WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD STOCK BIRD?

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 321, 17 December 1910, Page 6

WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD STOCK BIRD?

A perfectly clear understanding in regard to this point by many who have yet to realise its far reaching importance, would put an end to the old, old story of "chicken troubles," which every year is the lament of by no msans a few who have put their hand to the work of poultry breeding and rearing. The key to the mystery of countless chicken ailments is to be traced directly to some fault or defect in the parent stock. Through lack of jight on this point there is both much waste of time and also loss of money, and until the lesson is learnt there can be no good work accomplished in rearing fowls. It is very hard to drive home the lesson into the minds of many who, in spite of advice and warning, still pursue their old methods, which lead only to disappointment and failure. In selecting fowls for stock purposes, the first essential is health —a strong constitution —full vigour. Any bird that shows the least tendency to weakness physically, should be rejected at once. Birds that have ever suffered from any disease should be discarded. A stock bird should be fully developed, of mature age, and in good condition. Birds that are over fat are not fit to produce strong an 3 healthy stock. This point needs particularly to be borne in mind. Birds that have been often exhibited are not desirable. The best birds are those tnat have been reared from the shell expressly for stock purposes. These should have been allowed to develop slowly, and have had plenty of exercise during the period of growth. Birds that hav3 been forced for egg production, or that have been laying heavily for some time, are not suitable for the breeding pen. Birds intended for future breeders should be kept to themselves out of the breeding season, and fed sparingly. They should be put on a diet mainly of grain, and have very little soft food. The more exercise that can be allowed them the better. Birds oi tested and proved worth and pedigree bred are by far the best. There are, of course, numberless details in regard to form arid feather, which vary very much according to the respective breeds. To deal with these is not intended here. But what needs to be understood is this; that however near to perfection a bird may come in points of outward excellence, if it is lacking in health and vigour, it is unfit to produce stock that will be of any real worth. Let health, then, be made a sine qua non in every bird that is used for stock, and if this is done, and attention also given to the. other points above named, there is no reason why the chicken crop should not be a good one, and the rearing be accomplished without undue trouble. J. A. 11., in "Farm, Field, and Fireside."