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Show SIDE TRACKING THEJOAFER We have heard much about the loafer cow eating up the profits of the dairyman. Many hens have the same trick. It's the molting loafer hen that gives the profit account a block eye. Let mo contrast the two types of hens In order to make my meaning clear. Tho loafer type knocks off her egg laying Job In early midsummer, then leisurely loafs and molts till Thanksi giving before her feathery dress ls fully up to hen fashion requirements. As a rulo her vacation Ib by no means over when alio Is full feathered. feath-ered. Tho same breeding Inheritance that caused her to stop laying In July prevents her resuming egg productlou beforo midwinter or later. About March this loafer typo of hen Is literally overflowing with eggs. For a tow weeks, and perhaps months overy dny Is laying day with her. It ls the molting loafer hen nnd her progeny that are largely responsible respon-sible for. the spring egg glut. Her bombardment ot tho mnrkot in April and May forces down prices to the cost of production or below. Her entire production for the year is probably not over six or eight dozen eggs, but a hundred million or so ot this loafer class are concentrating their year's laying effort into a three or four months' period. Naturally the big, fine looking eggs laid, so profusely In the hatching season sea-son by this class of hens are selected by the unthinking poultryman with which to perpetuate his stock, and tho molting loafer type thus survives and predominates. In contrast to the loafer hen the straightaway worker develops early, and at six months old or under Is. in laying form. Nearly every flock has a few ot this typo even though no systematic attempt at-tempt has been .mndo to breed them. Birds ot tho worker class continue to lay steadily without Interruption when given good care through winter, win-ter, spring, summer and autumn. Generally In late October these continuous con-tinuous layers literally shake their feathers oft in a week's time and a month later the winter coat is donned? don-ned? almost hs soon as the loafer hens are fcathored that quit laying in July. This laying type of hen with proper prop-er caro and feeding will resume her second year's laying by Christmas or Now Year's, and can bo depended on to lay twenty or thirty dozen eggs during her first and second yenrs ot production. Tho tow hens of this worker typo, found In flocks of tho loafing typo nre scientifically known as "sports" whore thoy develop .without systematic system-atic attempts to produce them. It Is from such sports ot breeding that ranny of tho most valuable strains of plant nnd animal life have been originated. Tho owner of even one or two hens having this unusual lnylng capacity can well take pains to perpetuate their blood. We must not wait for tho scientists nnd expert poultrymen to do nil the work ot replacing one hundred million loafer hons with others that will lay two or threo eggs to tho loafer's one. All can attack this problem by careful watching, and those who are ablo can uso the trap nest as a surer means ot selecting the best layers. At any rate make a start. Separate Separ-ate a dozen or two of the best layers lay-ers during the hatching season, mate these with a roostor (pure bred It posslblo) that Is the son of a heavy Inyor. Allow none In tho hroedlng pen, hons or roosters, except tho most vigorous. I This slmplo plan fo'llowcd out will i furnish n start toward outlnWlng tho 1 loafer hen. The plan means moro eggs. B. F. W. Thorps In Farm and I Fireside. i |
