Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1880-11-04
GLE Roultry Nard,
GROSS BREEDING

The practice o.! crossing the different
hr, els ot pou Try never yet resulted in tile
pr.nlurtion ut il perfect bird. anh never will.
Fnwls may be obtained that onSMer every
purpose for egg production. and 4 fair prot.
it may bt realized from their flesh but, AS IA
general thing. they cannot he tepenped on.
For market chickens the common producer
is satisfied. but the amel,,er requires some.
thing better. Any cross not only affects
the quantity Of the eggs, but tile quality
also suffers. Tie object OF the a,netupr j.
not direct profit to himself, although This i.
Intended III tile long run, but the pleasure
nf beI,ol'!i,g fine birds that furnish fine
eggs aud chickens for the table, all OF home
production. The caterer 70 tle public
market generally employs cross in wi,ici,
there is largely mixed the Drama blood. In
This he "bfanS size. and by ad,lterating this
blood with some other. the size eiten ex-
rtels the original fowl. Quick ftai,ering
is often sought for. and This is found in tile
Leghnrn race. This cruss makes tolerabt
layers. pretty good settlers, but miserable
flesh, although answering well the purpose
of early broilers. The elirure is fond of
hroilr,l chicken, and soilong as t,e tle~l, pro-
duced hal once worn feathers. the appetite
is sriistied, and the price obtained by the
producer is in reality more owing 10 the
advance III weight than from, pure breeds.
But, when one has really had the oppnr-
luni'y OF testing the difference between The
pure. we!l-hred bird. and the n,ongrel. the
decision i in favor of the thoroughbred
fowl tor all purposes where home cunsulnp-
ton is concerned.
Crosses have always been employed. and
will continue t, he 50 long a. the multitude
see an increase Of size by the procedure.
IN crossing. the strongest, plrest blood will
plelominale. For instance, Il Brown Ley-
horn cock crossed on Brat,,na hen will
pro,l,,re a chick with Leghorn color and
markings. while size is obtained from The.
dam. /" many instances the feathers OF
tile leg will disappear. Both these breeds
possess pencilet ne, X and the newly hatch.
ed chicks will show the triangular mark on
the top OF the head. an,, three dark or col
orea stripes .nwllihr back The Leghorn
blood is stronger than the Asialic, and the
strongest will crop out in the color and
marking of tie ckick. The Spanish blood
is even stronger. when in purity, than the
Leshor'l<. and !. stronger blood than either
OF them is the Dorking. A perfect bird is
hard to obtain. 1t is not the result of eros
ses. but she mingling of pure blood that
has been kept distinct through many gen
eratinns. Uniform birds can only be OH
tained from purify of blood. aud whe, this
uniformity has been established tor many
generations. we may approach in the rear
ing nt fowls Ms near perfection us possible.
The perfect bird is only seen among wild
specimens. Our poultry yards never yet
pr"dnc. one. The perfect birds only are
those that tor generation after generation
brget their like alone. There is never any
discrepancy in the markings and cnlorings
of our migrating birds. Did any one ever
>et !; partridge with any other than the US
ual blending aud m",tling of gray and
white ?-Cos; Country Gentleman.