90 



THE BIRDS 



have a heavy producing flock the cockerel in the breeding 

 pen must be from a mother that is a heavy producer. 



Birds hatched late should never be used for breeding, as 

 they are apt to be immature, small of size, and to lay small 

 eggs. This applies to both male and female. Maturity 

 means not only good growth, but high vitality, and also 

 means strong chicks when hatched. Pullets should never 

 be utilized for breeding. When used year after year they 

 have often been the cause of failure in poultry enterprises. 



They are small and lay a 



small egg. The ideal prac- 

 tice is to mate yearling hens 

 to vigorous, mature cockerels. 

 In choosing the breeders, 

 a good appetite indicates 

 good production and stam- 

 ina. So does an alert, ac- 

 tive habit, shown by the 

 desire to be off the perch, 

 and working in the litter, 

 or roaming over the range. 

 If these five requisites are 

 borne in mind, and matings 

 for egg production made 

 accordingly, the resulting 

 chicks will be more likely to reach maturity at the proper 

 time and make good, healthy layers than if they were 

 neglected. 



Breeding for Meat Production. — In breeding for meat 

 production, the same special matings should be made, and 

 the same general rules apply. Size is most important, be- 

 cause a large body means a large amount of meat, but the 

 kind and quality of the meat should also be considered. The 

 meat a fowl produces depends somewhat upon the tj^pe of 

 meat desired. If broilers are demanded, small-boned, plump, 



Fig. 58. — A Rhode Island Red hen with 

 a large egg record. Note the great depth 

 of body and signs of vigor. 



