BREEDING STOCK 93 
will be some which will not do well. But if 
twice as many as will be necessary have been 
selected, the poultryman will have an oppor- 
tunity to cull the birds during the remainder 
of the summer. This has proved to be a 
practical method in the selection of male 
birds and should show a gradual improve- 
ment of the egg production of the female 
offspring of such selected males, especially 
after two or three years of this practice. 
Time to Make First Selection of Fe- 
males. The best opportunity for making 
the first selection of female breeding stock is 
at housing time, because at this time the 
poultryman has an opportunity to pick out 
the earliest maturing females. If the ear- 
liest maturing females are selected he will 
have in his preliminary flock those birds 
which will develop into the best layers. The 
poultryman should go into each brood, re- 
gardless of the difference in age, pick out the 
best 25 per cent, and put these into the per- 
manent laying house to be used as stock 
from which to select breeders. 
Judging Pullets. The span of pullets 
which are about to lay will not be as great 
