Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-05-17
PLAN INCREASED
EGG PRODUCTION
Interesting Experiment Being
Made to Show Value of
Breeding and Selection.
TO DETERMINE GOOD LAYERS
Not Necessary for Flock Owner to Use
Trapnest to Detect Best Fowls
Hard Worker Can Be Told
by Lateness of MouIting.
prepared by the United States Department
of Arr

prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)
With no other equipment than good
eyes, a sense of judgment, and a de-
termination to apply little knowl-
edge, the average farm poultry raiser
can increase the egg production of his
flock in single season, according to
the United States Department of Agri-
culture. An interesting experiment is
being made on the departments ex-
perimental farm to show the value Of
breeding and selecting daughters from
good producing hens for layers, and
the possibility of determining these
good layers by only seeing and han
ding them. One years results are
now available and clearly prove the
advantages of selecting the good lay
ers in the flock by their appearance
and retaining only their daughters for
egg production.
Detect Heavy Layers.
1t is natural to assume that the
daughters of hens that are longtime
layers will in turn be long-distance
performers, and it Is not necessary for
the farm-fock owner to use a trapnest
to detect these heavy layers. Improve
selecting these good layers but much
progress can also be made in the
spring by breeding only from the best
hens in the flock. In the fall the hard
worker can be determined by the late
ness of her moulting. Her weathered
and ragged appearance late In the fall,
provided it Is not from i'll health,
means that she is still in her summer
working clothes and bent on keeping
up the good work of the summer as
long as her energy lasts. The late
moulter is the one to select at that
time and from which to save the eggs
in the spring for Matching
For the work on the experimental
farm, 80 late moulters were selected
from 100 pullets that had laid all sum-
mer. The daughters from these 80
selected layers produced in one year
a return above feed cost of $1.65 more
per bird than the hens in the original
dock. Other f1ocks have been started
on the experimental farm to further
demonstrate that the high-producing
hens can be selected without the aid
Of a trapnest and that their daughters
retained in the flock will increase the
average OF the egg production.
Mark Heavy Layers.
During the winter it often is pos
sible to note the hens that are laying.
Remembering that hen in order to
be large producer should be winter
layer, it is advisable to mark these
winter layers and in the breeding sea-
son separate them from the rest OF
the flock and save their eggs for the
spring hatch The main thing to strive
for in a farm flock to make it pay well
is large egg production. Large egg
production goes hand in hand with
vigor and stamina. Select the hens
that are alert and that are early off
the roost. Medium sized hens are
often the best layers. Large, fat hens
often lack vigor.
This test by the department serves
to show that great Improvement In
the average egg yield is obtained by
knowing the good layers and by hatch
Ing the future layers from them. While
a trapnest is the sure method of Sc
lection, it is seldom practical on the
average farm. Hence, a little time
devoted to selection from observation
may be well spent.