Show F FARM ARM TOPICS USE PROVED SIRES ON POULTRY FARM three definite points are j necessary to qualify my by dr W C thompson poultry husbandman rutgers university service experience proves that the use of proved sires is just as sound and acono economical mical for the poultry industry as it is for the dairy and other live stock industries in which this practice has been followed for years the poultry sire should pass inspection spec tion on three definite points to qualify as proved first his family tree should be known for at least three generations and should contain as many individuals as possible whose egg production growth and general qualifications are worthy of perpetuation although a pedigree alone does not guarantee good results it increases possibilities of obtaining them secondly the proved sire as an individual must possess the type of characteristics which it is desired that he pass on to his progeny in the third place the proved sire must have demonstrated his capacities i to produce fertile and eggs and strong viable chicks during the past season many poultry men have been using male birds with good pedigrees pedigreed grees those birds will have been found to go through the breeding season in a strong healthy condition hatching records will have given considerable valuable information which may be accepted as at least the first steps in progeny testing it is a mistake for poultry breeders bleeders bre eders to sell off such valuable sires simply because they may consider it difficult to keep them over the summer season on the poultry plant too often it is a practice to use only cockerels cocker els or first year breeders bleeders bre eders each spring from such birds information on only the first two points is possible to bea be a proved sire a bird must have a record of production keep over promising male birds until next january their daughters will have shown what they can do in egg yields during the coming fall and winter by the opening of the next breeder season sufficient data for pr ogency testing will be at hand to enable the poultry man to select the exact birds to be saved |