PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 

 How to Select a Breed 



A purebred fowl is one that breeds true to breed character- 

 istics. There may be an occasional exception, but this is due 

 to reversion, the fowl breeding back to some ancestor. If 

 mated differently this same fowl might breed true. This ten- 

 dency to 'revert is overcome by inbreeding. 



Is the Purebred Worth While? 



Every breed has points of excellence. If it were not so, 

 it would have perished in the making. Is the farmer better 

 ofif with a purebred flock? In this connection let us note : — 



1. That it costs no more to feed a purebred than a mongrel. 



2. That the purebred is more attractive and will command greater 

 interest and receive better care than the mongrel, and will therefore 

 prove more profitable. In the development of a purebred, vigor and 

 high production are emphasized as well as fine feathers, so' it will be 

 more productive than the mongrel, which, on account of promiscuous 

 breeding, will be found wanting. 



3. The purebred will produce a uniform product in carcass and egg, 

 and this means an appeal to the purchaser, insuring a ready market 

 and top prices. ^ 



4. There are sources of income from a purebred flock not found with 

 the mongrel, such as eggs for hatching, day-old chicks, and breeding 

 stock. 



5. When farms are located near each other and a farmer has his 

 separate breed, he can ' indentify his own stock in case of accidental 

 mixing. 



6. Purebred fowls create a special interest among young people, ap- 

 pealing to the nobler sentiments. This benefit alone is worth all the 

 extra expense in establishing the flock. 



It is a matter of great interest and encouragement that so 

 many purebred flocks are being established on the farms. It 

 is a safe estimate that more than SO per cent of the flocks in 

 the states of leading production are comprised of standard bred 

 fowls. The tourist along country highways cannot fail to be 

 impressed with the growing interest in purebred poultry. 



What is the Best Breed? 



It is commonly stated that one breed is as good as another. 

 This statement should not go unchallenged. There is a best 

 breed for the individual, the environment, the end to be at- 

 tained, and the location of the farm or plant. 



The best breed for the individual must be determined by 

 his own likes and dislikes. If he has a nervous temperament 



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