNS I do not claim to know all there is about mating Brown
Leghorns, but I feel as if I can help out some breeders that are starting out breeding
them. I am somewhat like the fellow that was making a speech on live stock before an
audience composed mostly of farmers, when in the midst of his speech an old farmer arose
and said, "Well you think you are pretty smart and that will look all right on paper, but
I will bet you can't go into a pen of young calves and pick out the ones that will make
the best milkers." The young fellow replied at once that it was a very easy job to do
that : that it was the heifer calves. So I think I can pick out the best layers. In
mating Brown Leghorns I will start out with the pullet line, as most breeders are called
on for about six hens to one cook, and of course should be more interested in raising
good hens than good cocks. You can get a good description of the female in the Standard
of Perfection, but it is mum on what kind of a cock or cockerel to mate to this pullet;
also the same when it comes to what kind of a pullet to mate to the ideal cock. In
selecting the male to mate to the light colored or pullet-bred hens, select a cock that
has great vigor, good size, rather long back, yellow legs, red eyes, toes well spread,
tail full and well spread and carried well back at about an angle of 45 degrees; comb
well serrated, free of thumb marks or wrinkles, with five points to the comb, and a
little thin at the base, so that the combs of the hens will fall over to one side; breast
straight and carried well forward. Be sure and see that he has no disqualification.
The color is where we are all at sea as far as a guide is concerned, and we will have to
use our own judgment about it. I think the orange hackle and saddle is the ideal color
for the male, and the stripe in the saddle and hackle should extend nearly to the end of
the feather, and the black and orange should not intermix. Where the black extends to the
end of the feathers it will have the appearance of a cape around the neck and should be
cut severely in the show-room. The hens should be large, vigorous, and free of
disqualifications. They should have five serrations on the comb and it should fold over
to one side and not stand up straight or fold on both sides. Breast bones should be
straight; eyes, red ; legs and toes, yellow ; tail, long full, and well spread and
carried a little lower than the male, or at about 40 degrees. The ideal cock is described
in the Standard of Perfection, so I will only say a few words in regard to the cock.
Select one with vigor, shape and type true to the breed and see that he has no
disqualifications. In comparing the cockerel-bred cock with the pullet-bred cock you will
see that where the pullet-bred cock has orange the cockerel-bred cock should have a bright
cherry red. Also in the comb, the cockerel-bred cock should have a smaller comb and it
should be thicker at the base so as to stand straight up, having five deep serrations and
well rounded at the blade or rear, free of side sprigs and no serrations at the back of
the comb. The other sections should be about the same as the description of the
pullet-bred cock. In selecting the hens to go with the cockerel-bred cock use the ones
that are darker in color and that have good, straight breast bones, yellow legs and toes,
five point combs, and it is better if they stand up straight, as you get better combs in
the cockerels and the hens are not fit to show anyway. Select hens that have white ear
lobes, medium size combs and wattles, and that carry their tails well spread and rather
low. Select large hens, as you get better and larger cocks from large hens than from
small ones.
A medium size cock is best but get vigor and shape in the cock and size in the hens. In
conclusion I will say do not use any birds that have any disqualifications and none that
have ever been sick. Get the book on Leghorns to see how to mate them and get the
Standard of Perfection to see which ones to take to the show and you need not fear
competition in the show room. If you do not get these books you will be groping in the
dark and if you should happen to win in the show it will be an accident and very likely
you would not do so again. Have some aim in view when you mate up your birds in the
spring, and when you note results you will know how to remedy the matter next time. In
mating I will say in a general way to mate light colored cocks to light colored hens and
dark colored hens to dark colored cocks, as you will never get satisfactory results to
mate light and dark colored ones.
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