Show NEED MODEL HEN SAYS long life and good laying qualities count by prot prof J 0 poultry department state college collare service Poultry men nee need d a change of style in breeding objectives the model hen should be long lived as well as a good layer the first breeding ot of chickens was tor for fighting purposes one of the ancestors of the rhode island red the most popular breed in massachusetts was the malay red game bird birds bred for the fighting pit naturally were rugged strong birds from fighting qualities some of the poultry bleeders breeders bre edera eders turned to size as the alm aim of their breeding work later show type and color were given the greatest prominence by leading breeders bleeders bre eders many new breeds and varieties were developed in america during the period from 1870 to 1910 since that time the trend has been toward higher egg production with some sobie attention given to increasing the size of eggs the efforts of bleeders breeders bre edera eders to increase production have progressed to the extent that in many of the better poultry flocks no birds are used as breeders bleeders bre eders unless they have produced at least eggs during their pullet pallet year accompanying this increase in egg production there lias has been an alarming increase in the mortality of pullets during the laying year in the state college flock records during the past laying season indicate that more than 80 per cent of the deaths were caused by some body weakness rather than by infectious diseases carefully kept records in laying contests and at other agricultural colleges show the same general situation the emphasis on show how type and on high production over a period of years yeara to the neglect of vitality and energy has resulted in a gradual decline in the durability of the average highly bred poultry flock the modern hen have the constitution to stand the strain of her own high production the pou tryman must correct this condition by locating the long lived families of hens heas in his flock and using birds from those families as breeders bleeders bre eders and the foundation stock tor for his future flocks |