BREEDING AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT 39 



pedigree, the vote should go to the latter. Happy is the 

 man that is able to blend the two. 



In selecting stock for breeding, many go upon the 

 principle of balancing weakness and strength. Thus a 

 bird weak in head properties is mated with one strong 

 in those points. One excelhng in colour is given as a mate 

 one that fails in that respect. This is wrong. It is not the 

 way to make advance. It is the way to keep up an average 

 of mediocrity. The system I advocate is to take the 

 two best birds in the room and pair them, then the second 

 best pair, to be followed by the third best. This is doubling 

 up the good properties and should make for the general 

 up-lifting of the quaUty of the birds in the stud. 



After the three best pairs are selected, we come to 

 what may be styled the second raters. These are birds 

 with marked deficiencies, these we must of necessity pair 

 with birds that are strong in the points where they are 

 weak. The reason for so doing is because if we pair 

 together two birds possessing the same fault we are doing our 

 best to increase and develop that fault in our stud. 

 As an example, the reason why we have so many bad 

 headed birds in such breeds as Norwich, Cinnamons and 

 Yorkshires is because fanciers have mated up year after 

 year birds that failed in this particular point, and so it 

 has become stamped upon the majority of our birds. 



Blood Will Tell. 



Mention has been made of beauty and pedigree. The 

 former is apparent to the eye, the latter we must take from 

 the records. This is the reason why every breeder should 

 use a properly prepared Stud Book. Years ago every 

 individual breeder used to make his own. Not so now. 

 Cage Birds supphes at a very nominal price this aid to 

 successful breeding. In such a register is duly recorded 

 each year all the happenings of the stud, and every 

 bird has its faihngs and excellencies duly written therein. 

 The value of such for future reference and guidance 

 is invaluable. When mating birds one should know not 

 only all about the individual birds themselves, but 

 their parents, grand parents, and great-grand parents, 

 and, if possible, several generations beyond. This enables 

 one to come to a right understanding and judgment as 



