Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-15

I
try at ell. is outlined here. and adher-
ence to the system will result in mark
ed Improvement in the flock without
the expenditure of a dollar of addi-
tfonal cost.
instead of buying a cheap male bird.
as Is usually done. spend enough money
10 OBTAIN f1rst-class cockerel-one
stamp his own characteristics AID in
Individuality on all Of his offspring. Mate
MIN with few-say half a dozen or so
|-o1, the best hens in the flock, or, If it
seems advisable and desirable, with the
same number of pullets instead of hens.
Ihen, instead of disposing of him at
the end of the breeding season, break
ing up the pen and making it necessary
to buy another cockerel the following
year, keep him with the same hens for
two years longer; in some cases the
same pens may be bred for three years
more, or four years in all
Cockerels that measure up to stand
ard from this mating are to be used for
each years matings in the general
mock. and these cockerels are to be dis
posed of at the close of each breeding
season. In this manner the qualities
OF high-grade sire may be thoroughly
y fixed in the entire flock, without the
peril OF too close relationships
After the third year most poultry
men who follow this plan dispose of
the original sire and replace him with
another equally good. II the first years
matings nick with the original flock.
the cockerels are used as above. Con-
! tfnuation of this plan indefinitely will
Dring about permanent Improvement in
the flock. with only the expense at
tendant upon the purchase of a really
good male bird about every three or
TOUR years. II adhered to, the plan has
no possibilities of Injurious inbreedinc.
even When practiced by even the most
inexperienced poultryman.
The experienced breeder of pou,trx.
KNOWS that no amount of care and
SKIN in feeding and handling will
Dr'ng ABOUT an appreciate improve
.nent IN his flock, at least SO far as re-
saros immediate results. Feeding and
| care nave big part in keeping roui-
! NY, as well as other live stock. right I'm
10 inherited limits. when otherwise they
mpuia degenerate; but the poultryman
In his flock solely through proper feed
ing ana care is doomed to disappoint-
ment. These matters, important as
.nes are IN the handling of flock for
pson.. Dear absolutely no relation to
| cnaracter for instance, color, shape.
size and productiveness cannot be per
| manentiy influenced by anv system az
teeding and care ever devised, no mai
yer no" apparently perfect such sys-
TT rake egg production. for example.
me skill1ul poultryman may, by bet
Ter methods. effect noticeable improve
nent IN his flock, but this improve
ment VIII come to an abrupt stop when
the normal average Of his fowls ha $
neen reached. and. no matter how long
f nese better methods are continued. no
be effected. If. however. only the hest
layers in the flock are bred. or there
IS introduced the blood of a strain
Wnieh mas inherited higher productiv-
ny, w, married. Improvement in the egg
!IeIo may be secured. In any line Of
practical poultry breeding the poultry
mans only hope Of effectine radical
improvement is by using. in addition
~ ~ rme Gast Ieeding and care he is a BILE
10 provide. the blood of only the most
s sun, Die birds in his flock, or by intro
oucing from some outside source birds
stronger in the desired character tina m
any ne now possesses. The breeder. in
certain characters from one genera
ton to another, is entirely dependent
upon heredity
apportion this inheritance accnrateiv
by claiming that each indiyiduaI In
merits one-fourth of his character
IRON each parent: one-eighth from
teenth u 49, rs grandparents and one-six-
.eeh'n from each great -gra ndpa rent.
ana so in regularly decreasing nro
portion clear back to the oripinaI
source Nevertheless, the generally
a 1iitsi ;e statement that like produces
IKE IS subject to many contra Auctions,
IN the case OF any given pair of fowls
II is obvious that only few Characters
can can be active: the rest must be latent.
the onspring will depend on arnumber
OF factors. 1t by no means follows
That because certain Characters are
active in the parents. that they will
also De active In the offspring.
The practice of mating related indi
vlduals is one. which in many lines Of
livestock breeding meets with violent
! opposition. In many. cases this oppo-
tha grows out OF the belief that
matings are inferior in strength and
vigor. Without question, indiscrimi-
nate and careless inbreeding does pro-
intan. TINS result. lnbreeding tends to
| intensity characters, regardless of
whether they are good or bad, be-
cause If related fowls having common
weaknesses or common tendency to-
ward certain disease are mated. the
fled in the offspring, and the breeder
VII! very shortly have a degenerate
mock The same Naturalization occurs
IN the case OF desirable characteristics.
into an argument to prove that in
breeding is harmless when properly
understood and conducted, for expert.
enced breeders of other kinds of live
stock have proved. time and time
again. that animals may be inbred for
an indefinite period without suffering
any III effects and with many impor-
tant advantages. The situation, at
least as far as poultry breeding is con-
cerned, would be much more clearly
understood II breeders who regularly
practice inbreeding were willing to
have the fact made known instead Of
trying to conceal it. which they do out
OF difference to the popular prejudice
against it.
There are two methods of inbreedine
which are in general practice today. In
one the breeder simply mates his fowls
regardless of relationship, keeps no
record of ancestry and is apparent1y
Indifferent as to whether the fowls
mated are parent and offspring, brother
and sister. or any more remote rela-
tionship. The other method is known
as line breeding and differs from the
former in that some definite system of
relation mating Is adopted and carried
out year after year. In most cases. aft
er three generations. only distinctly re-
lated birds are mated together To any
orderly mind line breeding, with it's
chart. its defniteness and known rela-
tionships, should make an especial ap-
peal. Where it is highly desira BILE to be
ton the blood of a given individual. the
extreme development of the method 10
necessary. Under ordinary conditions
all line breeding conditions will be-
come hopelessly complicated. and
sooner or later most liue hrao6jnr