Show IMPROVEMENT IN POULTRY FLOCK SHOULD BE MADE EVERY SEASON VIGOROUS STOCK FIRST ESSENTIAL Only the Best Layers Should Be Retained for Breeding Breed Breed- ing Purposes ELIMINATE FRAIL HENS Use of Trap Nest Will Help Owners Build Up Good Utility Flock H Dy Michael I K IC Doer IIo Poultry Editor of or the Farm Journal COPYRIGHT 1915 Selection of tho the right breeding stock stockIs Is an Important element In the success with poultry In this article Mr Ir Boyer DOel I tells the qualities that br breeding breeding- eding stock should possess and points out how the owner ma may Increase the productiveness of or his flock each cach year ear b by makl the proper selection I LY by careful s selection lection and proper U O ONLY breeding can wo we hope to build up tip the utility qualities of ot our flocks i ie We e o must aim aim each year ear to show an 1 m p ro ye men t. t It must not be forgotten that while white It Is important that wo we havo good strong hens the thi influence of ot the tho male is the greatest factor Success cannot be bo obtained without good strong healthy breeding stock to begin with and the they must be kept in good heal health tho thoA A frail fraU delicate hen should not be permitted in tho the breeding pen no matter matter matter mat mat- ter y ho good Rood a la layer laer er she ma Ina may be Such an IndivIdUal will produce inferior offspring offspring off off- spring on account of her own physical weakness If H wo we are arc working for tor egg production we ue must first pick out our good strong pullets and then secure males from n a known strain of hell heavy V la layers ers The trap nest neste must be bo employed so that we may know which of our pullets are the best hest layers lavers and breed only onh from them This work of ot selection m must st not be limited to one or two years jears It must be bo therul the tho rul rule every year e Male Line Should Not ot ut n Be Having IIa cst established a a. record male line Une It Jt should never no be bo changed Now Mow blood must be Infused on the female female- side To change chango males annually would be bo going backward It is well known that a a. pen of ot record layers are arc as a rule an unc en lot In appearance I have havo a pen of ot White hue Wyandotte hens that as yearlings are aro doin doing better work than an any other pen of pullets I lover over owned and r I dont don't believe ono one hen In th that t pin pen would haa ha have hap havea a a. chance ct of ot re recognition from n a poultry j Judge dge Yet I would not trade them for tor the best exhibition pen len in tho the country coun coun- try not try not for tor my purpose raising eggs for tor market markot There Thero may be something ii in tho the selection selection tion of ot according to type when Whon I Tom Barron delivered erell his lecture Jecture at Storrs college he said sahl that a good layer lajer usually stands high In front and herback herback her herback back is not on a level leel nor the rear higher than th the tho front The best producers producers producers pro pro- usually have large combs high hightail tall tail and a prominent bright o oye e. e Mr Barren Barron also aloo said that upon handling the birds s ho found that most moat of the best layers have thin straight pelvic pol bones bonos He lie likes the tho wedge shape rather rath rath- er cr narrow In front hut but wide behind and wide between the tho legs I fully believe that for tor an average n I that type is valuable but I have Ve hens among m my very ery best layers levers that are Juet just the reverse Nevertheless the tho be beginner be- be ginner gInne will make no ko In following fol following fol- fol lowing JawIng out that class cass Trap I In Is orr rT So rather than rely reh on type I will continue to resort to the trap traIl nest I know then that the information I get Is 15 bound to b bo be accurate There Is no other method b by which It is possible to know lenow which are the soni sous of the best layers To maintain a great laying a strain no cockerel should be used which was not bred from hens which laid OO eggs or more This Is a point that must bo be considered considered considered con con- seriously Yearling hens are best be for tor breeding By Dy yearling Is meant a n. year from the time of ot Its Ita first starting to lay In other words word the real as age of ot a n. yearling p I i Is about eighteen months Quite a n number of ot tho breeders trap nest only the pullets and from this record make their selection Some trap nest from October 1 to June especially those who are arc mating for tor strong winter egg pro pro- No fowl should be bo u wiled used In the breedIng breedIng breeding breed- breed Ing pen that has ever been sick a Il day In its life The trouble with poultry once sick Is li that no one can bo be quits sure turo that the they have been cured perfectly per per- and the weakness or tendency to disease ma may be transmitted to chickens chick chick- ons ens hatched from their eggs Too much stress cannot be placed upon the importance of or strong strong- constitutions constitutions constitutions vigor activity and plenty of life lite In the foundation stock Inbreeding mu must t be ba old a avoided d If It we wish to build up a healthy health laying strain No record hens were ever so- so cur l by Inbreeding At the tho same time no progress can bo be made by bv continually continual continual- ly h tampering with tho the malo male line As Assaid Assaid Assaid said before new blood must come como through the addition of or a few tew hens to the breeding flock Small lied Best for tor Breeding I further believe that the strongest birds both birds both from health and egg- egg production on points of view V view come come ome from small families It Is Impossible to have hae the same stamina from flock lock mat- mat Ings inga that we can from single rho Tho past years I have havo carefully Investigated Investigated the results from these lar large c flocks Clocks and have c become thoroughly thorough convinced cOD that for foundation stock i the they are arc a n. failure Proportionately l I more eggs are aro laid b by small flocks than from largo large ones one and there Is less likely to be disease I have havo never had stronger or better checks than when I mate ten hens of the American class or six hens of ot the Asiatic class to two brothers alternatIng alternating alternating ing them each week in the breeding pen I have o the tho greatest faith In this alternating alter alter- rating system having followed It for tor quite a number of years But I believe the males malos should be related and If possible bred from tram the tho same hen Now by improving ench each year I Ido Ido Ido do not mean so 80 much tho the Increasing nJ of the tho individual 1 records record as I do the tho In Increasing Increasing inCreasing In- In creasing of ot the average records for tor the flock I find out which pullets la lay tho the most eggs from November 1 to June 1 which lay the most perfect and the tho best shaped eggs and which hens show V the best beet breeding qualities I want to Improve Improve improve Im Im- im- im prove all aJl the utility qualities qualities and and s-and and that should bo be the tho aim of all beginners Start Stort Small but Start Right This question of ot improvement Is hi one worthy of ot close s study sudy udy and the beginner begin begin- ner must be wide awake awake- to Its tance Start small but start right Make the tho foundation good and secure A successful poultry farm can never be built bunt upon any but a sound foundation As S one starts starts' he generally ends A man beginning with mongrels will generally continue to be a n. mongrel breeder Ono One of at the most successful poultry poultry- men In this countr country began with six strong vigorous hens hons that not only had a grand ec- ec egg record back lh of ot them them but could likewise boast of ot a hard hardy relationship To these theBo was mated mateda a strong vigorous male bird bred from froma troma a record hen From that family this eventually built up the finest finest fin fin- est st lot of ot money makers that I ever saw Looking forward and working to that end is what t makes and likewise makes poultry strains Having Ha secured the required stock the beginner must not only aim to make Improvement each year but ho he must right from the start study their requirements and give o I them theta the proper care |