Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-10
MATING BREEDING PENS
SHOULD Be CONSIDERED
Health, Vitality, Standard Require
ments and Productivcness Things
to BE Carefully Studied Out.
POINTS NOT 10 BE OVERLOOKED
Number OF Males Needed, and Per-
= sistency OF Fcrtility-Only Birds
OF Standard Qualities Should Ec
Mated-Clean Bill Of Health.

Ihdtcu-Clcan Blll or Health.
The very first rule that every poul-
try-keepcr must learn is that health is
the vital issue in the selection of
breeding stock. 1t does not matter
how good n bird may be in regard TO
plumage. shape, size. productiveness
and 40 on, il it cannot show Il clean
bill OF health II should never be given
place in the breeding pen.
Fortunately. the contrast between u
healthy, vigorous individual and n
sickly anemic bird is so striking that
even the inexperienced person Will have
sirable specimens. AS may be observed.
the strong, healthy, vigorous bird has
clear. bright eye; II has we'll dcvel-
oped. bright-read head points: il Is
well-set up on sturdy legs: active and
busy from morning until dark; has
clean. glossy plumuge; a med!um-shor
well-developed head. and is in good
fesh In all sections Of the body. The
anemic individual. on the other hand.
Us easily distinguished by It's duh, life
less eye; pale. shrunkcn comb and wat
ties: thin, spindly legs. which are often
cold TO the touch: dirty. scragsly plum
age; long crow-like head and sharp
brcastbont.
Clean Dill of Health.
Tho difference between health and
disease Is not always so sharply con-
trasted, and for this reason the poul-
tryman should be sufficiently familiar
with his birds to know whether or not
any OF them that are apparently In
good health at the time the breeding
pens arc mated. have ever been af-
fccted with roup. diphtheria or SINH
lar diseases. IT goe: almost without
saying that such birds should not be
used for rcpr objective purposes.
AS the main objective of all breed
creased productivcncss. this point
should be considered next In import
ancc TO the selection OF the breeders.
Therefore. let us examine few char
actertsticS on this score. Those who
use nests can select the heaviest pro-
duccrs by simple reference to their
records. Those who have no such
records must resort TO other methods.
And in this case the following plan
!S suggested:
Other things being equal. select the
developed. bright-red combs. Choose
birds that are deep and broad in tho
ahdominai region; birds that have soft.
backs and good width between the legs:
ana so far as can be determined. select
those that NOTED late.
If you have been following these
points all through tnn year and culled
the hens for produc;ivcncss las, fan.
work at this time. BY selling tho early
nolters and yellow legged birds last
iail, most OF the Stacker hens viii have
been eliminated. lie sure TO do this
next year II II was overlooked the past
season.
Mate for Standard Qualities.
The selection for standard require
mcnts liz nothing more or less than fol-
lowing the specifications adopted by the
lection. The dneren, 'Ereeds and va
rteties have various requirements az 10
plumagc shape size and SO on, and the
breeder must faniliarize himself with
these qualifications so as to maintain
the accepted practices.
n its g n cf,rl n inc
utility with standard requirements We
know that such combination is pos
ter how small are his operations. should
make an earnest cnort 10 reach this
ideal obviously. it is Of equal i'm
such specifications as are given in
the Standard for each breed.
We now come TO certain phases OF
females TO cI. CHI male, and the time that
must lapse after mating before the eggs
be used for Matching.
The relation between the number of
females and males differs widely with
various breeds, The heavy fowls, such
are usually mated about eight females
10 each male. with the medium weight
Island Island Reds and NEVERTHELESS. one male male
TO every ten or fifteen females is cor
rect: and with the light, active breeds.
cas-, from fifteen TO Twenty-Five females
are mated TO one male. Where the
stock has free range during the breed
ing season 1t is possible to increase
the proportions given above without
any noticeable effect on the fertility
Of the eggs.
such tests as have been made as to
the time required for the production
OF fertile eSgs after the pen has been
mated. and the presidency OF fertility
a fter the male has been removed. show
that eggs may be used for Matching on
the third or fourth day following the
mating. and that the hens viii produce
fertile eggs for at least ten days after
the male has been removed. In con-
ncction with these tests IL has been
shown that fertility in some individuals
persisted for practically three weeks
After the male was removed This
would indicate that at least weeks
be reasonably certain that the inhu-
ence or previous mating has been
Aside from productivencss. as In
ticated by external charac,erist ties
most of the points discussed apply to
males as we'll as to females. with par
and vitality. In the choice OF the male
this Is OF extreme Importance To IL
luStrate. ii Is considered better to have
a strong, sturdy. pure-hred male of
unkn own ancestry as regards his in
hcritcd ability 10 beget productive on
spring, than constitutionally weak
male whose pedigree showed a descen,
from long line of phenomenal per-
formers
Since the ability of any given male
70 transmit high ,prepotency TO his
Tested through actual breeding opera
lions the average poultry keeper can
III amoTd to give much weight to this
should do the very best he can in this
respect, but the main issue is 10 rhooso
io nr health ca IN; and yigor. and as previously
age must likewise be given con