BREEDING 13 



producmg hen does not transmit her ability 

 to lay large numbers of eggs to her daughters. 

 She does transmit it to her sons, however, 

 and he in turn transmits it to his daughters. 

 It is therefore absolutely necessary to be cer- 

 tain of the production of the mothers of the 

 cockerels to be used as breeders. It is fair 

 that a fairly high price be paid for birds of 

 this type. One pays for the breeder's knowl- 

 edge, business character, and the expenses in- 

 curred in producing birds of high quality. 

 If it is kept in mind, however, that the 

 cockerel is much more than half the flock a 

 good price is but reasonable. Cockerels are 

 used because of their vigor. A two-year-old 

 cock is not likely to throw such strong chicks 

 and cannot take care of so many hens. 



The birds must be mated at least ten days 

 before the eggs are collected for incubating 

 purposes. If twenty or twenty-five hens are 

 in one pen, one Leghorn cockerel is sufficient. 

 If fifty females constitute a pen it is neces- 

 sary to run three cockerels with them, be- 

 cause where only two cockerels are used, one 

 will drive the other away. But one will not 

 drive off the other two, even if he is boss of 



