POULTRY FLOCK IMPROVEMENT 



By J. C. Graham, Professor of Poultry Husbandry 



The purpose of this bulletin is to set forth the results to date of the Flock 

 Improvement Project inaugurated in 1930, together with certain interpretations 

 and conclusions. As it was necessary to carry on the work at a very moderate 

 cost, the size of the project was limited. However, the number of birds involved 

 was large enough to show definite trends. 



This is termed a "flock improvement project" to distinguish it from pedigree 

 breeding. In the former the flock is treated as a unit; in the latter the individual 

 bird or family becomes the unit. In general practice this project does not 

 necessitate trapnesting. 



The purpose of the project was to determine whether it is possible to maintain 

 or improve body weight, feather color, egg production factors, hatchability, and 

 size, shape, and color of eggs without pedigreeing but through the annual intro- 

 duction of new blood from reliable sources. 



There is a very large group of commercial poultrymen, reproducing their own 

 flocks and selling hatching eggs and baby chicks, who would like to retain or 

 develop the above characteristics in their flocks and maintain them at as high 

 a point of efficiency as possible, but who do not wish to resort to the technical 

 methods required in pedigree breeding or even to maintain selected breeding 

 pens for cockerel production. As the majority of layers in the State comes from 

 these flocks, the more efficient they become the better for the industry. 



With the results of this project decidedly positive, its general adoption would 

 mean a great saving in the production of good chicks by this group of poultry- 

 men, many of whom are now trapping a portion of their flocks without adequate 

 returns. Furthermore, pedigree breeders who furnish the hatching eggs or breed- 

 ing cockerels under this plan will be rewarded to a degree at least for the large 

 expenditure of time, money, and energy they are putting into their breeding 

 program. 



General Plan 



Hatching eggs were purchased for three successive years (cockerels the fourth 

 year), from which enough breeding males were produced for the entire breed- 

 ing flock. The pullets from these eggs were housed separately and their per- 

 formance recorded as a check on their flock brothers. Well-selected eggs, pullets' 

 25-ounce, hens' 27-ounce, were stipulated when ordering. The eggs received were 

 from trapped flock matings, the $15 to $18 per 100 grade. 



The eggs were secured from reliable breeders who were known to be following 

 an approved breeding program and whose stock was giving a good account of 

 itself either at egg-laying contests or in the hands of their clients, or both. 



The new blood was secured from a different source each year, in order to take 

 advantage of hybrid vigor. 



No hens and cocks were used, but the foundation pullets the first year and the 

 hybrid pullets thereafter were mated to the new-blood males. 



