PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



Varieties of Breeding 



1. Mongrel breeding. This occurs when several varieties 

 are thrown together and interbreeding is followed from year 

 to year with little attention paid to selecting, culling and mat- 

 ing. Often the best are selected for market, leaving the un- 

 desirables to perpetuate the flock. This practice is fast dip- 

 appearing from the farms, and the rule now is to find purebred 

 flocks scattered through the farming districts in every county. 



2. Cross-breeding consists in breeding together two of the 

 standard breeds or varieties. This is often done under the plea 

 that crossing the two breeds increases size, vigor and pro- 

 ductiveness. Occasionally some real benefit may appear but, 

 if followed up indiscriminately, it will result in deterioration, 

 and mongrelism will follow. However, cross-breeding is often 

 used to advantage in producing new breeds and in breeding up 

 a flock of poor quality to standard excellence. In this case 

 new males of the same breed are purchased each year and, if 

 this is followed up, a mongrel flock may be brought up to 

 show-bird excellence. There is nothing to be condemned in 

 this practice as it will result in better flocks than would be 

 produced by mere mongrel breeding. 



3. In-breeding. When full brothers and sisters are bred 

 together we call it in-breeding, and, if this is followed up from 

 year to year, we call it in-and-in-breeding, or close in-breeding. 

 In-breeding as described results in deterioration and is to be 

 avoided as far as possible. If this system is used judiciously, 

 selecting only strong and vigorous mates, it may be used in 

 the hands of the expert to establish racial characters and breed 

 out imperfections. We do not advise it for the average breeder. 

 We know what happens when close relations intermarry in 

 the human race. Every farmer knows from experience what 

 happens to the herd of hogs or other farm animals if brothers 

 and sisters are bred together year after year. There is de- 

 terioration in size and vigor, and the herd becomes unprofit- 

 able. Line breeding, however, as will be shown in a sub- 

 sequent section, can be practiced by the farmer, even though 

 his equipment is meager. 



4. Out-crossing. This consists in introducing new and un- 

 related blood of the same variety into a pen or flock. This is 

 a very common practice on the farm and occurs when new 

 breeding cockerels of his breed are purchased from year to 



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