134 Farm Poultry 



the desirable and which are the undesirable fowls. 

 Frequently farmers take for hatching fine well- 

 formed eggs that have just been gathered from 

 a promiscuous flock. This method of selecting 

 eggs is entirely wrong, and should be avoided 

 as far as possible. In the spring all, or nearly 

 all, hens are laying. The hen which did not lay 

 at all during the winter will probably lay during 

 March, April, and perhaps May. The hen that 

 has been laying during the winter will probably 

 not lay as many eggs in the spring months as 

 the poorer hen that failed to lay during the 

 severe cold weather. Consequently eggs collected 

 at random from a general flock will consist 

 largely of those laid by the poorest-laying hens 

 of the whole flock. It is unnecessary to discuss 

 this subject further in order to show that this 

 kind of selection for egg production tends toward 

 deterioration, yet many persons undoubtedly pur- 

 sue just this course without fully knowing its 

 evil tendencies. 



Whenever it is convenient to do so, a few of 

 the best-laying hens should be placed by them- 

 selves in order that their eggs alone may be used 

 for hatching. If it is impossible to select fowls 

 for breeding purposes from the records of egg 

 production, which is the true test of the laying 

 hen, the owner must resort to other methods. 

 One of the best substitutes for actual perform- 



