THE BREEDING OF CHICKENS 109 



freely tlie year round l)y scratching for grain in a deep straw 

 litter. In extremely hot weather judgment must, of course, 

 i)e used, and the enforced activity confined to early morning 

 and the cool of the evening. 



Number of Hens to be Mated with One Male. — Just wliat the 

 maximum number of hens is that is proper to mate with 

 any particular male is a matter of judgment which must he 

 left to the individual breeder. It depends upon the present 

 condition and previous treatment of the male himself and 

 of the hens to be mated with him, and upon the conditions 

 under which they are mated as well as upon breed and family 

 characteristics. 



in a general way it may be said that in confinement the 

 number will run from 8 to 12 for the heavy breeds, from 10 

 to 15 for the breeds of medium weight, and 15 to 25 for the 

 light, nervous, active breeds, supposing all have good vitality. 

 Where the stock is ranging freely the numbers may be very 

 much larger. The author once had occasion to hatch several 

 hundred eggs from a flock of 250 Single Comb White Leghorn 

 hens and four cockerels which were running on range, and 

 secured above 90 per cent fertility. 



In practice it is always better to err on the side of having 

 too few hens than too many. The results will be very much 

 more satisfactory from every stand])oint. App, Waller and 

 Lewis' found that on 150 commercial poultry farms in New 

 Jersey the i)roportion of males to females varied from one to 

 fifteen up to as high as one to twenty-five with one to eighteen 

 or twenty as the usual number. The stock on these farms 

 was 94.3 per cent Leghorns. 



Care of the Breeding Male. — The male birtl during the 

 breeding season should receive careful attention, as at this 

 time he is truly "half the flock." Care sliould be taken that 

 he receives suflficient food, as many males are so attentive in 

 looking to the welfare of the hens that they will not eat 

 enougli footl to maintain themselves in a vigorous and j^re- 

 potent condition. It is well to feed the male apart from the 

 liens. By a little care the male may be taught to jump up 



• Nl-w .Ic'r.sc'\- liullrlin, No. 329. 



