The Chronicle, PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. SELECTION OF POULTRY STOCK.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 September 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle, PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. SELECTION OF POULTRY STOCK.

A difficulty that besots the poultry farmer after .he lias got past the initial stages of his industry is the maintenance of an effective standard in his flock. In the first •aiul second years the poultry farmer has a flock wherein deterioration lias had 110 time to disclose itself, but after that space of time there is great risk of this happening, especially in respect of those yards which :iro drawn on for their own eggs at hatriliing time. On the broad subject of selection and breeding some apropos remarks are printed in the latest issue of tho Journal of the Department of Agriculture. They are by IvT.r F. C. Brown, dliiof of the poultry division, and what lie has to say on tili:e> subject of proper culling is so noteworthy that we have reprinted it in extenso for guidance of those of our readers who aro specitlly interested in this subject. He says: "There are many lessons the breeder of feathered stock can take from the breeders of horses, cattle, and sheep who ihavc contributed in any measure to the advancement of type, but there is no lesson in this connection of greater significance, or one more neglected by the poultrybreeder, than th'at of culling. There is no more patent fact than that only a .minor percentage of the stock produced each year are good enough to place in the breeding-pen—in fact, the breeder himself practically recognises this when it (tomes to the selection of his own stud bir3s; but 'unfortunately too many do not exhibit tlie same keenness of discrimination whejt it comes to selling breeding stock to their clients. The reputable breeder of otilner classes of live stock culls heavily and thereby secures a low percentage of what ilie regards as stud animals a.nd a ■liiglh percentage of what are considered unfit for breeding purposes. How many poultrymeai follow this example? Again, the purchaser of stud horses, cattle, and sheep insjiects tihe animals before he will purchase, or does so through a qualified agent, but how many ponltrymen are in a position to see the birds they are buying? Surely, therefore, there is all the greater need on the part of the breeder—itshtould in fact appeal to tlie sense of honour—to send out only stud birds which are up to the standard which ho himself demands in his breeding stock. It is a common experience with our leading breeders of utility stock that hundreds of birds have t,o be handled in order to secure a. breeding o.r a competition pen, a, striking fact in proof of the difficulty of breeding a Targe line of birds up to the standard being aimed at, and of the vital necessity of heavy culling. Of course, these remarks a.re mainly intended for the breeder who As making & business of supplying stud stock. To such men the sending-out of birds of a desirable standard should be a matter of the first consideration. He should place himself in the position of his client, and if he will but remember .tlie chagrin and disaippoint.ment of himself in his early experience when he purchased a stud bird which ultimately deteriorated rather than advanced his little flock, lie will, perhaps, think twice before being a pai*ty to a client having a similar experience. The ' advancement of utility poultry will never proceed at the pace it should until' those concerned in breeding foundation stopk conduct the busing on squimJ ;

and legitimate lines, endeavouring at all times to give satisfaction to their elionts, thereby enhancing their own reputations and tilnus insuring ia more extensive connection a.s well as doing their share in extending the admirers of utility poultry. To aim at selling as many stud liirdis as possible irrespective of quality is a policy fatal to all concerned. It will affect, and probably ultimately destroy, the breeder's reputation; it will cause the buver to lose faith in utility poultry; and .it will retard, in a. greater or lesser degree, the development of the industry. Culling, of course, is not alone a matter of necessity for the •breeder of stud, stock, hut is also imperative—that is, if the best results are to be secured—in the case of tilie ordinary poultry-keeper. The latter must, of course, depend for his ibreeding birds, or new blood, on the pedigree-breeder; but even the progeny of these will not be all satisfactory, especially if there are too many strains in their wake-up. In this ca.se the culling in the pullet stage is a, matter of great difficulty. The only tilling to guide the owner is constitutional points, for it is not till a pullet ihas commenced to lay thatsihe will give any idea as to her layingpower, and then it will hardly pay to discard her; hut if unsatisfactory ton form sbc should bo ringed as an indication that it will be unprofitable to keep her beyond the completion of her first laying season. The points to be looked to as indicative of good constitution are alertness; bold eyes (as fiery as possible); clean, well-coloured fare ; neat head, rather broad at the base; and tight feathering. Indications of the layer are, in addition to the above characters, a. long tapering body with the major development at the business end, whidli) must he both broad and deep, the greatest depth in the body being from the saddle to the abdomen. This implies legs well apart, and a bottle-shaped appearance. Points suggesting poor laying-power are size above the ordinary, phlegmatic temperament, and loose feathering. The main culling with the farmer must take place at moultingtime. The first to moult should be first to be culled, and the last to moult should be reserved for the breeding-pens. If the birds are to be kept a second laying seasion, which will pay the ordinary farmer, especially in the case of the heavier breeds, only those should be retained which have moulted at a late period. The work of culling (and thereby aiming at using only profitable stock) will be greatly facilitated if only self-coloured breeds are kept, either whites or blacks. It is eggs, not feathers, that are wanted ; and fino feathers, unless for eggs or table purposes, confuse tihe student of laying form."