92 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
the length of time that latent characteristics or hereditary peculiarities of form and plumage will lie dormant 
in a strain, which, when crossed, will immediately show themselves ; this often upsets the calculations ot 
breeders, and the positive conclusions are obvious, and should explode the fallacy generally accepted by 
beginners that it is absolutely necessary to introduce fresh blood each year into a strain. Nothing would be 
so unwise, and, failing being able to obtain a superior bird which excelled in desired qualities, we would not 
shrink from using a decidedly inferior specimen of the same blood for our future operations, much better 
results being likely to accrue from a bird which was bred from a good strain than from one wliich was likely 
enough in appearance, but doubtfully or carelessly bred. 
If care is exercised at the outset in starting a strain with perfectly unrelated birds, and keeping the 
pedigrees of the chickens bred each year for reference, it will only be in isolated instances that fresh blood 
will be needed to increase the vigour of the strain, carefully and systematically mating each year birds which 
are not too closelv related will minimise the possibility of it being compulsory to introduce foreign blood. 
Though in-breeding may at times be productive of evil results, for all practical purposes in thoroughly 
estabhshing a strain it is a necessity, and as the enthusiastic Fancier seeks to attain or approach the ideal of 
perfection in the breed in which he is interested, the adoption of the system of in-breeding is compulsory to 
attain success. 
A practical acquaintance with the breeding of Show Poultry quickly teaches the Fancier that absolute 
perfection in any breed is an utter impossibility (though appearing to the outsider as scarcely worth attention), 
there being so many standard points, all of which required to be cultivated, that it is an almost hopeless task 
to breed a bird which combines in perfection all the standard requirements. 
Another question much easier asked than answered is, " How many hens should be allowed to run with 
each cock ? " This greatly depends upon the season of the year, the size of the run, the particular breed 
kept, the age and vigour of the birds, so is extremely difficult to answer with certainty. However, it is a 
question of more than ordinary importance, so much resting upon the result. 
In the early part of the season, say for the July and August chickens, it is best to allow two hens to the 
cock in the heavy, and three or four to the lighter and more active breeds ; as the season becomes warmer, 
the number may be doubled. But should the stock cock be very old, or in a very limited run, better results 
will be obtained by fewer hens or pullets ; and, on the other hand, a very vigorous cock or cockerel will 
require a greater number of hen.s, or those with him will have their plumnge destroyed, and the eggs will not 
be as fertile ; and if in a confined run, the vitality of the stock will be interfered with, but if on an unlimited 
run will be increased, so that in mating up the breeding pens surroundings and circumstances must be taken 
into consideration, and the number of hens allowed increased or decreased accordingly. For breeding high- 
class Poultry, even if the birds have an unlimited run, and the cock very vigorous, we would not recommend 
more than lo to 12 hens to one cock, the best results being obtained from these numbers. 
Bearing in mind that crossing totally unrelated birds, almost without exception, will result in the 
production of progeny which fail in Fancy Points, it becomes apparent that it would be imprudent to 
introduce an alien cross into the breeding yards. To purchase a cockerel bred from a quite distinct strain, 
and mate him with the best hens in the yard, would almost of a certainty be a deliberate and useless waste 
of the season's chances of producing high-class chickens, and it will be found quite sufficient for recruiting 
the energies of a strain if the birds used as a cross are composed of one-half fresh blood. This cross can be 
easily introduced by obtaining a hen or pullet from a different strain, mating her with one of the best cocks 
of the home strain, and selecting stock bred from this cross those most suitable for supplying the 
required fresh blood. The birds so bred and selected may be relied upon (even if they are defective in 
some points) to do very little if any injury to the strain, and will generally produce a good proportion of 
high-class chickens, and to still carry this further the hen purchased could be in-bred too, and another supply 
of comparatively fresh blood be secured for further operations. 
