The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-10-19
:oa,an1,on in the choice OF a breed for


b.. tptween White Leghorns kept for
.g. production and Plymouth Rocks.
White Wyandottes. Rhode Island Reds
or OF sr general purpose fowls. At the
present time the latter type "f 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,
hators aud public hatt.heries Increase
The Le2hOrn, has much smaller
carcass. and hence there is not 81 much
Income from the sale of yoi,n: cock
erc!s and old hens. As matter OF
fact. the smaller size of the Leghorn
fowi is no, as much of an argument
rsainst the breed as Is commonly sup
tosed. for LeghOrns eat less fOni. Oc
tupy less house room and when not
confined are better huStlerS and secure
/. larger portion of their Twin. on the
range than do the larger breeds ut
chic kens \ more important objection
to IeghornS is that artificial inrubatOrS
and brooders are necessary to keep ~,
the flock Again. LeghOrns are wild.
nervous and thinly feathered and II
i'll treated and poorly housed the egg
yield especially in winter. will be less
than that of the general pur. use fowl
LeghornS when kept in large numbers
by those who give careful attention to
poultry keeping can be made very
profitable. but for the reasons just Civ
| h., fnp tho hnSrinn u Ih11i
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 breedin. too
much stress Is laid upon the breed and
not sufficient consideration given 10
| individuality of particular families or
strains of the breed The reason for
! this will become clear when Il 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 TN the 9th.
er hand. standard bred poultry are het
ter from any viewpoint than Strut
chickens. but one strain of breed
may be vigorous growers and excel
lent layers. while another flock of the
same breed whose ancestors have beer
careleSsly selected with regard to l,ra'.
ticai points may be poor in these Iuai
itieS
Egg laying tests of few lots from
different breeds of fowls are of LITTLE
value In determining the worth nt
breeds. for it Is quite possible that I
good strain Of the poor breed may ex
Gel Il poor lot of the best breed ant
the results Of such tests he exactly op
posite to the real truth For this re;'
son | consider the majority of til,
breed tests as published by poufr,
papers and government experimen
stations as>of little value
In Australia. however. the govern
nent has conducted egg laying test
on such large scale and with pen
entered from hundreds of differ"n
breeders that the average Of their re-
suits is worthy of more consitlera lion
The ranking of the three h.;dIni
breeds in the Australian tests Is Singl
Comb White Leghorns. Black Drping
tons, Silver Wyandottes 1t should b
stated. however. that Barred Plymont
Rocks. White Wyandottes and t:hod
pose American breeds. are prar'irall
unknown in Australia
Principles Of Breeding Simple.
The art of breeding fancy poultry
less complicated than many old breed
ers would have us to believe Va
rious so called systems Of breetin
have been advertised and much tall
ed about. hut any breeder having
thorough knowledge of the deSiiabl
points In the breed and who breed
from, the hest birds has about all III
system necessary
"Inhreeding" means the mating {
| lTUftHiud!S lftstl die iei''it1i tut ~
cause .of the analogy taken from b,
msn relationship !, deer, seated pop,
lar prejudice exists against this GU
tom lnbrprting is the shortest iii
quickest way of intensifying ail
characteristic The reason for this
bec,nse outside qualities are ~
hroush, in to Interfere with fami
traits: hence the ipbruslin. nf fOw
or ut her arirnai> thar have II tpntlcns