Show I POULTRY FLOCK IMPROVEMENT RESULTS 1 FROM RIGHT GRADING UP PRACTICE tit ney r s J Ai I The Promising Pullet Shown Below Is the Offspring of the Mongrel Hen and This Purebred Rooster Prepared by the United States Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of ot Agriculture Grading up up a a breeding practice which has hns been fundamental In Improving improving Im im- im proving provins dairy herds throughout the United States is States is just as ns applicable for the betterment of poultry flocks which respond as rapidly to the Introduction introduction Intro Intro- of superior foreign blood particularly particularly particularly par par- by the use of standard standard bred bred males as to dairy cows Many a farmer is deterred from the purchase of standard-bred standard fowls at the offset because because because be be- cause perhaps his neighbor may tell him him that it is time and money wn wasted ted to monkey with standard breeds when he can secure Just as ns good fowls in his immediate neighborhood at half the price The just as os good mongrel fowls fowl's never ve g the results which come from the use of well well bred bred stock Sooner or later to his sorrow the poultry man ascertains this fact Then he lie is desirous of working with standard standard stand stand- ard breeds but he hesitates because he tie doesn't like to sacrifice the fowls he tie has lias on hand in order to purchase quality birds If If possible the beginner In poultry keepIng should start with well-bred well foundation stock butin but in case he begins work with grades there still Is an an opportunity for him to improve his stock By the use of carefully selected select select- ed standard bred males the flock owner may grade up his flock so that In n three or four generations he will have pullets and hens of superior egg and meat producing qualities Special emphasis ho however ever should be laid on the he fact that it is preferable to to purchase purchase pur pur- chase the standard-bred standard breeding stock to o start with and not to attempt grad grad- log fag up under other conditions Grading Up Tested Specialists of the United States department department department de de- of agriculture have obtained I Isome some Interesting results in poultry breeding work at the government experImental experimental ex- ex farm Beltsville Md where they hey have mated mongrel hens of un unknown unknown unknown known known lineage with standard bred standard bred males Up to the present the particular lar ar purposes of these investigations have been to increase the size and weight as well as to Improve the time uniformity uni uni- uniformity of type of the progeny y The study will doubtless be continued to cover over egg production and the trans trans- w i mil W i r 1 Pf ii i a Promising Pullet mission and Improvement of other hen characteristics during the near future Standard Standard bred bred white Plymouth Rock Rcck m males les were crossed with mongrel hens which weighed only pounds apiece piece The first generation progeny of this union at the same age had an average weight height of pounds apiece while the grade fowls composing the second generation weighed an average average aver- aver age ge of pounds apiece at the same age ge and those of the third generation pounds apiece The gain due to increased size and meat meat making making ties les which resulted the first year from the he crossing work amounted to pounds per bird Naturally the greatest greatest great- great est st increase came during the first step stepIn In n the grading up-grading Work when the standard standard bred bred male was mated with witha ft a mongrel hen The Increase resulting from rom the mating of another standard- standard bred red male of the same breed with the pullet of the above cross was not so great Teat amounting to only 03 of a n pound pound while the gain of the third years year's ears ear's Investigations totaled of a pound The total gain as shown by these three Generations Of intensive upgrading work amounted to pounds a bird Other Tests Similar Similar experiments were carried out by the use of barred Plymouth Rock males of standard breeding with mongrel mon mon- grel greI hens Results were almost as noteworthy The weight of the original mal inal mongrels were 44 pounds apiece while the tile grade progeny of the first generation weighed pounds at the same age ase those of the second generation generation gen gen- pounds and the birds of the third generation pounds y o y t 1 l Q V j r. r l i. 0 f 61 p L F if ri v B 1 T v. v Mongrel Hen The gain In weight the first year sear from this Improved breed breeding Ins work amounted amounted amount amount- ed to pounds while that of the second year was 0 59 pounds and that of the third year 0 27 pounds making a total gain during the three generations generations genera senera of 2 09 pounds From Prom the standpoint of meat production production production pro pro- this upgrading work should be extremely profitable to th the average average aver aver- age farmer as the investigations show conclusively that the Introduction of superior blood Into the flock by the utilization of a standard-bred standard male Increases the producing meat and size size- Increasing ability of the progeny If the progeny of a n grade hen united with a n standard bred standard bred male will weigh one and one half to two pounds more at market time than will the same aged offspring of a n mongrel hen and anda a common It should be easy to con com convince ace eee every farmer that it will be bemore bemore more profitable for him to keep better better bet bet- ter blood In his flock |