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POULTRY , BREEDING. 
a good range, and are careful that the hens have neither too few nor too 
many males 
Hating. 
Always mate a short, compact, deep-bodied male, with long-backed 
hens, but not the reverse, and as a rule, for the best results the hen 
should be over one year old when she sets. From that to four years she 
will do the best. Do not be afraid of breeding in-and-in. Unless carried 
too far it will result in better success than out crosses. So in breeding 
to color let all self colors be as solid as possible, and in parti-colored 
breeds study their characteristics, and breed as near to a feather as 
possible. Avoid vulture hocks in all poultry, and especially so in the 
Asiatic breeds. In breeding Brahmas and colored Cochins have plenty 
of color in the males, as the tendency is to get lighter. Yet in this dis- 
crimination must be used. If the saddle is very heavily striped, or the 
neck hackle very dark, the chicks will be apt to run to spots. Yet as a 
rule heavily-penciled males must be used to get heavily-penciled cock 
chickens. So very dark hackled cocks and hens with the hackles lightly 
penciled will produce chickens with delicately penciled hackles. 
Breeding Grades. 
If you cannot get fowls pure get a well bred cock and keep with a few 
of your select hens. Breed him again to his chicks, so long as he lasts ; 
thus by the exercise of judgment you may have very superior poultry in 
a short time. A better way, however, is to get a setting of pure eggs 
and commence right at once. They cost comparatively little, axe easiB* 
aent'lujx tsprsss, and will soon repay their cost. 
