Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-02-16
POULTRY
CONSULTING DEPARTMENT

lContinued from last Weak

CONTINUED from last Week.
hen lays an egg she us exercising her
organs of reproduction, and these or
gans cannot be eoverworked in any
member of the animal kingdom with
out developing weakness in the Off
| spring. Does it not seem unreason-
able to select the very best layers
from any flock and expect them to
make safe breeders? Have they not
produced eggs so far in excess of
their sisters, who they are like in so
many respects, that it would be safe
to assume that they have passed the
danger point in egg production for
breeder? The fact that these heavy
producers do not produce heavy-lay-
/ ing fiocks clearly indicates that they
have been overworked. This, perhaps,
explains the failure of the Maine sta
ton to develop a strain of hens capa-
bic of producing 200 eggs a year. At
the Maine station the 200-egg LAYERS
In strain of Barred Plymouth Rocks
that had been laying an average of
| 10 to 100 eggs a year were selected
and bred; but at the end Of seven
years it was found that the average
egg yield of the flocks thus produced
was not materially better than that of
the original strain.
These results are no argument
against selective breeding, but thew
go to show that poultry breeders, by
making trap nest records a basis of
selection, have made the same mis-
take that breeders of dairy cattle
made in selecting breeding animals
on the strength Of the dam being adj
mitted to the advanced registry on
the basis of her own production re-
cord alon. 1t is a plain, common sense
proposition that the mere fact that a
COW is admitted to the registry tells
one nothing of the future prospects of
her heifer calves as producers. On
the other hand, bull is eligible to
advanced registry if a certain num-
Der of his daughters have made per-
1 Torrance records which entitle them
to entry in the advanced registry. He
is there because he has demonstrated
his ability TO perpetuate his high dairy
/ qualities In his progeny. He has dem
onstrated his breeding-on qualities
/ The COW has shown nothing except
/ that she is a good mixer She too
often is worthless as a breeder. Do
not the same laws of heridity apply
with equal force to poultry breeding?
Is not the cock with a large number
of daughters in the 200-egg class of
more value as a breeding-on force
than the one that is kept simply on
the strength Of his dams egg record
Only the scientist or the expert
menter who has the necessary equip
ment and the time required for expert
menting can hope to ferret out to a
certainty family lines in egg produc-
ton. The farmer who is interested in
breeding along practical utility lines
will find it possible to develop a flock
OF efficient egg producers by selecting
females from appearance alone. Birds
that show superior physical vigor as
manifested by the symmetrical devel-
opment of all parts Of the body, bright
glossy plumage, quick, alert actions,
bright eyes, singing and cackling, will
naturally be good layers, healthy and
full of vitality. Such birds when mat
ed with vigorous male from fam
lily Of heavy-laying qualities will not
only maintain the health and vigor OF
the flock but will invariably increase
an already good egg yield
The selection of superior males to
improve egg producing qualities in the
flock is the most practical way of OBJ
tanning results at a moderate cost
The purchase of settings of eggs in
~
breeding for utility and egg produc-
ton, is cheap and common way of
buying cockerels. Always buy of
some breeder where the history of
egg production is well known. BY Sc
lecting some of the best females for
the breeding pens and mating them
with two males from good laying an
cestry the males will exert greater
influence in upbuilding the flock than
the entire flock of females.
Many poultry-keepers have attempt
ed to produce an ideal flock by cross
ing the different breeds. No student
Of breeding problems need be enlight-
ened upon the result of such practice. |
Breeding for uniformity of product
should be the purpose of every poul- |
try keeper. Men who keep mixed |
flocks cannot sell eggs for Matching. !
cockerels for breeding, day-old chicks |
or mature breeding stock. The prob |
lem of marketing is greatly simplified |
when one keeps a flock of standard |
bred poultry. Any business with q |
large outlook can be made more prof |
liable than one with few possibilities |
These facts are enough to prove that |
pure-bred poultry, bred for practical |
utility, can be made far more profit |
able than mongrels.
To get a better percentage of fer |
tility and eggs that will hatch we'll it I
is best to keep the male birds away |
from the female during the winter, or |
at least for a few weeks before the |
breeding pens are made up. This will /
give the male birds more vitality and |
they will be more attentive to the
hens when they run together. The re-
suit is a greater number of strongly /
fortified eggs. If possible, it is best |
to have pens that accommodate about |
20 birds; and use two males, allowing /
one or two with the flock one day and |
the other the next. This avoids con-
tinual fighting which seriously inter-
feres with the proper fertilization of |
the eggs. More fertile eggs will re- |,
suit in this way than when the two
male birds have the run of the same
pen at the same time.
IL the breeding stock is thus care
fully selected the battle is half won;