30 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



The Production-breeder. — A breeder is one who seeks to 

 improve stock througli proper selection and mating. From 

 the standpoint of poultry production, with the exception of 

 ostriches, improvement refers to an increased efficiency in 

 tlie production of human food. A breeder whose primary 

 aim is to raise the food manufacturing efficiency of any 

 species of poultry may for convenience be called a "produc- 

 tion breeder". A comparatively small, but constantly grow- 

 ing number of breeders are turning their attention toward 

 production. Their principal function with regard to pro- 

 duction is to furnish the producer with breeding males of 

 standard varieties with which to improve his flocks whether 

 the flocks are mongrel or pure-bred. Pedigree breeding, 

 the only method by which prepotent males able to sire 

 eihclent producers can be produced, with any regularity is 

 out of reach of the producer, who must make his profit by 

 securing a narrow margin on many birds, rather than a wide 

 one on a few. The true breeder is a producer in the very 

 best and highest sense. The producer can follow only as far 

 as the breeder leads the way. 



Fanciers and Fancier-breeders. — The term "fancier" refers 

 to one who keeps poultry for pleasure rather than for the 

 production of food, while a "fancier-breeder" is one who 

 breeds poultry for fanciers. At the present time the fancier- 

 breeders as far outnumber the production-breeders as the 

 fanciers are outnumbered hy producers. 



The preponderance of fancier-breeders over production- 

 breeders is largely due to three causes. The first is the 

 elaborate poultry show system in vogue in this country, the 

 second is the lack of anything like the general adoption of a 

 merit system in the purchase of farm poultry products, and 

 the third is a profound ignorance of the laws of productive 

 breeding. 



The poultry show system of America is more complete 

 than for any other line of live stock. Nearly every city 

 (and ^■ery many of the towns and villages), throughout the 

 United States and Canada has its annual poultry show, at 

 which the fanciers from a greater or less range of surrounding 

 territory exhibit their birds in competition for premiums. 



