Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-25
Results Prove Conclusively
There Is No One Best
Breed For Layers
Early Layer Is Quite Certain
to Be the All-Year Layer
BY NJ. l.. CHAPMAN

Judge, BreeueT ana WTlleT.
With the advent of the official egg
laying contests an impetus has been
given the poultry industry which is I'm
keeping with modern scientific meth
DDS. These contests have marked
new era in the poultry industry and
have encouraged breeders in all parts
of the world to produce fowls which
will lay large numbers of eggs Mt all
seasons of the year.
The egg-laying contests are to the
breeder of utility stock what the poul-
try shows are to the fancier. 1t gives
him an opportunity to study the re-
suits of his laoors when his fowls are
placed under uniform conditions and
in competition with those of other
breeders.
1t was in Australia that the idea of
egg g-laying contests first attracted at
tention and shortly after the various
state agricultural experiment stations
in this country took them up as part
Of their official work which came un-
der the direction of their professors of
poultry husbandry.
The methods of the various contests
vary slightly in different states. but
| they are mostly uniform in general
management. A house large enough
| to accommodate ten birds is arranged
for each pen. and it is fitted with a
run in which the birds may exercise
and have access to growing green food.
| In some contests there are only five or
six birds to a pen, and these are con-
Quoted along the same lines as where
| ten birds are used.
| The contests usually open on the
first of November and continue for
twelve months. The pullets intended
| 70 compete in the contest are shipped
so as to arrive at the contest grounds
on the evening before. or on the first
| DAY of November. An extra pullet Is
sent along to be held in reserve in case
| of accident to any of the regular con-
| testants, when she may be used as a
substitute in order to keep the number
of the pen intact. No male birds are
used in the pens and 1t has been found
that their absence does not affect the
production of eggs. On the arrival of
the birds at the contest grounds each
bird is banded with an official leg band
and the birds are then placed in their
respective permanent quarters. All of
| the houses are fitted alike. each con-
tains trap nests and the same kind of
feeding equipment.
All Pens Fed Alike
All competing pens are fed alike in
every respect with rations that have
been prepared and mixed according to
the regular formulas which are in
practice at that particular station. The
birds are not disturbed by anyone ex-
and waters them and gathers the eggs.
1t often occurs that eggs are laid on
the, floor or outside of the trap nest, in
which case the egg is credited to the
pen, but to no particular bird.
Since the establishment of egg
laying contests in this country many
valuable lessons have been learned
which have been of inestimabe value
10 breeders and those interested in the
poultry industry. Feeding problems
have been satisfactorily solved and
methods of handling fowls so as to in
sure the greatest production of eggs.
No One Best Breed
IL has been demonstrated conclu-
sively that there is no one best breed
or variety of fowls. 1t has also been
proved that American breeds, varieties
and strains can lead the world. 1t for
ever removes the doubt that general
purpose fowls (so-called), such as
Rhode Island Reds. do not lay as many
eggs in year as the lighter or ESQ.,
called) egg-producing breeds such as
| LeghornS, Minorcas, Hamburgs and
Anconas. From the records it has
been shown that pen of Rhode Island
Reds had an average of 20S eggs, q
pen of Barred Rocks an average of
210 eggs, q pen of White Rocks 206
eggs and a pen of White Wyandottes
an average of 210 eggs. These records
are indisputable evidence that there
are great possibilities with the heavier
breeds as egg producers.
BrOotliness Must Be Stopped
The wonderful showing made by the
heavier varieties Is largely due to the
management of the fowls while broody.
Broodiness in fowls does not hold the
same terrors for the average poultry
man since the egg-laying contests have
proved that this condition can be con-
| aXfanf io
little loss of egg yield during that
period. The question of broodiness and
its relation to egg production has re-
ceived considerable study, and regard
iess of general opinion 1t is evident
that both egg production and broodi-
ness are part of Natures plan to re-
produce the fowl and. therefore, closely
related to each other. 1t has been
shown that broodiness is condition
Of the brain and not of the body. The
time the hen goes broodv- she is in