46 Hubbard's poultry secrets. 



she is gaining in strength, and the eggs she lays after the first 

 few days, up to the time she becomes broody again, will pro- 

 duce the best stock she has bred that year. 



By this method of selecting eggs, any breeder can raise more 

 blue ribbon winners from two hundred chicks than he could 

 from six hundred by taking the eggs as they come. 



MATING. 



The following system of mating is entirely different from 

 any other. It is known to no one but myself. 



Most other systems use one male and one female, but in 

 starting this system I use one male and two females. The 

 three birds, of course, should be good individuals. No matter 

 how much you pay for stock or how good it is, if you do not 

 mate it right, you are throwing money away. Fair birds, prop- 

 erly mated, will produce better stock than the best birds im- 

 properly mated. I will try to explain to you how this is. 



I have never yet seen a perfect bird, therefore, you must be 

 sure not to breed from a male and female that have the same 

 weakness. For instance: If the male's tail pinches too much, 

 and he carries it just a little too high, you must select a female 

 that has a well spread tail and a low carriage ; or, if the male 

 bird is a little flat in the breast and has a short back, you must 

 select a female that has a very full breast and a long back, etc. 

 You will be surprised to find how quickly you can patch up the 

 weak parts by mating two strong parts to one weak part. If 

 you follow this system of mating, you will find that you will 

 never have a reason to be disappointed so far as mating goes. 



After using this system of mating for a few years, the weak 

 sections will all disappear and ninety-five per cent, of all the 

 birds raised can go into the show room, and win as far as type 

 is concerned. 



