Show select breeding hens before culling layers this is an excellent time to start a poultry breeding improvement program dr W C thompson professor of poultry husbandry at the new jersey college of agriculture rutgers university says that such a program should be quite easily established on many farms after the pullets approach maturity select the superior individuals use every bit of information which may be available in this process place numbered aluminum leg bands on the best 25 per cent house the remaining 75 per cent of the oncoming nock flock in quarters where they can be forced tor for maximum safe egg yield house the best quarter of the flock separately and keep records on them Trap nesting for one year starting october 1 is highly desirable As trap nesting records accumulate apply minimum standards it is suggested that bands should be removed from individuals which failed to lay 50 or more eggs between october 1 and january 31 or which failed to average 25 eggs a month for march april and may or which failed to show a persistent production of at least 50 eggs between june I 1 and september 30 |