Chicks From Hens and Pallets.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 26, Issue 157, 26 January 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

Chicks From Hens and Pallets.

P. H. OACOKa.

There are some persons who .seem to fail with brooders under almost every condition; but the causes of failure may often be traced in directions not anticipated. The more I experiment the morel am convinced that, in order to get at the root of a majority of the difficulties, we must go to the fountain source— the egg. I made an experiment which I consider very valuable to all who are interested in raising chicks, as 1 did not look for such results as were obtained. I placed equal numbers of eggs from hens and pullets in an incubator, subjected them to the same conditions, and secured nearly an equal number of chicks from both lots. The conclusion reached was that eggs from fully matured pullets will hatch as well as eggs from hens. But the final results" differed. With the same food, the same care, the same degree of heat, and the same other comiitions for both lots (100 chicks from eggs laid|by hens and the same number from e«;gs laid by pullets being selected), the chicks from the pullets began to die when a week old until only GO were, left, while the chicks from hens seemed to grow aud thrive, only eight out of the 100 dying. Not being satisfied , I repeated the experimenti ment several times.and though the results were not always exaclty the same, yet in every case the chicks from eggs layed by h'jns were more easily raised and gave more satisfactory results. Here we have two lots of chicks by tbe same sire, hatched alike, fed alike and treated alike in ever}' other respect, with different results. There was no difficulty with the hatching of the eggs and the parents were also managed in the same waj', all being in one yard. It is plain that if chicks are to be made a speciality, only hens two years old should be used. If good layers are desired, and the eggs are to be marketed, the pallet will answer the purpose as well as the hen, though, as a rule, on an average, the eggs from hens are larger than those from pullers; but the pullet -annot compete with the hen in producing strong, vigorous chicks. Here, where we hatch our thousands of chicks, it has been decided by nearly all interested that eggs from pullets should not be used, and in procuring eggs it is now very important to select from yards containing hens. A great mistake has been made in supposing that the usefulness of tho hen ceased after her second year, 1 had a hen s yen years old that led every hen and pullet J had in the number of eg:.s laid, and they would hatch well every tini" 1 , producing strong chicks. As for breeders who make a speciality of sending out eggs for hatching, I advise them to use only hens, and there will be fesver complaints. I do not claim that chicks from eggi laid by pullets cannot be raised ; I simply say, as the results of experiments, that it is easier to raise chicks from eggs laid by hens, and it is not difficult to conjecture the cause of this advantage in favor of the htn. for she is stronger, more fully developed and better fitted for the duty devolved upon her. The question comes vp, then, as to the age of the pullets. Mine were ten months old and the hens were two years old. 1 do not think females of the large breeds fully mature until they are 18 months old, and ertin the Leguornsuould ba at least 10 months old if the best results are expected. The age may seemingly be unimportant, but it may make a great difference in the vigor of the chicks.