Forming a Reliable Strain. 
89 
inferior to either, and, to bring back the Fancy Points thus lost, in-breeding must be resorted to. Another 
matter of importance in breeding high-class Fowls, and which cannot be too strongly insisted upon, is that, if 
a given bird is defective in any important point, this bird should not be in-bred to, but if, on the other hand, 
of great excellence, should be made the most use of. As an example, it would not be wise to in-breed to a 
Hamburg cock which had a bad comb and ear-lobes, as the stock so l)red would be even worse in these two 
points, but it would be advantageous to in-breed to another Hamburg cock which excelled in comb and 
lobes, and a bird possessing these qualities should be used as largely as possible, so as to definitely fix the.se 
good and important features in a strain. In forming a strain the healthiest and most vigorous birds should 
invariably be selected, and the age of the birds must always be considered in mating them. Cockerels and 
pullets, that is, birds under twelve months old, should not be mated together unless there is no other 
resource. The better plan is to mate cockerels and pullets with birds two years and over. Stock so bred 
are much more vigorous and easier to rear, and as, in forming a strain of high-class Show Poultry, there 
should always be on hand sufficient birds left over from the year or two previous, no difficulty would arise. 
If it is found that birds of a previous year mate well together, and the stock from them is of proved 
excellence, they should be bred together as long as possible. The stock thus bred will prove of the greatest 
value for further operations, as the points in birds so bred are more firmly fixed than in stock bred from 
birds which only throw a small percentage of good chickens. 
As remarked previously, purchasing eggs for the purpose of forming a reliable strain (except in rare 
instances) is not a wise proceeding, as with high-class stock the eggs are not likely to be as fertile as ordinary 
eggs, and the selection, even if half are reared, is very small, besides compelling the breeder to use young 
stock on both sides, which we have shown is an unwise system to pursue. When the purse will allow, a 
good plan is to purchase a sitting of eggs from one or other of the yards from which the stock birds were 
obtained. By this means a couple of young birds may be reared which will be useful to cross back and in 
again, but it will be found that the advice we have given previously — to breed as many chickens as possible 
the first year — will give ample opportunity to proceed, without recourse to fresh blood. It will be noticed 
that the young stock differ to a great extent in their growing stages, and careful observation will soon teach 
the beginner the intricacies of breeding and selecting his stock for future operations. 
It will be well for the breeder to confine himself on starting to one colour of one variety, until he has 
fairly well mastered the principal characteristics of the variety he has in hand. By keeping too many colours 
of one variety, the minor and finer differences will often escape his notice, and neglect of the latter will 
effectually prevent the birds reaching the standard desired. In crossing the colours in some varieties it is 
almost a fine art, but the beginner should not attempt this ; the whole strain may be ruined, as far as being 
relied upon for like to produce like, by one injudicious cross. Many are quicker and keener than others in 
noting the desired qualities in Poultry — those points which make the birds valuable from an Exhibition point 
of view, or valueless for the same purpose. Others are slower, and cannot grasp this so quickly, with the 
consequence that they are some years in reaching the standard of excellence already passed by their 
competitors, but still there is room for all. Each likes to win, but a man or woman ceases to become a 
" Fancier " when either cannot take a beating in the Show-pen. With the advice here given and followed 
out, any person has the opportunity to excel with any breed, providing he or she makes that breed or 
variety a speciality. 
