The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-15
Vigorous Stock Necessary; Only the Best Layers Should Be Retained as Breeding Stock
Use of Trap Nest Will Help Owners to Build Up Most
 Profitable Utility Flock
By MICHAEL K. BOYER Poultry Editor of the Farm Journal

Copyright, 1915D Selection of the right breeding stock IS
 an important element in the success with poultry. In this article MT. Bower tells the qualities that breeding stock should possess and points out how the owner may increase the productiveness of his selection.
 Only by careful selection and proper
 breeding can we hope to build up the
 utility qualities of our flocks We must
 aim each year to show an improvement
 It must not be forgotten that while 1t
 is important that we have good, strong
 hens. the influence of the male Is the
 greatest factor.
 Success cannot be obtained without
 good, strong, healthy breeding stock to
 hegin with. and they must be kept in
 good health.
 A frail. delicate hen should not be per-
 mitted in the breeding pen. no matter
 how good layer sfe may be. Such an
 individual will produce inferiR offspring
 on account of her own physical weakness.
 If we are working for egg production,
 We must first pick out our good, stDong
 bullets, and then secure males fpm
 lDown strain of heavy layers. The3trap
 nest must be employed so that wA may
 know which of our bullets are the best
 layers and breed only from them. This
 work of selection must not be limited to one or two years It must be the rule every year.
 Male Line Should Not Be Changed Having established record pale line, 1t should never be changed. Nsw blood must be infused on the female side. To change males annually would be going backward.
 It is well known that pen of record layers are, as rule, an uneven lot in ap pearance. l have pen of White Wyan- dotte hens that as yearlings are doing better work than any other pen of pull cts ever owned, and don't believe ono
 hen in that pen would have chance of recognition from a poultry judge. Yet
 would not trade them for the best ex- hibition pen in the country-not for my purpose; raising eggs for market There may be something in the selec ton of layers according to type. When Tom Barron delivered his lecture at Storrs college. he said that a good layer rsuclly stands high in front and her back is not on level nor the rear high CT than the front. The best producers usually have large combs. high tail and a prominent, large, bright eye Mir. Bar ron also said that upon handling the
 birds he found that most of the best layers have thin, Straight pelvic bones He likes the wedge shape, rather narrow In front, but wide behind and wide be- tween the legs.
 | fully believe that. for an average, that | type is valuable, but I have hens among my very best layers that are just the re- verse. Nevertheless the beginner will | r,ake no mistake In following out that class.
 Trap Nest Is Necessary So. rather than rely on type I will continue to resort to the trap nest. I know then that the information l get is bound to be accurate. There is no other method by which 1t is possible to know which are the sons of the best layers. To maintain a great laying strain, no cockerel should be used which was not