GENERAL INFORMATION 
The experienced poultryman watches up the 
records and the good and bad points of his fowls 
Mating throughout the entire winter, and then 
up the when spring arrives he is well quali- 
Breeding Pen fed to intelligently and systematically 
mate his birds. The fowls should be mated up at 
least two weeks before their eggs will be needed 
for hatching purposes, in order to insure good 
fertility. 
On the author’s plant, culling is about the most 
important work at mating time. We discard every 
bird that is not in vigorous, rugged health, so far 
as can be determined by a careful examination. 
This is done with absolutely no regard to the score 
or the egg record of the individual. The remain- 
ing healthy, vigorous stock are again culled—this 
time with a view to Standard requirements. Every 
hen showing an improbability to throw chicks as 
good or better than the average of the flock is 
promptly removed. 
The Benefits of Culling. Most persons, espe- 
cially beginners, are prone to add doubtful birds to 
their breeding yards in order to increase the num- 
ber of laying stock. It is quality and not quantity 
that counts, however, and the man who gets to the 
“top” the quickest is the one who hatches a com- 
paratively small number of chicks from his few best 
birds, rather than a large number from over-large 
pens of doubtful quality. A little flock well culled, 
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