The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-21
Vitality 1.
Its |M||.P|0R'1ANCE
80 81
Poultry Breeding in Virginia and
How to Keep It Going
Healthy.
SUGGESTIONS THAT ARE WISE
There Is Big Money ii the
Chicken Business if Well
Conducted.
SUGGESTIONS that .ARElllNlsE
ny ". =. yCHAFF

ny w. r. sCHAFF.
Have you ever stopped to think
what we expect from a good hen?
what we call "a good hen is one which
will lay, say. from 125 to $50 eggs per
year, or In rare cases more. Now LOO
eggs Will weigh about ave times as
much as the average hen, consequently
we have to avoid or fight shy OF causes t''
tending to lower the vitality OF our t
flocks Modern poultry-keeping makes
larger and larger demands on the
strength OF the hens. The Wild jungle
fowl from which our domestic fowls
have come, laid litter OF cggs (abous
twelveo in .he natural mating season son,
(spring) and then Matched her eggs
and raised her young to maturity.
with which she completed her years
work. Our modern fowl we not only
expect to lay about twelve dozen eggs
per year but we also want the eggs
to be strong in fertility and hatch
chickens having as strong vitality as
the parent stock. Now. one cause o.
lowered vitality amongst: us fanciers IS
too close in, and in breeding Win OUT
regard to yigor. we all know how
ling who is or will be fine show
specimen. Still this is the only way
as bird that at any time OF Its
growing period is weak or sick should
not be used for breeding purposes
Another cause OF lowered vitality In
a great many f1ocks Is the use OF
pullets instead Of hens for breeding
purposes II we use pullets that are
fslly matured, / personally believe the
IT,. fSs,t1 IN
great as with hens Of two years or
over, but here's the rub. BY breeding
from pullets the breeder IS under
taking to reproduce from fowls that
have not yet reached maturity and
that. presumably, because OF their we'll
known qualities OF fall and winter
laying, may have lowered their Vi
tally before the breeding season. II
appears reasonable therefore that the
continued breeding generation AFTER
generationfrom pullets instead OF hens
may have tendency to shorten en ae
normal length Of life OF the. race OF
fowls, and. at the same time. to lower
Its native vigor. while breeding from
mature fowls two or more years OF
age should tend to longevity and
consequent increase in vitality.
Congrestion and crowding Of the.
breeding stock by keeping large NUM-
| bers on limited areas is without doubt
one of the most serious causes OF loss
of vitality. Lack of exercise is a
natural consequence OF congestion and
common Accompaniment OF over
feeding.
Too much to eat and too little to do
appears to be one of the most COM
/ mon sources OF difficulty In securing
! fertile eggs with strong Matching pow
1 er. capable Of producing vigorous
chickens The dangers OF overfeeding
may be greatly reduced and the health
|aof your flock promoted by furnishing
for the breeding focks deep litter OF
and feeding all grain in this litter.
thus making them scratch for living
g(same as we do) at the same time
providing them with as large range
as possible to encourage exercise IN
the fresh air all the year round.
survival OF the Fittest.
The first principle to be adopted In
the successful handling OF poultry
should be to eliminate weak stock
whenever we see It. This applies at
all stages Of development from the
baby chick to the mature fowl. The
chick which shows physical weakness
at any time should be Killed or be dis
tinctly and permanently marked and
kept apart from the strong stock.
later to be marketed II worthy. a
chicken may overcome weakness SO
far as external appearances show and
still retain the inherited tendency to
weakness. It is well known that GER
tain physical weaknesses are trans
missible from parents to offspring. The
best safeguard, therefore, Is to elirnt-
nate all stock that shows or has
shown weakness. One Of the best and
most satisfactory ways Of marking
weak fowls is to use Diamond dyes.
thus distinguishing 1t quickly from
the others. until the feathers have
Smolted.
The action OF a fowl, no after Of
what variety or age, Is the best indi-
cation Of its physical condition. The
physically weak is inactive and
as to stand. It does not+scratch or
forage actively. It is the last to get
off the perch in the morning and the
first to go to roost at nights, and ISL
frequently found on the perch during
the day. The loudness and the free
5quency OF the crow Of the male, or
the song or cackle Of the female IS
a relia Bile indication Of strength. The
weak fowl seldom crows or sings, and
lis less likely to do SO when In the
presence Of q strong individual Of the
eN,.t3
the male is shown in his generosity
and consideration for the females. as
indicated by his calling them and CIV
Ing to them the tenderest morsels to
eat. This is one of the surest indt-
cations OF physical vigorE on the part
of the male. Lastly. In a svigorous
fowl the eyes always look bright.
clear and round, and aforesaid bright
eyes are always on the lookout for
some unwary grassnoppersio or other
insect who wants to depart this life.
and help go towards z, I'd ma king one Of
THE 50,ooo,00o eggs which are q, con-
ssumed daily In the United States.
Here's hoping your vi gorous hens win
help furnish them. Send the others
that d on't to market is my a ADVICE. Sis
Marion Social News.
tspeelalto The Tim -Dtspatch.l
Marion, Va, August o0.--Dr.1 Robert Rica
OF lchmond N Is at homo on rs q xisi ! "a II.