Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-15
THE POULTRY YARD
LAYING coNrEsTs.
BY ED WEBER

In two special cases lately, ana IN
number of minor ones, crest eHort
mas been made to interest poultry melt
III egg-laying contests. These contests
are valuable from one or two points Oh
view. they are practical demonstra-
lions OF the laying proclivities or the
hen, and serve to. SHOW what may pc
expected and obtained in the produce
ton, of eggs under favorable condi-
tions. They furnish basis upon which
to figure possible profits from AN egg
farm. but after ALL the deductions OF
the experimenters do not contain any
information that Is really new.
The scheme is of great individual
advantage to those who participate ip
| it provided their fowls make credlta-
| bic showing, > because the buying
public is led to believe, and OFTEN times
lcorrectly. that the owners OF the heayy
layers have a good laying strain OF
| their variety and this influences orders
for stock and eggs from those VINO
wish to make a specially of egg pro-
| duction.
| Can't Always Use Same Care.
The methods of care and feeding
during the contests can not be adopted
as the best at all times in all locations,
and under all conditions, because just
as good records have been made in the
past with different methods. The plan
merely demonstrates that in that par
tioular case John Jones Plymouth
Rocks did better than John Smiths
SWyandottes. The greatest harm ls
done by creating an impression with
beginners and thoughtless people that
the variety which laid the greater
number Of eggs in the contest is the
better variety for egg production.
1 For instance, If q pen of plymouth
Rocks gets first place for largest num-
Der of eggs laid, there is with many
people q tendency to the impression
that Plymouth Rocks are the best lay
ers, regardless Of how they are bred or
from whence they come. Indeed. there
may be found breeders who use this as
a means of drawing business by claim
ing first place for specified variety as
a whole, and their stock in particular
as being the best egg producers be-
cause pen of that variety came out
first in the contest.
Others surfer by Comparison.
In this way all varieties except the
winning one suffer positive injury IN
comparison with it. and still the most
casual analysis of the reports shows
/ the fallacy Of such a position. 'There
may be found pens Of birds in the con-
ltest that are near the bottom OF the
Hist which are Of the same variety as
the leaders, which proves conclusively
that all Iseghorn Plymouth Rocks or
whatever the winning variety may be.
are not the same in egg production and
one can not expect to duplicate the
record of the leaders unless he prot
cures birds from the same flock or an-
other just as good. Laying contests,
both private and public, have been
| conducted for years, and it Is seldom
that the same variety comes out first
| in any two Of them. This Is one of the
strongest proofs that there is no best
| breed.
Trap Your Hens; Gull Poor Layers.
It is only fair to all breeds and to
those persons who contemplate chang
| ing breeds or going into the business
to call attention to these points. 1t has
been demonstrated time and again that
birds Of some of the varieties common
iiy credited with the smallest egg pro-
| duction will lay more eggs than will
some specimens Of the varieties cred
i tied with the largest egg production
The surest and most direct method Of
obtaining the greatest number Of eggs
is to keep record and Gull the poor
,llayer from the flock Mate and breed