BREEDING 155 



of the two sexes. It is resorted to by breeders for the purpose 

 of overcoming sex hmitations in color. 



The most famihar example of this practice is found among 

 the breeders of Barred Plymouth Rocks. As previously 

 explained, the males of this variety are always lighter in 

 shade than their sisters (see Fig. 69, page 139). According 

 to the Barred Plymouth Rock "Standard," both males and 

 females should be nearly the same shade for exhibition 

 purposes. In order tb secure them so, it is necessary to mate 

 different groups of birds. A group dark enough to produce 

 cockerels of the proper shade is referred to as a cockerel 

 mating. The pullets from such a mating will generally 

 of necessity be discarded for show purposes because they are 

 too dark. 



In the same way, a mating light enough in color to produce 

 pullets of the proper shade is spoken of as a pullet mating. 

 The cockerels from such a mating will usually be unfit for 

 showing. A standard which requires double mating is an 

 artificial one, and, from the standpoint of production, a 

 ridiculous one. It results practically in breeding two sub- 

 varieties, from one of which exhibition males are selected, 

 while exhibition females are selected from the other. 



Surplus Cockerels. — ^AU the cockerels on the producer's 

 farm are surplus cockerels. They are a necessary by-product 

 of pullet production, useless as breeders, unless the entire 

 flock is pure bred, and to be disposed of in the easiest and 

 most profitable way possible. 



There are two alternatives open. One is to market them 

 as broilers or fryers before they develop sexually and begin 

 to tread the hens and worry the pullets. The price paid 

 for early broilers usually is high enough so that at the age 

 of a few weeks they bring in as much cash per bird as later 

 when they weigh several pounds, but are staggy. 

 ■ The second alternative is to caponize them and feed them 

 out. In the sections where there is a ready market for 

 capons, this may be done more profitably and the birds 

 grown with the laying flock without inconvenience. 



The Farm Breeding Flock. — The circumstances surrounding 

 the producer are usually such that his laying flock ^nd his 



