OCR Text |
Show BREED POULTRY FOR RESULTS Difficulty In Mating Unrelated Birds Is to Find Strains With Like Characteristics. "Few people realize the advantages advan-tages of breeding together unrelated birds. Every time they are mated a decided improvement is had In their young, In exhibition and utility qualities, qual-ities, slzo and extreme hardiness." The above statement was made by E. R. Philo of New York, a man who has done much experimenting along the line of breeding. Line breeding is dangerous unless thoroughly' understood, and the work of years can be demolished in a very short time. As above stated, Prize Winning Plymouth Rock. the progeny of unrelated fowls is thrifty and high in utility, points which every breeder strives for. The greatest handicap in mating unrelated birds is to find strains with like characteristics. When rearing a strain of Rocks for egg production it is sometimes hard to find a suitable suit-able male, bred for the same results as the hens he is to be mated with. Many breeders have distinct lines of birds, bred for the same results, but wholly disconnected along blood lines. In this way they can furnish their patrons new blood whenever desired. Many a good strain is run down or ruined because of lack of experience of the breeder. One must knw how and why the breed to obtain best success. A good pen of layers should not be mated with a male or unknown un-known heredity. If a flock of birds is purchased for an egg-laying strain, to keep up their qualities, the owner must know how they were bred, and adopt the same plan with them as the originator. |