| Show GET PULLETS INTO WINTER QUARTERS time to prepare for young birds comfort now la Is tile the time to make final preparations for or the winter egg supply it should be remembered says a writer in the missouri farmer that the great bulk of winter eggs come from pullets hatched last spring assuming they wore were hatched early enough so go that they are now practically mature so while the older hens should not be neglected the should pay special attention to the pullets every effort should be exerted to bring them into laying at earliest opp opportunity opportune ity one of the important things to do Is to get them into winter quarters the chief reason for this Is that if laying while 0 on n the range these laying pullets are very apt to suffer a setback set back bach when transferred red to permanent quarters frequently frequent athis this setback set back is so serious that it precipitates a fall molt and the pullets may experience a winter or early fall molt just at the time when eggs are higher in price one of the problems of the Is to avoid this fall vacation and early boosing will tend to reduce the danger of this trouble the usual recommendation te 8 to house the pullets when as many as 5 per cent of the hock flock are laying but generally speaking from now on the earlier the pullets are housed the better by early housing the pullets become adjusted to their new quarters before starting in on their year of production and in addition they will probably be less susceptible to fall colds which always cut down production in the housing of pullets emphasis should be placed in the preparation of the winter quarters first of all plans should be made to house the pullets in separate houses or pens as pullets fall to make development if mixed with older hens the presence of older hens not only exposes the pullets to diseases to which the hens may have become immune and yet may be able to transmit to the pullets in which immunity has not been established then too there Is always the danger of the pullets becoming infested with external parasites again the presence of old hens causes the pullets to be reluctant in frequenting the feed hoppers and consequently with limited teed feed consumption growth and maturity are retarded |
