48 



completely each form is sexed the greater its power of re- 

 producing its kind. 



THE SEX ELEMENT IN REPRODUCTION. 



The importance of the sex element in reproduction has- 

 never been fully understood. Splendid work is being done at 

 experiment stations and by independent investigators in the 

 study of the domestic fowl. The trap nest has enabled us to 

 select the hens that lay the most eggs, and to breed from them.. 

 Nutrition has been studied, until we can feed with almost 

 mathematical certainty but the study of sex has been neglect- 

 ed. It may be that the study of sex requires a knowledge 

 of physiology and biology that is lacking in the case of most 

 poultrymen ; but it is here that the richest field lies, and when 

 a man has mastered the subject of sex he is in a condition to 

 .obtain a large and uniform egg yield with the minimum 

 amount of cost and labor. 



BREED FROM THE BEST SEXED BIRDS. 



The greatest secret of large and uniform egg production I 

 believe to be this : Breed from the best sexed birds ! Poultry- 

 writers are reviving the old question as to whether or not 

 there is an egg type. I am inclined to think 'there is. But 

 the egg type that I care most about is one based on sex. The 

 male that is the most distinctly male and the female that is the 

 most distinctly female are the birds for me. 



By keeping this principle in mind I have succeeded in 

 building up a strain of birds that are splendid layers. I do 

 not use the trap nest, and so am not able to give individual 

 records. I did have a bird once that laid an egg that allowed 

 me to keep tab on her as accurately as if I had used the trap 

 nest. From some peculiarity of the ovaries the egg had a 

 ring around it about one-third of the distance from the smaller 

 to the larger end ; it was ivory white in color and of medium 

 size. It was such an egg as I could not very well mistake. 

 In fourteen months and ten days more than 300 of these eggs 

 appeared. The hen then became broody, and I foolishly 

 allowed her tojsit^ After she had completed the process of 

 incubation and weaned her chicks, so much time had been 

 lost that I did not attempt to keep tab upon her again. I 

 have given up pushing my hens for big egg production, but 

 take what comes along. When conditions are right I get 

 from 150 to 200 eggs a year apiece from my best layers and 

 with that I am satisfied. 



