286 MANAGEMENT OF BREEDING STOCK 



them according to a well-establishod scale, and study the resulting 

 fertility. Any great excess of infertility will probably be due to 

 poor methods of breeding the birds, rather than to the relative 

 number of males. 



Care During Mating Season. — A few points in the care Oi 

 breeding birds during the breeding season must be specially borne 

 in mind, and those which follow are of paramount importance. 



The style and type of the house should not be noticeably differ- 

 ent from a good open-front laying house, but it should be so 

 planned as to get an abundance of fresh air and sunlight. The 

 extreme open front is probably the best for this purpose, as, not 

 being used during cold weather, the birds need no protection from 

 cold. Sunlight in the house is most essential. 



Plenty of room is needed. Breeding birds should never be 

 crowded, for this will prevent some of them from getting sufficient 

 exercise and sunlight, and will increase the tendency to disease and 

 parasites. Moreover, it is impossible to study individual type and 

 keep a careful watch on the health of the birds when too many are 

 crowded into a pen of insufficient size. 



The birds in the breeding pen should be given plenty of exer- 

 cise, and this can best be accomplished by feeding considerable 

 grain in deep litter, or by varying the amount of mash which they 

 eat, by the length of time which the hopper is left open, according to 

 their body fat. Lack of exercise tends to increase deposition of 

 fat, and this to decrease fertility. 



Feed for Breeding Hens. — The feed required by the breeding 

 hen is almost identical with that of the laying hen, and can be 

 supplied by giving a good laying ration. But a few important 

 factors must be emphasized. The feed must contain an abundance 

 of nutrients, since any lack of these will decrease the egg j^ield and 

 the chances of fertility; it may also result in small-sized eggs, which 

 is an important and undesirable feature. 



Protein in some form, preferably a high grade of beef scrap, 

 has been shoA\Ti by experiments to be invaluable for maintaining 

 a high degree of fertilit}^ as well as for promoting a good egg yield. 

 Just preceding the breeding season it is safe to give as much as 

 fifteen or twenty per cent of beef scrap in the dry mash. But 

 previous to this time, or during heavy winter production, forcing 

 by this means is tabooed, as it is apt to lower vitality and to cause 

 sterility or weak germs later in the season. 



Green feed is a necessity. Experiments have shown that it 



