THE FARMERS' MONTHLY, NOVEMBER, 1928 



Breeding Made Easy 



Five genetic factors have been proved 

 to be intimately associated with egg pro- 

 duction. They are : 



1. Maturity or age at first egg. 



2. Persistency or duration of laying 

 period. 



3. Intensity or rate of production as 

 measured preferably by average size of 

 clutch or number of eggs laid on succes- 

 sive days. 



4. Pauses. 



5. Broodiness. 



Two of these factors, early sexual ma- 

 turity and persistency (late moulting), 

 are closely correlated. That is, they are 

 apt to occur in the same individual. They 

 are significent not only because correlated 

 with the total production but also because 

 of the relative greater value of fall eggs. 



Early Maturity First Step 



Selection to fix these two factors, first 

 early maturity and then persistency, is 

 the initial step and the most important 

 one in a constructive breeding progrom to 

 increase egg production. Fortunately the 

 procedure is not difficult and great pro- 

 gress may be made even by breeders who 

 are not prepared to trap nest or pedigree. 



It is at this season of the year, the fall, 

 that this most important part of a breed- 

 ing program must be attended to. In 

 flocks which are not trapped it involves 

 the marking with distinctive leg-band 

 pullets which are of suitable size, vigor 

 and of sufficient quality to be eligible for 

 breeding and which begin to lay before 

 they are two hundred days old. 



This is also the season when persistent 

 layers may be identified. In untrapped 

 flocks they may be recognized as being 

 late moulters with bleached pigment, 

 frayed plumage, energetic disposition and 

 other evidences of heavy laying. A pro- 

 duction period of 315 days or more from 

 first egg is considered a mark of persis- 

 tency. In a trapped flock this, as well as 

 age at first egg are readily determined. 

 In an untrapped flock persistency may be 

 determined more accurately when pullets 

 are banded, as previously mentioned, to 

 show when they began to lay. 



Don't Kid Yourself 



Selection of breeders merely on the 

 basis of high production, even with trap- 

 nest records, is not a fniitful breeding 

 program. Some high individuals may be 

 obtained and some poor layers eliminated 

 but the average flock production does not 

 improve with successive generations. 

 There are to many combinations into 

 which chance may put the several factors 

 which genetic analysis has determined as 

 being responsible for high production. 

 Progress in breeding requires that un- 

 favorable chance combinations be mini- 

 mized. This is done by "fixing" in the 



flock, one at a time if need be, certain 

 characters known to be desirable and se- 

 lecting as breeders only those birds which 

 by their performance show that they 

 possess these characters. Early maturity 

 and persistency are two of these charac- 

 ters. They are fundamental and should 

 be taken first. Now is the time to begin. 

 Wm. C. Monahan, 

 Extension Professor of Poultry, 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College. 

 Leaders in Egg Production for 11 

 months' period ending September 30, 

 1928. 



County List 



Hampshire 

 Large Flocks with 1,000 Pullets or more 



No. No. Prod. 



Hens Pullets Per 



Nov. 1 Sept. 30 Pullet 



F. D. Steele, Cum'ton, 347 212.6 



P. L. Wheelock, Am'st, 31.5 207.9 



Mrs. A. G. Eldridge, 



Amherst, 150 50 179.7 



S. A. Clark, Wills'burg, 45 65 163.6 

 Smith Agri. School, 



Northampton, 206 185 158.4 



State Lists 



Elm Tree Farm, Ply'th, 2504 1024 172.3 



Homer Rowell, Essex, 2135 172.2 



C. C. Rayner, Mid'sex, 1005 169.9 



M. R. Jones, B'stable, 1014 789 165.8 



Monroe & Nepper, P'th, 1709 455 152.8 



Hass P. F., Bristol, 3000 1970 146.8 

 Sheldon & Corser, 



Berkshire, 1100 134.7 



Large Flocks with 500 to 999 Pullets 



Arrowhead F., B'stable, 519 367 185.9 



A. S. Pendleton, Essex, 611 760 172.7 



C. M. Williams, B'stable, 525 355 170.6 



C. N. Ward, Bristol, 501 245 168.3 



F. T. Barnes, Ply'th, 980 190 163.6 



L. E. French, Ply'th, 680 220 163.3 



R. F. Barnes, Mid'sex, 610 200 156.9 



Small Flocks 90 to 499 Pullets 



F. D. Steele, H'shire, 347 212.6 



P. L. Wheelock, H'shire, 296 207.9 



•J. P. Anderson, Mid'sex, 400 188.4 



R. L. Keizer, Mid'sex, 137 134 185.2 



C. N. Meservey, Ply'th, 144 177.9 

 Mrs. A. G. Eldridge, 



Hampshire, 150 50 179.7 



R. A. Beley, Wor'ter, 225 176.1 



COMMON SENSE 



Common sense is good to have 

 But never let it master you — 



For then it might deprive you of 

 The foolish things it's fun to do. 

 Cheerful Cherub. 



NERVES 



I swear that I'll relax today. 



My nei-ves are simply overtaxed — 

 Right now I'm all worked up and tense 



I'm trying so to be relaxed. 



—The Cheerful Cherub. 



QUALITY AS WELL 



AS QUANTITY 



The association of low cost production 

 with high average production is well 

 known to the average dairyman but the 

 factor of quality doesn't always take its 

 rightful place in the production scheme. 

 The consuming public rightfully demands 

 that milk should be produced under sani- 

 tary conditions. Seemingly strict regu- 

 lations laid down by the more progress- 

 ive boards of health, when lived up to by 

 the farmers, lead to a confidence in the 

 milk supply by the public which is ulti- 

 mately beneficial to producer as well as 

 consumer. Milk fi-om tuberculin tested 

 cattle is safer to use and any dairyman 

 who refuses to test his herd is holding 

 up the progress of the dairy indu.stry. 



J. G. Cook of Hadley has the leading 

 cow in butter production for October 

 making nearly as much as the leading 

 cow on thi'ee times a day milking. 



The list of high individuals follow: 



lbs. 

 Breed Milk 



R.H.I1720 

 G.G. 11060 

 R.H.I1596 

 G.H. 11457 



Owner 

 J. G. & G. M. Cook 

 A. G. Goodfield 

 J. G. & G. M. Cook 

 Vigneault Bros. 



Vigneault Bros. G.H. 



W. H. Atkins R..J. 



-J. G. & G. M. Cook R.H. 



G. H. Timmins R.G. 



H. M. Bridgeman PB.H. 



G. H. Timmins R.G. 



C. G. Loud R.H. 



C. G. Loud R.H. 



F. D. Steele R.H. 



F. D. Steele R.H. 



C. G. Loud R.H. 



*Milked three times daily. 



High herds in milk follow: 



1361 

 1302 

 1527 

 1234 

 1705 

 1023 

 1600 

 1696 

 1587 

 1208 

 1727 



lbs. 

 fat 



63.8 



.58.5 



57.5 



55.5 



52.8 



52.2 



50.5 



64.4* 



59.9* 



56.5* 



65.1* 



65.0* 



54.0* 



52.1* 



51.8* 



Lbs. Milk 

 per cow 



1155 



1040 



1035 



1000 



No. Cows 

 Pelissier Bros. 8 



C. G. Loud 12 



J. G. & G. M. Cook 14 

 Vigneault Bros. 24 



I Nine herds averaged over 30 pounds of 

 butter fat production. 

 I Lbs. Fat 



per cow 



38.4 



Cook 14 35.2 



5 35.1 



12 34.0 



11 33.8 



28 33.6 



24 32.6 

 14 31.8 



25 31.8 



Pelissier Bros. 

 J. G. & M. G. 



D. Steele 



G. Loud 



C. Mara 



H. Timmins 

 Vigneault Bros 

 H. H. Bissell 

 A. O. Grise 



No. Cows 

 8 



F. 

 C. 

 T. 

 G. 



A DISTINCTION 



When a puppy has a bone 

 He keeps it as his very own 

 And stands and gobbles it alone. 

 A child with something good to eat 

 Puts on his bib and takes a seat 

 And ask his friends to share his treat. 

 — Elisabeth Burrowes. 



