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Show Poultryman Warns Against Forcing ' Pullets To Lay It is not uncommon at this sen-son sen-son of the year to see the comb3 on some pullets n the flock shrivel up, the birds stop laying and even ?o through a complete body molt before resumiiii; production. This is an expensive experience, becatnj it is the period of high prices for eggs end the older birds normally molt pi-d are out of production during the late fail and early winter win-ter months of the year, Carl Frlsch-knecht, Frlsch-knecht, Utah extension poultryma:i points out. Just why isome pullets should stop laying and start to molt whllo othei-s in the flock continue in pro-! duction is not too well known. Usually Us-ually It Ik the pullets that start ta lay first or those handicapped In some way by parasites that go out oi jirouuuium wnne me ieai, ui uic flock continue to lay. Frequently this condition has been observed In pullets that were forced Into heavy production soon after they commenced com-menced laying, says Mr. Frisch-knecht. Frisch-knecht. Very little study hats been made of this problem to date, but poul-trymen poul-trymen are inclined to believe that it is due largely to the condition and body weight of the bird. It is a mistake to force young pullets into heavy production when they first start to lay because aU the nutrients they consume are required requir-ed for egg prorduction and the bird, may actually lose body weight. Pu';-lets Pu';-lets that have been cared for properly prop-erly should weigh about 3 1-2 lbs. when they come into production and continue to gain In size and weight until they average about 4 1-2 pounds at one year of age. Every poultryman should Invest, a little money in a godd pair, ot scales with which to weigh his chickens. Pullets should be weighed weigh-ed when they first start to lay and it is a gort plan to make regular veighing-s of a certain number, of designated layers in each pen selected se-lected at random six to ten, as a guide to correct feeding practices. It i; oftr-n difficult to keep Janu-nry Janu-nry and February-hatched pullet;! from molting at this time of the yenr, but with proper feed and care those hatched Inter, during the months of March and April, shoul'i now be Increasing not only in size and welgt but in their egg production. |