Rural School Leaflet 839 



they are more nearly alike as to rate of growth, size, temperament, 

 activity, and the like. 



What can we do to improve our poultry? — Any boy or girl who is old 

 enough to take care of chickens can improve the quality of poultry in 

 two ways: first, by keeping only pure-bred stock and by selecting, 

 mating, and taking proper care of them; second, by selecting and using 

 only the right kind of eggs for hatching. Both of these things should 

 be done, but either one alone will be likely to result in sufficient improve- 

 ment to warraijt the effort of doing it. We should keep a pure breed 

 instead of common mongrel fowls. This is within the reach of all. It 

 is neither difficult nor expensive to secure in any neighborhood a few 

 pure-bred fowls or their eggs. With these a small start can be made. 

 Each year more and more pure-bred chickens can be reared to take the 

 place of the common fowls until all the flock are pure-bred. 



Find out for yourself, by trying, whether it will pay better to have a 

 pure breed of poultry. Remember, however, that not all pure-bred fowls 

 are good fowls. Whether we have pure-bred or mongrel stock they must 

 be strong, vigorous, and healthy. 



ii. selecting and keeping eggs for hatching 

 James E. Rice 



One of the easiest ways to increase the money-earning value of poultry 

 is to improve the quality of their eggs. The best customers usually are 

 willing to pay a higher price for eggs of superior quality. Frequently this 

 difference in price is as high as five to ten cents a dozen. Each hen in a 

 good flock should lay on the average ten to eleven dozen eggs a year. If 

 the eggs are of such quality that they will sell for even two cents more a 

 dozen than ordinary eggs, this would mean a net difference of about 

 twenty-five cents a hen in a year. This extra price is nearly all clear 

 profit, due to the uniformity in size, shape, and color of the eggs. 



The eggs that bring the highest price will depend somewhat on the 

 market (see Lesson XI). We must first find out what kind of eggs will 

 bring the highest price and pay the largest profit in oi.u- market, and then 

 produce that kind only. 



There are several things that we can do which will help to improve the 

 selling quality of the eggs: 



1. We should keep a pure breed of poultry that will lay eggs as nearly 

 as possible the right size, shape, and color to meet the requirements of 

 our market. Such fowls cost Httle, if any, more to keep than fowls that 

 lay an inferior quality of eggs. 



2. Only those eggs should be used for hatching that are of best market 

 type as to size, color, and texture. Pure-bred fowls will be Hkely to lay 

 eggs similar to the eggs from which they were hatched. In other words. 



