Grade . 

 Date. 



EXERCISE 16 

 SELECTION OF BREEDING COCKERELS 



Object. — To study an efficient and simple method of culling and selecting 

 cockerels desirable to use for breeding. 



Equipment. — From twenty-five to one hundred suitable cockerels of 

 any common standard breed. Exhibition coops to provide a single cage for 

 each bird to be studied. Judging sticks and note book. 



Procedure. — Separate and classify the birds in the following manner: 



Step 1. — Go over the entire number of cockerels, handling each one 

 individually, separating all birds which show lack of vigor or which show any 

 evidences of sickness or other weakness which would make them unfit for 

 breeding. 



Step 2. — Crate these inferior birds and either ship to market immediately 

 or, if their condition seems to warrant feeding two weeks for finish, they 

 should be immediately confined and fattened. 



Step 3. — Go over all the remaining specimens carefully, culling out every 

 individual which possesses any standard disqualification or other breeding 

 defect. Such birds should never be bred from, but should be eliminated and 

 sold for table purposes at the most profitable age and weight. 



Step 4. — Carefully select from the remaining specimens the ten best 

 birds, placing them in separate cages by themselves. Consider in this final 

 selection, body conformation, plumage pattern, vigor and general breeding 

 ability. 



Step 5. — Judge these specially selected birds by comparison, placing 

 them in the order of their excellence on the basis of their probable breeding 

 ability. 



Note. — Where but a limited number of cages are available the birds can 

 be handled according to the above plan in groups and the best of each group 

 finally brought together for last comparison judging. 



Leading Questions. — 1. What per cent of the birds examined did you 

 find deficient on account of each of the following factors? (a) Lack of vigor 

 (6) Disease (c) Disqualifications 



2. Describe the special features possessed by the first and second bird 

 selected. 



3. What per cent of the flock did you consider suitable for breeding? 



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