FIRST LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 23 



(2). Relative Proportion of Males and Females. 



The breeder who follows the suggestions that have been given in regard to selection, will not 

 often find it necessary to ask the limit of the number of hens to be allowed to one male, because 

 he will mostly find only a few hens like enough to be used in one mating. Where the rules 

 given are observed, where only such fowls as are suitable are mated together, matings are 

 almost invariably small, and in most cases there is no need of allowing the male more females. 

 If occasionally a male is found which mated with a few females annoys them too much by 

 excessive attentions, tone him down by allowing him to run for a day occasionally with a 

 larger flock of hens not used for breeding, and not kept continuously with the male. 



Line Breeding and Inbreeding. 



These are topics to be treated at length at a more advanced stage in the course. For the 

 present I would say of line breeding only that if one buys line bred stock he should follow as 

 closely as possible the same line of breeding; and of inbreeding that if one selects his stock care- 

 fully with reference to constitutional vigor and physical perfection, and avoids mating birds 

 with the same, he need have no fear of immediate bad results from inbreeding, and may mate 

 in absolute disregard of possible evil from mating birds of near kin. 



