EGG PRODUCTION IN WINTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4314, 13 June 1885, Page 2

EGG PRODUCTION IN WINTER

W. H. Rudd, of Scituate, Mass., in a communication to the " Poultry World," gives the details of experiments undertaken by him to ascertain the utmost that could be realised in egg production in winter, when eggs command the highest price. He selected twenty pullets, which he placed in a poultry house 6ft x 14ft, with 6ft posts. The house faced south, on which side were three windows, each, twelve lights of Bin x 12in glass, with two eight-light windows of the same sized glass in th,© east end,, Thorough drainage was provided by excavating to the depth of four feet and filling with stones, over which was a covering of earth. Over this was a layer of gravel, and on this three or four inches in depth of dry forest leaves. The twenty pullets were kept in this house from November Ist to

May Ist, not being let out at all. Their food was a& follows : — For breakfast a hot meal of shorts and maize meal, sometimes maize, oats, and buckwheat ground together and scalded, to which was usually added sheep or hogs' plucks boiled tho night before and chopped fine. In place of this he sometimes used ground scraps soaked overnight with grain mixed, and then wetted with boiling water, sometimes mixing in ground bone. There was always a seasoning of Cayenne pepper given in the breakfast meal, and "the water used in mixing the food was alwa\« salted slightly. B6iled turnips and potatoes mashed were sometimes added. As soon as the pullets had eaten what they wanted of the hot breakfast the remainder was taken away. A daily ration of chopped cabbage was supplied, and tho remaining food was dry maize and oats scattered on the leaves, which were then forked over so as to mix it thoroughly with them, so as to require a deal of scratching to find the grain. The maize was given last a a little before sundown. Warm water was supplied through the entire day. Now for the results. The 20 pullets produced from December Is 6to April 30th, or in 151 days, 197G eggs, or a fraction over an of 13 eggs per day.' The causes this great egg yield are easily perceivHRble, They had a comfortable house, a of food, warm drink, and plenty of scratching among the leaves. These combined kept them in 'vigorous health, and stimulated to the utmost their eggproducing capabilities.