The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1915-12-18
SELECTING
BREEDING STOCK
For Next Springs Chicks.
BY G e. Conkey.

before the average poultry owner
wants to hatch any chicks, but If
you would have your fluffy little
fellows strong, healthy and vigor
Gus, you must begin selecting
your breeding stock now.
Upon she wisdom Of this selec
tiop depends not only the general
health and stamina of your
chicks, but to a large extent
their size fntuTe habits and lay
ing qualities. This may not have
occnrTed TO yon, as many people
have never stopped to analy ze
ht Importance of hatcbiDg the
eggs Of only such hens as have
~teD carefully selected for breed
ing purposes. However, / am
sure shat AS you read the rest of
this article, you will realize that
ftily one half Of the average
hock is wholly unfit for breeding
purposes and that the proper se.
lection of breeding birds is a
very important matter.
1t is the very Importance of
this particular phase of poultry
raising that, to me, makes 1t SO
wonderfully interesting J. Is
hard to imagine ? glhi more
fascinatiig & than [, 3ick on -
tain parent birds vi III {
reproducing certain que.itirF IN
the Of pring and then eagerly
waiting 10 see whether the re-
suits will show the souBdDess OF
inexperienee O. ones judgement.
You, too. viii enjoy this part
of poultry "a ng, | an sure,
and You do not have to y it to
d monstrate your ability D SO
lect good breeding birda, for the
selectionof breeding stock should
begin Immediately. 1t is best to
have the breeding birds in their
Own house shortly after January
lst and when they are once mat
ed, they must be kept entirely
separate from the rest of the
flock That means, too, that you
must have clean, dry quarters
ready to receive them.
In selecting breeding birds,
your aim should be to take only
those that will be most likely TO
give you all round good chicks
chicks that Will possess rugged
health and stamina, that will ma
ture in reasonable time, that Will
make good layers and that will
possess good qualities in general
This N axes it necessary for you
to watch your flock very closely
each day and pick out only those
hens that are strongest, most
healry and vigorous. 1t is also
desirable to cLcose hens that you
know are good layers or that
show indications of being good
layers, as they will be most likely
TO produce chicks that will ma
ture into good layers. Heavy
laying hens are very active, are
off the roosts early in the moIn
ing and on late in the evening
aud are big eaters. However,
dc not forget that hens that have
been laying regularly are likely
20 be run down and should not be
4ei for breeding purposes until
hey have been put in good condi
on by getting q good tonic
along with their feed. No hen
s.iou)d be selected as breeder
that is known TO be a poor layer.
The best breeding hens seem to
be- those that are about two
years old { Three year old hens
are also good. fit is necessary
to use pullets, only those that
are fully matured should be
chosen. Several undesirable re
suits are likely to follow the use
of pullets. as breeders. Often,
many of the eggs are iDfertile.
because the birds have really not
reached maturity; many Of he
chicks are smaia aud weak; and
the chicks do not mature into full
size birds.
Even wore than the use Of pul
let's is the use Of birds possess
ing defects or crooked bones. 1t
should always be remembered
that .lIke begefs like" "eand that
at least part of the offspring Of
such birds are almost snre to be
deformed or show the defect IN
even more marked degree than
the parent.
When hens two or three years
old are selected for breeding
purposes, they should be mated
to a we'll matured cockerel. Ex-
periments have proven that such
mating, as q rule, produces the
most desirable chicks However,
Iif pullets must be used, it 10 bet.
ter to mate them to an old male
In either case, you should give
| just as much attention TO the
health and appearance OF the
male bird as to that Of the hens
Land if nassihla. select d male