Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1908 — FORCING OR RETARDING. [ARTICLE]

FORCING OR RETARDING.

Suggestions Offered by an Expert Poultryman Concerning Pullets. ! James E. Rice, poultryman cjf the Cornell university experiment station, Issued a bulletin relative to the possibilities of feeding early hatched pullets during the summer by retarded or forced feeding. By retarding is meant the idea that feeding is necessary during the lace summer to check the early tendency of laying, with the hope of getting a larger egg yield in the early winter. By forced feeding Is meant the giving of a rich stimulating mash to induce egg production. Concerning the results of his work Mr. Rice has certain findings drawn from data which are submitted below: 1. Forced pullets made a better profit than retarded pullets. 2. Forced pullets ate less food per hen at less cost per hen than retarded pullets. 3. Forced pullets produced more eggs of a larger size, at less cost per dozen than retarded pullets. 4. Forced pullets produced more eggs during early winter than retarded pullets. 5. Forced pullets have better hatching results of eggs than retarded pullets. 6. Forced pullets made a better percentage of gain in weight than retarded pullets. 7. Forced pullets showed less broodiness than retarded pullets. ~8. Forced pullets had less mortahty than retarded pullets. 9. Forced pullets showed better vigor than retarded pullets. 10. Forced pullets showed the first mature molt earlier than retarded pullets. 11. Retarded pullets gave better fertility of eggs than forced pullets. 12. Hopper-fed dry mash gave better results in gain of weight, production* of eggs, gain in weight of eggs, hatching power of eggs, days lost in molting, mortality, health and profit per hen, than wet mash. 13. Wet mash and grain fed pullets consumed slightly less food at less cost, and produced eggs at slightly less cost per dozen than dry mash and grain fed -pullets. 14. Wet mash and grain fed pullets produced slightly larger eggs of slightly better fertility, and showed less broodiness than dry niash and grain fed pullets. 15. Dry mash and grain fed pullets laid eggs of good size at an earlier period than wet mash and grain fed pullets. , 16. Hopper-fed pullets ate more than hand-fed pullets. 17. Pullets having whole grain ate more grit and shell than those having a proportion of ground grain. 18. Pullets fed on grain were more inclined to develop bad habits than those having a mash. 19. Earliest producers did not give as many eggs in early winter. 20. Early layers gained as rapidly in weight as those beginning later to lay. 21. Prolificacy made but slight difference in weight of hen and weight of egg. 22. The most prolific pullets did not always lay earliest.