The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-27
By MRS. J. C. MOSES

By MRS. J. C. MOSES
 The old-time, so-called, "dyed-in-the- wool, fancier was interested primarily :n producing birds of high exhibition quality and too frequently had no con ceru in taeir ability to produce eggs. Practical poultrymen today demand fowls that have reproducing ability back of them This fact has led the breeders of standard bred poultry to see that if they are to take advantage of all possible profitable outlets for their stock they must pay more attention to productive ness. There is happy medium between the hgh-quality show ring type and the productive egg-yielding type. Breeders of exhibition birds, as well' as poultry raisers in the business for eggs and meat. should strive for this utility show-ring type.
 Beauty and utility in happy combina- tion as depicted by the most profitable farm fowls. are attributes which merit wider imitation among poultry keepers. Symmetry of form, uniformity of charac- teristic and trueness of type, rather than superficial, skin-deep beauty, are desired in producing profitable poultry, together with the ability to maintain liberal and persistent production of eggs.
 Hen husbandry has suffered because of factional fracases between specialized fancers and the utility producers who aspire chiefly for eggs according to specialist of the United States depart ment of agriculture. Fanciers have bred for show-ring attributes with comparative disregard for proficiency in egg making, while utility breeders have gone after egg flow. However, just as the Holstein COW which wins the blue ribbon at the fair is judged not only on her form, con formation, quality and type, but also on the quality and quantity of her milk yeild, so are poultry being judged on their production and sightiness in cor respondence with breeding characters. Birds of superior viger and vitality are necessary, as these qualities are the basis of both successful egg. yield and premier exhibition attributes.
 MAY GO HAND IN HAND
 Utility and show ring poultrymen oft en are at outs over nothing. There is nothing in the standard requirements directly opposed to utility, and vice versa. Ambition of certain breeders to intensity and develop special qualities in their fowls has resulted, however, in a loss of constitutional vigor and, con sequently. egg producing ability. Breed CTS who handle fancy fowls whose stan dard requirements demand extreme su- perficial characters, such as excessive de- NelOpnenI or COnlD, ldCe, UT crest, SdtiSly such conditions usually at the expense of utility qualities.
 Unfortunately the opinion prevails among many breeders of utility poultry, who never have attempted to breed for exhibition quality that because fowls satisfy the standard requirements they must, of necessity, be poor producers. This is an erroneous idea. The ambition of the leading show men is not only to exhibit fowls of the best breeding type, but also birds which emphasize profitable egg production. More and more each year. poultry fanciers appreciate that the birds which are to be consistent winners must possess not only shapely form but also profitable and persistent egg-laying abil- ity
 EXCEPTIONAL FOWL IN FLOCK
 The number of record breaking fowl in any flock as ar rule is small, both from an exhibition standpoint as well as from that of production. It is always more difficult to breed for 8 high development of a combination of characters than it is to obtain intensification of single char acter Any experienced breeder appre- ciates that if he concentrates for the production of meat combs, and disregards other points, he will progress in the pro- duction of fine heads. But in so doing he will have neglected the other qualities which go to make up exhibition birds, and in the long run he will not accom- plish as much as if he improved the heads simultaneously with other poultry characters.