156 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



and kill just a few of the worst ; but the rest, they 

 think, do not look so very bad, and perhaps they may 

 improve ; and so they are kept on, crowding the yard 

 so that there is neither fresh ground nor fresh air for 

 what good birds there may be. Now, the beginner may 

 make up his mind that only his very best fowls will have the 

 slightest chance; and that to keep all these birds alive 

 destroys what chance he has, besides "spoiling his eye." 

 If he knows enough to really select the best quarter of 

 those he has reared past chickenhood, he may be absolutely 

 certain he has retained more than all really worth keeping ; 

 and these few will grow into finer birds for such severe 

 weeding, to which the experienced breeder with limited 

 space always subjects his yard. 



Where grass -run is unlimited this does not much 

 matter, and chickens may be kept without much detriment 

 till full grown for table use. But the owner of a limited 

 yard, who wants to make and maintain a reputation, cannot 

 afford this. The matter is very simply illustrated. Let us 

 suppose he can manage to rear really well for the show-pen 

 two dozen full-grown chickens, and no more, besides what 

 adult stock he must hold over for next season's operations. 

 The novice will probably hatch about forty, and after losing 

 half a dozen, weed out barely a dozen more of the worst. 

 He cannot expect much from the rest for the first year or 

 two. But the experienced breeder, even with better- 

 matched stock, would act differently. He would hatch at 

 least sixty, and very likely eighty birds, killing a fair pro- 

 portion as soon as their very first feathers, at a fortnight 

 old, told him they would be no good ; and then, at a still 

 early period, he would kill half the remainder. Keeping 

 only the pick, he can hatch more. Later on, when his 

 breeding has become more certain, he can be less severe; 

 but experienced breeders always weed out much earliei 



