Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-11-21

AAShhe0AA olOfSs0 T0OuD1luS luS G6A
yield of the Missouri hen is the re-
suit sought by the Missouri State
Poultry Experiment Station in the egg
laying contest Just completed at the
state farm here, and a second con-
test which has been started.
The director of the station, under
whose supervision the contests are
being held, considers this result en-
tirely feasible. He expects the les
sons learned in the contest which
closed the last day of October to have
a great influence on total production
in Missouri. The second contest,
which vas started November Is, will
have far greater effort, as interest in
the first test, which extended twelve
months, spread all over the United
States and Canada.
The average hen in the United
States lays eighty eggs a year. The
best producer of the 655 hens in the
Missouri contest laid 281 eggs during
the year just rounded out. This hen,
a white Plymouth Rock owned by j.
A. Bickerdike of Millersville, ILL.,, came
within M egg of the highest record
ever made in North America. That
isp In the number of eggs. In reality,
she surpassed the record holder, con-
lditon and size of the product being
considered.
The holder of the egg record in
Canada and the United States is a
Barred Rock hen under the care of
Professor Graham, at Guelph, Canada,
with 282 eggs to her credit. This hen
laid a very small egg, with a very
poor shell. Lady Showyou. the Hi
nois hen which captured such signal
honors in the Missouri contest, laid
281 eggs of full size, weighing on an
average a little more than two ounces
each, with a good, strong shell on
each egg. Thus her performance real
ly is much more remarkable than that
of her Canadian cousin, or whatever
relation a Barred Rock may be to a
White Rock.
There were 655 hens in the Nilsson
ri contest, and they laid during the
twelve months of the contest 87,S43
eggs, an average of slightly more than
1874 eggs per hen. This is not regard
ed as an especially high average for
hen in a laying contest, although Di-
rector T. e. Quisenberry, in charge
of the Mountain Grove station, says
he does not regard it as a bad aver
age, considering the promiscuous lot
of birds entered. He states that the
birds in more than a dozen pens
lacked two or three months of being
mature at the time the contest was
started; that more than half of the
pens were made up of hens and that
several of them contained hens 3 and
4 years old.
Commenting on the results Mr.
fQ~uisenberry says: when we consid-
ler the fact that most of these birds
had been carelessly and ~promiscuous
ily bred, with no special idea to in
crease egg production, and came from
all classes of breeders, we do not fee
the average obtained was bad.
"The result of the first contest has
mot been especially startling, and
neither have we proven nor attempted
ito prove that any one variety pos.
lsesses all the good qualities"
However, there were many facts
outstanding as a result of the contest
in reference to the treatment and care
of the birds and the selection Of strain
rather than breed in determining or
the birds to save for egg layers ane
those to decorate the pot when the
preacher calls.
Probably the most important sug
igestion given is that much more de
ponds on the strain or breeding OF {
variety than on the variety itself. II
establishing a flock of hens for eitheI
commercial egg layers or for the pur
pose of supplying the household, thu
matter of color, size and shape should
suit individual taste. When this ques
ton of variety is determined thel
comes the matter of obtaining a flocl
lof high producers. This is done b.
selection of best types and elimination
of the poorer one The wise poul
itryman, even of the back yard variety
will follow home method of accurate
Ely knowing just what each hen of tn
flock is doing toward holding up tn,
flock average Of production. Thi
knowledge being obtained, the worl
Iof lettering the flock may begin.
The hens showing the highest pre-
duction should be the ones always t
supply the eggs for incubation an,
they should be mated to the prope
males, as it is conceded that the roos
tier has greater effect on the charat
ter of the young chick than has tn
hen. Thus, by proper selection an
breeding a flock Of hens may be bull
Stranger Caught Rifling Mail Sack.