106 EGG MONEY 



readily and freely to good care and feeding than will a flock 

 which has not been bred and selected systematically for 

 that purpose. 



Heavy Laying Requires Strength. 



For the benefit of the amateur we will say here that one 

 should not expect to get strong, rugged young stock from 

 a heavy-la3dng hen the same year in which her record as a 

 layer is made. Continuous heavy laying is a great drain 

 on the system and eggs from a hen after a long period of 

 heavy laying are not apt to give good results in fertility 

 or produce strong, vigorous chicks. We know some writers 

 claim that if a hen is properly fed continuous lajdng need 

 not affect fertility and in part we agree with them, but the 

 difficulty is to feed correctlv, to supply the materials upon 

 which the hens can sustain the wear and tear of the body, 

 and at the same time keep up the egg yield. There is a 

 happy medium between the two extremes. Happy is the 

 man who has found it and can so care for his fowls as to 

 obtain the maximum number of eggs from them without al- 

 lowing them to either become too fat or too thin, for their 

 best good in health and vigor. In isolated cases we know 

 it is possible, but doubt very much if it is in the case of an 

 entire flock unless they are all of one line of breeding with very 

 similar characteristics. The hen which made the best 

 year's record for us gave exceptionally good results in both 

 fertility and vigor of chicks, but we consider that an excep- 

 tion to the rule and would advise the amateur to select his 

 best layers from their monthly records or else breed from 

 them the season following their record year. This is the 

 method we adopted when we first began breeding standard 

 poultry (at that time we did it through force of circum- 

 stances), but after several years of experience we are satis- 

 fied that it is the best method for the poultry breeder to 

 follow. 



