Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-06
EGG PRODUCTION
IN RELATION To
VITALITY
Unusual ProIifiCaCy Does Not
Necessarily Cause Impair
ment of Breeding Quality.
BY ]. F. sCHUREMAN.

some writers 10 set up the claim p\
intimation at least--that the poultry
men of the country are sacrificing vi
talitv and vigor for fecundity, and that
unless a check is put upon the prac-
tice Of breeding and feeding for heavy
egg production solely. dire results will
follow and strains OF birds that are now
famous as prolific layers will go
Dump" or words to that effect. Our
private opinion. publicly expressed. Is
that this argument is the far-fetched,
pessimistic cry Of would-be poultry
men" who either have been unsuccess-
ful in developing strains Of heavy lay
ers or else who do not know what they
are talking about, and while those eX-
perienced in the breeding Of poultry VIII
pass II by as unworthy OF notice there
are thousands Of amateur breeders who
might be influenced by such argument
unless it's utter fallaciousness is shown.
That there has been wonderful i'm
provement in the egg producing pro
clivities Of the domestic hen during the
last quarter of a century we all know.
Every one who has given the subject
any attention and study also knows that
the vitality and vigor Of the hen-where
properly housed and cared for-have not
been impaired in the least although she
today is producing several times as
many eggs in year as did her remote
ancestors.
200. Eqq Hon No Curiosity.
Instead Of sacrificing vigor for fe-
cundity, the two qualities have been so
nicely and uniformly developed-each
keeping pace with the other-that the
natural result has been eggs. and then
more eggs, and vigor and more vigor,
until today the 200-egg hen is no longer
q curiosity The fact OF the matter is,
vigor and fecundty are twin qualities,
and If vigor is lacking. fecundity also
viii be lacking The very foundation
upon which a flock Of heavy egg pro-
ducers is builded is vigor and stamina,
and without these heavy egg produc-
ton is out OF the question. The very
fact that a flock of hens are heavy
layers is indisputahle proof that they
possess plenty Of vigor. on the other
hand, however, II does not necessarily
follow that because hens are vigorous
and healthy they are extraordinary lay
ers Not every vigorous hen possesses
the qualities of fecundty, but without
an exception every hen possessing the
quality of fecundity is vigorous and
healthy.
We must admit that It takes more
physical vigor for a hen to lay 200 eggs
In twelve months than for the same hen
to lay a couple OF dozen eggs in Ike
period. but, while it almost seems re
pudiation Of her own DEGREES, Nature
comes to the assistance of man in his
efforts to develop heavy laying strain
Of fowls and makes It possible by sup
plying the necessary additional vigor
and vitality. We all know that the
fowl in a natural state lays only a
clutch or two of eggs during an entire
year-just enough to perpetuate her
species-and these are laid at breeding
time in the spring There is a reason
for this. The maternal instinct pos
sessed by the female fowl Of whatever
kind prompts within her a desire to
bring into the world young Of her own
kind-to perpetuate her species. This
is why our domestic hens become
broodv at a certain season Of the year,
at which time they will guard their
eggs as eagerly and carefully as they
do the chicks after they are Matched,
although at other times they pay prac.
tically no attention to the eggs they
lay or that may be I'm the nest.
Coeroins Mature.
In a wild state the fowls-most Of
which are mlgratory-simply lay enough
eggs FOR hatch or two and then Quit
Because this is true. the argument is
advanced that IT is unnatural for fowls
of any kind to lay more than one or
two clutches OF eggs a year, and that
man has worked contrary to Nature in
developing our domestic heavy laying
fowl In sense this may be true and
in another sense 1t is not true. 1t is
said that Nature will not be coerced.
Perhaps not, but il is either possible TO
coerce her or else she Is more than
willing To cooperate with man I'm his
efforts to change her plans and meth
DDS Look at Luther Burbank the
plant wizard who during the last few
years has astouuded the world with his
feats in changing the very nature OF
plant life of various kinds Has L. been
coercion on the part OF Burbank, or
cooperation on the part of Nature
Undoubtedly the latter and II she win
Cooperate with Burbank in his work
we may reasonably expect her Co co..
operate with the pouluymau i'm his eff
forts, though the work that he is fry
ing to accomplish is not exactly i'm line
with her plans and methods
AS general rule the hen that lays
the most eggs is the most robust look
ing hen i'm the flock. the most active
and the greatest hustler" She seems
4" know that the demands being made
upon her require strong constitution.
with plenty ~ yigor. and-as these are
accelerated by food and exercise, she