South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-24

to introduce new blood. the rule
should be 10 do so-not just because
il is new blood. but. also. because it
is superior to your own i'm vigor and
other ways.
1t is very difficult TO raise stand
ard bred birds if new blood is add
ed TO the flock each year. You may
buy a pure bred male to mate with
your pure bred females. and later
find that the two strains failed to
mick" properly. That is, the mat
ing may throw offspring with defec-
tive combs. disprOportion or poor
color. which will take several gem
erations Of special breeding TO elm
mate. In short. the advent of new
blood is a speculation.
Two Divisions of the Same Strain.
a better way to introduce new
blood is 10 take two years to do il,
and experiment. with individuals.
Purchase a few hens Of the desired
strain and mate them to your best
males, or secure a couple of outside
males and mate them to your best
females; then study their offspring
for year. and if satisfactory, mate
the new blood TO the balance Of the
flock
There is no evidence TO prove that
line breeding" initiates degeneracy.
providing reasonable care is eXer-
cised each year in selecting vigor-
Gus breeders, and there is a large
number of fowls from which TO
choose. The danger becomes even
more remote if two divisions OF the
same blood are kept going year aft
err year. This consists of keeping
two distinct strains or matings on
the same farm. both of which have
common ancestry. but which grow
I farther apart every year. Every
season the males of one line are
mated TO the females of the other
/ line, and vice versa. these lines hav-
ling been started by mating the best
male 10 the best female, and con-
tinuing the second generation by
mating the original male to his
daughters, or the original hen 10 the
son. Proceeding in a similar man
ner for the third generation, the
original hen To her grandson, which
I practically eliminates from each
/ line its original respective sire or
dam. 1t is difficult to explain this
system of line breeding in writing,
but if YOU viii make chart of it
and get down to actual figures. you
will soon sec that it is very simple.
Crossing * Generally Bad.
Sometime in the career of every
poultryman there is the temptation
/ 10 cross breeds with "a view TO i'm
proving one of their qualities. in
most instances this crossing Of two
pure breeds is a mistake. The ap-
/ pearance alone of a flock of cross
I bred fowls when compared with the
/ pure breeds whence they originated
should convince anyone that this is
la bad plan. The first cross is not SO
\ bad. perhaps. and occasionally il
I engenders some slight advantage in
egg production or weight, but these
/ "hybridS" should not be mated in
any way. either among themselves
or back OF their parents. Therefore.
/ 10 continue cross breeding at all
practically. IL is necessary TO main
tain two distinct pure breeds year
after year. and 10 destroy the
'hybrids" as soon as they cease TO
I be profita BILE This occasions many
3 separate houses and yards for the
J sexes of each pure breed. and for
the crosses, which is both expensive
and trou blesome.
Sometimes il is profitable TO
\ grade up" "A flock OF mongrels,
such as are found on many general
farms. by introducing pure-b bred
males. Pure-bred males OF the same
variety should be used year after
year. however. and not the males
from the offspring Of the first cross
In the course Of four or five genera
ltions. with careful selection. il is
possible 10 grade ny" the original