News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1910-07-13

contention In the choice of breed for
commercial poultry keeping seems to
be between White Leghorns kept for
egg production and Plymouth Rocks,
! White Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds
or other general purpose fowls. At the
present time the latter type of fowls
is more popular upon the general
farm. The Leghorns are gaining in
popularity however, and will probably
continue 10 do so as the use of incu-
bators and public hatcheries increase.
The Leghorn has q much smaller
carcass, and hence there is not so much
income from the sale of young cock
erels and old hens. AS a matter of
fact, the smaller size of the Leghorn
fowl is not as much of an argument
against the breed as is commonly sup
posed, for Leghorns eat less food oc-
cupy less house room and when not
confined are better hustlers and secure
larger portion of their living off the
range than do the larger breeds of
chickens. A more important objection
to Leghorns is that artificial incubators
and brooders are necessary to keep up
the flock. Again, Leghorns are Wild
nervous and thinly feathered, and If
i'll treated and poorly housed the egg
yield, especially in winter, will be less
than that of the general purpose fowl.
Leghorns when kept in large numbers
by those who give careful attention to
nOTltru lynAnino hn
profitable but for the reasons just Civ
en- the farmer or the beginner at poul-
try keeping should be slow in taking
up this breed.
Strain or Family Important.
In the mind Of those who are not
experienced in animal breeding too
much stress is laid upon the breed and
not sufficient consideration given to
individuality of particular families or
strains of the, breed. The reason for
this will become clear when it is ex-
planned that the majority of our COM
mon breeds of poultry have originated
in the last forty years and have been
selected chiefly for feathers rather
than for meat, egg yield or general |
vigor. This does not mean that pure |
bred chickens will be any less prac- |
teal as meat and egg producers than
mixed or scrub chickens. On the 9th
er hand, standard bred poultry are bet
ter from any viewpoint than scrub |
chickens, but one strain of a breed |
may be vigorous growers and excel
lent layers, while another flock of the
same breed whose ancestors have been
selected with regard to prac-
calpoints may be poor in these quail
tiles.
Egg laying tests of a few lots from
different breeds of fowls are of little
value in determining the worth of
breeds, for it is quite possible that
good strain of the poor breed may ex-
eel poor lot of the best breed and
the results of such tests be exactly OPP
posite to the real truth. For this rea-
son / consider the majority of the
breed tests as published by poultry
papers and government experiment
stations as of little value.
In Australia, however, the govern
nent has conducted egg laying tests
IN such a large scale and with pens
entered from hundreds of different
breeders that the average of their re-
ults is worthy of more consideration.
The ranking of the three leading
reeds in the Australian tests is Single
Jomb White Leghorns, Black Orping-
ons, Silver Wyandottes. 1t should be
tated, however, that Barred Plymouth
Rocks, White Wyandottes and Rhode
sland Reds, the favorite general pur-
ose American breeds. are practically
Unknown In Australia.
Principles of Breeding Simple.
The art of breeding fancy poultry is
ess complicated than many old breed
rs would have us to believe. Va
ious so called systems of breeding
ave been advertised and much talk
d about, but any breeder having
borough knowledge of the desirable
oints in the breed and who breeds
rom the best birds has about all the
ystem necessary.
"Inbreeding' means the mating of
Individuals that are related, but be-
ause of the analogy taken from hui
ian relationship a deep seated popu-
IT prejudice exists against this Gus
pm. Inbreeding is the shortest and
uickest way of intensifying any
The reason for this is
ecause outside qualities are not
rought in to interfere with family
ats; hence the inbreeding of fowls
: other animals that have a tendency