Grading Up 155 



secured. This process is known in stock-breed- 

 ing as "grading up." The larger the proportion 

 of pure-bred blood the higher the grade. 



A rational method of improving a flock of 

 fowls is first to choose with great care the breed 

 for the purpose; from this breed pick a strong, 

 vigorous, pure-bred male, and mate him with 

 the best hen; from the progeny of this mating 

 select the best females, to place with another 

 vigorous, pure-bred male of the same breed as 

 the first. This operation should be repeated each 

 year, and eventually the fowls will have all the 

 characteristics of pure-bred fowls. The yearly 

 choice of a pure-bred male should be continued. 



It is undoubtedly best to breed from unrelated 

 stock so far as possible. It may also be safely 

 said that if the greatest improvement is to be 

 made, only mature fowls should be used for breed- 

 ing purposes. Particularly is this true with the 

 females of egg breeds. Pullets are not so desir- 

 able as hens for breeding purposes. Continued 

 breeding from immature stock has a tendency 

 to weaken the constitution and to reduce the size. 

 If it is necessary to use pullets they should, as 

 a rule, be mated with mature males. On the 

 other hand, it is frequently desirable to mate hens 

 with cockerels. 



Breed useful fowls. It is the object of the 

 farmer to breed useful fowls. While the indi- 



