184 Bureau of Faemeks' Institutes. 



THE EGG-LAYING TYPE. 



By James E. Rice, Yorktown, N. Y. 



It is a disputed question whether such a thing exists with fowl 

 as an egg type. ]\ly own observation, however, leads me to believe 

 that the best laying fowl do differ from other fowl of the same 

 breed that are not so good layers. They differ in characteristics 

 that are to be recognized by one who is familiar with his fowl. 

 Theoretically, it is perfectly natural and plausible that the pro- 

 nounced development of certain functions would call for a har- 

 monious structural development of the individual to support this 

 function. For instance, the function of speed is accompanied 

 with lightness of body, high nervous energy, great endurance and 

 pluck and a striking adaptability of size and shape of bone and 

 muscle to do the work demanded with the least waste of energy. 

 In short, it is simply the result of the silent working of the great 

 law of adaptation which has made the pronounced types in all of 

 our breeds. This has been hastened and sometimes hindered by 

 the hand of man. The contrast between the race horse and the 

 draft horse; the milch cow and beef cow; the grayhcund and bull 

 dog; the Mediterranean fowl and the Asiatic, is but another evi- 

 dence of the relation between type and performance. These types 

 do not simply happen so ; they have gradually developed to be the 

 best for the purpose. When a hen is born with parts better 

 adapted to egg production than any hen heretofore, she will, with 

 the proper care and food, make the largest record. That sounds 

 like a self-evident truth. It is. So is an egg type. But egg type 

 does not mean body-shape alone. That's where most failures 

 occur in selection. We must remember that shape is only one 

 factor in the productive power of an individual. A hen may be 

 perfect in form and still be a poor producer, because not inheriting 

 a high reproductive tendency ; just as a locomotive may be per- 

 fectly formed in every part to make great speed, but fail because 

 made of poor metal. Some hens with perfect form and inherited 

 prolificacy to be large egg-producers, may fail on account of lack 

 of vitality and vigor of constitution to withstand the drain upon 

 the system. When, however, all these qualities are combined in 

 one individual, we get the highest production. Such a hen will 

 differ in characteristics which will distinguish her from other 

 hens of the same breed, which are not good layers. She will have 

 the egg-laying type, and tendenev to lav. 



