148 Farm Poultry 



for exhibition. Almost without exception, the aver- 

 age size of fowls of flocks specially noted for egg lay- 

 ing is considerably larger than the average size of 

 fowls of the pure-bred stock of that breed. As a 

 good-sized body and a deep and broad breast are 

 indicative of a strong constitution, so are they the 

 requisites of a good laying hen. 



If one is compelled to make a selection for egg 

 production solely from the general conformation 

 or appearance of the fowl, he should select deep, 

 long-bodied birds. Those having a short underline, 

 circular in outline, should be discarded. The feeding 

 capacity of the hen is important, for those that are 

 able to digest and assimilate large quantities of 

 food are vigorous fowls and consequently can pro- 

 duce eggs in abundance. 



At present there is a wide divergence of opinion 

 as to the manner in which improvement has been 

 brought about. Some of the experimenters hold that 

 egg production in the female ancestry is not a potent 

 factor in improvement. 



*"That the egg record of an individual hen 

 gives no definite indication whatever as to what the 

 probable laying of her daughter will be. Exami- 

 nation of hundreds of pedigree records leaves no 

 doubt as to the truth of this fact. Individual birds 

 with high egg records are as likely as not to produce 

 daughters that make poor egg records, and vice 



*Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 192. 



