SELECTING BREEDING MALES FOR EGG PRODUCTION. 51 



very successfully for two or more mating seasons. The items which are the guides 

 to follow in selecting the cock may be summed up as follows: 



1. Select those with a high inherited production, both on the sire and the dam 

 side, for as manj^ generations as possible. 

 . 2. Select those that have the best progeny performance. 



3. Select those whose family are early maturers, free from broodiness, free 

 from a tendency to winter pause, and show a high rate of production. 



Summary. 



1. In the space of nine years selection of breeding males, largely on an inherited 

 production basis, has assisted in raising the average annual egg production during 

 the pullet year from 146 eggs to 198 eggs per hen. 



2. Evidence as presented in this report has no bearing on the value of the progeny 

 test as a guide in the selection of breeding males. 



3. Selection of males for production of daughters possessing specific character- 

 istics, such as early maturitj^, lack of winter pause, high rate of production and 

 freedom from broodiness, is necessary to attain high egg yields. 



References. 

 Dr^'den, James. 



1921. Egg-Laying Characteristics of the Hen. Oregon Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. ISO. 

 Goodale, H. D. 



1918. Winter Cycle of Egg Production in the Rhode Island Red Breed of the 



Domestic Fowl. In Jour. Agr. Research Vol. 12, No. 9. 

 and Macmullen, Grace. 



1919. The Bearing of Ratios on Theories of the Inheritance of Winter Egg Pro-' 



duction. In Jour. Expt. Zool. Vol. 28, No. 1. 

 , Sanborn, Ruby and White, Donald. 



1920. Broodiness in Domestic Fowl. Mass. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 199. 

 Hurst, C. C. 



1921. The Genetics of Egg Production in Poultry. Rpt. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 

 Lippincott, W. A. 



1920. Improving Mongrel Flocks through Selecting Standardbred Cockerels. 



Kansas Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 223. 

 Pearl, Raymond. 



1912. The Mode of Inheritance of Fecundity in the Domestic Fowl. Maine Agr. 



Expt. Sta. Bui. 205. (First published in Jour. Expt. Zool. Vol. 13, No. 2.) 



