ere. Get the laying habit established while the
season is favorable, and it is comparatively easy to maintain it. And,
as production will not commence until the layers are fully matured, the
pullets must be hatched early to give ample time for them to make the
needed growth.

As a rule, it takes about seven months to mature pullets of the general
purpose breeds and six months for the egg breeds. Therefore, March and
April chicks of the former, and April and May chicks of the latter, are
most valuable. This is a general rule. Some poultrymen are experts in
this matter of growing chicks and can bring them to laying maturity in
less time.

If disease appears take instant action to check it. Delay of a day or
two may permit an epidemic to get well started. In order to enable you
to give proper treatment without delay you may well keep a stock of
Pratts Poultry Remedies on hand.

[Illustration: APPLYING LICE POWDER]

Give every bird a thorough treatment for lice. Work Pratts Powdered Lice
Killer all through the plumage. This will fix the lice, but will not
kill the eggs. In anticipation of the latter hatching, rub Pratts Lice
Salve in the small feathers about the vent and beneath the wings. That
means death to the young lice as they appear, but to make sure, apply
the salve at intervals of a few weeks.

Don't overcrowd the house. Better have a hundred hens comfortable and
laying than double the number crowded and loafing.

Leave all ventilating openings wide open. Keep them open until winter
storms make more protection necessary. During the summer months the
pullets have had plenty of fresh air. To bring them into a warm, tightly
closed house is to invite general debility and an epidemic of colds,
catarrh, roup and other allied diseases. (Pratts Roup Remedy dissolved
in the drinking water every few days, especially during changes of
weather, will help to prevent such troubles.)

Keep the house clean. Remove the litter from the floor as soon as it
becomes damp or soiled and replace with new, fresh material. Clean the
droppings boards at frequent intervals. Wash with Pratts Poultry
Disinfectant or scald the food and water dishes. Disinfect the whole
house every few weeks, taking advantage of sunny weather so quick drying
will follow. Disease causes loss--disinfection prevents disease.
Therefore, DISINFECT whether you see need of it or not.

~Poultry Feeding~

The more food the birds eat beyond bodily requirements