BREEDING AND BREEDS 9I 



It is very evident that strong and weak fowls are 

 found in nearly all fiocks, and strong and weak 

 strains in all varieties of poultry. This fact is sa 

 well recognized that it is not safe to judge of the 

 merits of any variety without knowing how it has 

 been bred and handled. Variation in constitutional 

 vigor applies equally to all domestic fowls kept 

 under unnatural or forced conditions. No matter 

 how important it may be to secure a variety or 

 strain with certain attributes of size or productive 

 capacity, it is far more important to have fowls of 

 strong constitution with appetites to consume large 

 quantities of food and digestive power to assim- 

 ilate well. Pure-bred fowls of strong constitutional 

 vigor are especially desired. 



DANGER OF PRODUCTIVENESS 



Impaired vitality of flocks may be due to increased 

 productiveness, in-and-in-breeding without regard 

 to vigor, use of pullets instead of hens for breeding, 

 heavy feeding to induce large egg yields in fall and 

 winter when egg production is not seasonable, 

 crowding of breeding stock in limited quarters, lack 

 of exercise for the breeding stock, carelessness in 

 methods of keeping eggs for hatching, defective 

 systems of incubation, brooding and rearing, espec- 

 ially under crowded conditions, violation of sanitary 

 requisites and failure to select breeding stock of 

 recogfnized vigor. 



As to increased productiveness, it is evident that 

 there must be a proportionate increase in the physi- 

 cal strength to make the fowl thrive while meeting, 

 the demand for increased consumption of food and 

 heavier production of eggs. The practice of in-and- 



