PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



"Rate of laying is within certain limits and accurate meas- 

 ure of egg-laying capacity. 



"Good laying capacity is indicated by heavy production in 

 any two months of the year. 



"Late laying in the fall does not always indicate good 

 layers." 



Dr. Pearl's Conclusions 



"One of the least understood phenomena in genetics is 

 prepotency. It is customary to regard an animal as prepotent 

 in breeding for performance when the progeny of that indi- 

 vidual uniformly tend to resemble it closely in respect to 

 the character bred for, regardless of the other parent in each 

 mating. 



"High fecundity is not inherited by the daughters from 

 their dam. 



"High fecundity may be inherited by the daughters from 

 their sire independent of the dam. 



"A low degree of fecundity may be inherited by the daugh- 

 ters from either sire or dam or both. 



"Winter egg production is the best available measure of 

 innate capacity in respect to fecundity. 



"Variations in fecundity are not determined by the number 

 of visible oocytes on the ovary. This number \'aries by actual 

 count from 900 to 3,600. 



"Breeding for high fecundity requires the use of such 

 females only as have shown themselves to be high producers, 

 since it is only from such females that there can be any hope 

 of getting males capable of transmitting high laying qualities ; 

 and the use- as breeders of such males ohly as are known to be 

 sons of high producing dams, since only from such males can 

 we expect to get high producing daughters." 



Conditioning the Breeders 



Selecting foundation stock is important, but to stop at this 

 point is to court disappointment. The stock must be con- 

 ditioned for best results just as a piece of machinery must be 

 kept oiled and in trim condition to give good service. That 

 breeding stock should receive different treatment from stock 

 that is being forced for egg production is generally admitted. 

 Condiments, high stimulants, and hot mashes should be 



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