124 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 211. 



B. Method. 



The flock is to be improved by degrees, taking one desirable character at a 

 time and making sure that it is well established in the flock as a whole 

 before concentrating on a second. 



In order to be as specific as possible, the following detailed outline is 

 given: — 



First Step. — Get the flock so that the pullets will mature before 200 

 days of age, by choosing as breeders those that mature before that age. 

 The males must be from hens of the same quahfications, or brothers to 

 those families of pullets that give the greatest percentage of qualifying 

 females. 



Second Step. — ■ Choose as breeders birds that mature right and which 

 are not broody. This step is not necessary for Leghorns. 



Third Step. — ■ As soon as a sufficient percentage of the flock — ■ say 

 50 per cent — qualifies in these two respects, make the breeders qualify 

 in three characters. Require them to mature before 200 days of age; to 

 be free from broodiness; and to lay 22 eggs in either November or 

 December. 



Fourth Step. — As soon as enough birds qualify, make the breeders 

 qualify in still another point, so that the qualifications become: first egg 

 before 200 days of age; not broody; 22 eggs in November or December; 

 not less than 80 during the ■winter, and continuous production for at least 

 twelve months. At this point, if the breeder so desires, egg size, color or 

 other characters may be added to the qualifications required of breeders, 

 or he may aim for still better production. 



Only those females should be used a second time, at least with the same 

 male, some of whose progeny make an advance over the parent, unless 

 the family as a whole is better than the average of the preceding genera- 

 tion. On the other hand, any pairing that gives superior results may be 

 repeated year after year, or until something better has been obtained. 



It should be pointed out that the larger the flock trapnested, the more 

 rapid should be the progress made, for with a flock of two to three thou- 

 sand pullets under the trapnest, it should be possible to pick out 30 to 

 40 birds that when tested will give ten or fifteen breeders of proven ability. 

 These, if properly handled, should make possible very rapid progress. 



SUMMAEY. 



1. A description of changes in various phases of egg production is 

 given. 



2. Both mean winter and mean annual egg production have increased. 



3. The age at which the first egg is laid has been reduced. 



4. Progress in eliminating both the winter pause and broodiness is 

 shown. 



5. Provisional recommendations for improving egg production by breed- 

 ing are given. 



