Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-02-01
STANDARD BRED POULTRY.
Should farmers Keep This Kind of
Stock or Mongrels ?

Purebed animals are those that
produce heir form, habit or other DIS
tinctive Qualities with uniformity. IN
order tht we may get oiisprings ike
the parnt and like each other we
must hve ANIMALS whose ancestors
for mar generations back have been
nj one tpe. The more generations oil
such uiformity the more certain Ii
VIII be that the young will possess
similar uality.
The lid animals OF any one kind
ar specs in one locality have been OF
similar 'pe for many generations, and
NAV bconsidered as purebred. BY
the lauof natural selection, individu
ais not iited to live in that particular
localitvave been weeded out.
Wbeit the animals are dome sticated
and MED to other climates. and are
fed d trcnt foods, only such individu
ais wiDive and produ c young as are
suitedo the new conditions. But an
other .ctor changes domestic animals
more apidly Men breed only such
speciens as please their fancy; and
This -tiilcial selection replaces nat
ural lection. During the many cen
turie OF domestication the chickens
of ferent parts OF the world have
dcyoped into different types. When
the radically different types are
BRIGHT together and crossed we have
proceed young that are very differ
cutrom the parents and from each
Off. Nor can these young be de
peted upon to reproduce offspring
hkthemselves. They are said to be
r,s-brcd, or. If the mixing be Tor
scral generations, they are known
alongrels BY selecting from cross
BID or mongrel stock such chickens
aare desired and breeding these to
cher for many generations new
beds may be established.
Dnc strain OF chickens may be Sc
lted Tor uniform color OF feathers,
pther for certain size and shape,
pther for laying large eggs OF a
ctain color, and yet another strain
Il being producers of many eggs
Ich of these strains might be well
lrd in these particular traits, but
vuld be mongrels when the other
rsiderations were taken INTO ac-
aunt. Breeders OF purebred stock,
making their selection OF breeding
limals. try to consider the desir
ole qualities in due order OF their
elative importance. Thus. with trot
ing horses, speed is given prominence
above everything else. while IN the
case OF swine or beef cattle attention
has been given to the qualities OF
growth and fattening that make tor
the profitable production OF meat
Only such uniformity OF color and
minor points are demanded as will
serve to distinguish the breed and give
of appearance. The stand
ards adopted by breeders of this class
OF animals give relative small consid-
ration to fancy points. whereas poul-
" breeders consider about one-halt OF
te value OF their birds TO depend on
clor of feathers alone. while the Judg-
nmt of shape is based upon the out
liz produced by the feathers and not
ouhe true body shape. The standard
BIRD poultry fanciers have not been
maly concerned in procuring breeds
OF hickens for the use of the farmer
orpractical grower, as have been the
brtders OF cattle and swine. Men
VIII pursue animal brceding for pleas
ur,alonc do not choose large. slow
brtding animals, such as cattle:
frn other stanpoints receive much
atntion from breeders But the hen,
vaable in form and color. inexpensive
to,ecure. readily reared and capable
Introducing in brief time large num-
be OF offspring. and yet withal ca
pale OF paying her way in food pro
dus has rendered possible the devel-
onent OF the fancy standard bred
clrken business into the most uni
vSal and important fancy or artistic
beding business in the world
rom the attention that has been
gcn To the breeding OF poultry Tor
III show room, many people wrongly
ilrr that standard bred poultry is no
bder than mongrel stock Tor com
nrcial purposes.
he mongrel chicken is produc-
tio of chance Its ancestry repre-
sets everything available in the barn
yals of the neighborhood, and its
ofpring will be eqally varied. In the
p,c breeds there has been a rigid Sc
leGou practiced that gives uniform
appearance.
he size and shape requirements OF
III, standard. although not based on
the market demands. comes much
neaer producing an ideal carcass
THAI does chance breeding. Ability
to nature for the fall and winter
shows is decidedly practical quality
that the fancier breeds into his chick
ems. Moreover. poultry breeders
while still keeping standard points IN
mind, have also made Improvements IN
the LAYING and meat producing quail
Ties of their chickens. Considering
hese facts. il is an erroneous idea to
think that mongrel chickens offer any
advantage over purebred stock -Os-
car Err in Citizen Star. 1T Worth.
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