Selection and Care of Poultry Breeding Stock. 
9 
the males to be used as breeders must be placed where their combs 
will not freeze. This can be done by placing them in a box or a 
crate of suitable size partly covered by a bag or cloth. The breeding 
male should be examined occasionally after feeding to see that his 
crop is full and that he is not growing thin. Some males will allow 
the hens to eat all the feed, with the result that they get out of con- 
dition. If this happens the male must be fed separately from the 
hens at least once a day. 
HOUSING BREEDING STOCK. 
The breeding stock must be provided with comfortable quarters. 
This means that the house must be draft proof yet well ventilated 
and dry. Room enough must be allowed so that the birds will not 
be crowded. If the birds are yarded, 4 square feet of floor space per 
bird should be allowed, but on free range from 3 to 3J square feet 
per bird will be enough. 
FEEDING BREEDING STOCK. 
The breeders must be fed so as to keep them in good condition and 
so that they will produce eggs. Any good laying ration is suitable 
for this purpose, but it should not be extremely forcing, or, in other 
words, should not have an extremely large proportion of beef scrap, 
not more than from 10 to 15 per cent of the total ration. The birds 
should be kept in good flesh but should not be allowed to become 
excessively fat. All whole or cracked grain should be fed in the 
litter so as to force the fowls to exercise -by scratching for it. As a 
supply of green feed is usually lacking late in the winter or early 
in the spring, sprouted oats, cabbage, mangels, or cut clover or alfalfa 
should be fed to the fowls. 
FARMERS’ BULLETINS SPECIALLY USEFUL FOR MEMBERS OF BOYS’ 
AND GILRS’ POULTRY CLUBS. 
1105. Care of Mature Fowls. 
1106. Incubation of Hens’ Eggs. 
1107. Brood Coops and Appliances. 
1108. Care of Baby Chicks. 
1109. Preserving Eggs. 
1111. Management of Growing Chicks. 
1112. Culling for Eggs and Market. 
1113. Poultry Houses. 
1114. Common Poultry Diseases. 
1115. Selection and Preparation of Fowls for Exhibition. 
OTHER FARMERS’ BULLETINS ON POULTRY RAISING. 
287. Poultry Management. 
528. Hints to Poultry Raisers. 
574. Poultry House Construction. 
