634 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
AUG. 29 
Poultry Yard ' 
BREEDING FOR LAYING LEGHORNS. 
The Methods of an Expert. ’ 
Egg sellers have no use for the “Stand¬ 
ard ,;” egg producing powers neglected; 
fouls may be bred for egg production; 
we want a better egg, too; make the 
choice at loafing time ; description of 
a good layer; hens that lay through 
the moult; hard to obtain suitable 
cocks; feeding of great importance; 
mild praise for clover hay; exercise 
essential. 
The “Standard” is a Hindrance. 
The subject of improving the laying 
qualities of hens is one that, in my opin¬ 
ion, has received but little attention up to 
the present time, considering the number 
of people who are more or less employed 
in keeping poultry. Why this is so I can¬ 
not understand, unless it is because nearly 
all who have interested themselves in the 
improvement of poultry in the past, have 
directed their energies principally from 
the fancier’s standpoint, simply breeding 
for uniformity of form, color, and general 
markings as laid down in the Standard of 
Excellence for the various breeds. 
While I have been more or less interested 
in the keeping of poultry since a boy, it 
was not until about 10 years ago that the 
opportunity was offered for me to begin 
keeping hens especially for the produc¬ 
tion of eggs for market. Then almost the 
first thing that attracted my attention in 
connection with the business was the fact 
that some of my hens were naturally far 
better layers than others, when all were of 
the same breed, and all received the same 
general feed, care, and management. I at 
once attempted to profit by the observa¬ 
tion, and selected the best layers to breed 
from. After trying several breeds and 
crosses I settled down to the Single-comb 
White Leghorn as being best suited to my 
purpose and market, and so far my labor 
in this direction has given me quite satis¬ 
factory results, and with the knowledge 
gained, I see a good prospect for still fur¬ 
ther Improvement. I consider the im¬ 
provement in the laying qualities in the 
last few years due more to the selection of 
the breeding stock than to any improve¬ 
ment in methods of care or feeding, as the 
latter have not changed materially during 
the time. 
Some 250-Egg Hens. 
The improvement in laying qualities has 
been somewhat hindered by the attempt at 
the same time to Improve the general ap¬ 
pearance of the eggs by getting them all of 
a fair size, uniform in shape and color, thus 
increasing their market value. A hen that 
persists in laying a very small or ill-shaped 
egg is never used for breeding, no matter 
how good a layer she may be. My hens are 
always kept in confinement in flocks of 
about 50 in a house 12 x 20 feet, with a park 
2x8 rods. Formerly when such flocks 
averaged 150 eggs per hen yearly, I con¬ 
sidered it a large yield ; now I have several 
flocks that average 200 or more per year. I 
am quite sure that 1 have individual hens 
that lay an average of 250 eggs each per 
year, and that is the point for which I have 
started with the whole number kept—600. 
Whether I reach it or not Is a question to 
be answered later. 
Hens That Work While Others Quit. 
In selecting my breeding flocks I find it 
necessary to exercise great care to avoid 
mistakes. The best time of year for this 
work is when the hens generally are not 
laying well. Spring and early summer is 
not a good time because almost any hen 
will lay at that time; but late in summer 
during the moulting period, and in winter 
is my time to decide which shall be selected 
for breeding the following spring. While I 
pay considerable attention to the external 
characteristics, the all-important thing is 
to know that the hen to be selected is laying 
the greater part of the year and this can be 
determined only by close observation, and 
requires the outlay of a good deal of time 
and patience. The hens as fast as selected 
are placed in flocks by themselves, and a 
record is kept of the number of eggs laid, to 
show how they compare in that respect 
with the general flocks. I aim that in each 
of the breeding flocks there shall be, as 
nearly as possible, the same number in or¬ 
der that one shall have no advantage over 
the other in the amount of room occupied, 
and they are always fed and cared for ex¬ 
actly alike. 
What a Laying Leghorn Looks Like. 
After I have succeeded in getting together 
a satisfactory flock, I find that they will 
answer pretty well to the following descrip¬ 
tion : large boned, rather long in leg and 
neck; long on the back; deep up and down 
behind, with legs set fairly well apart ; 
breast bone somewhat prominent ; flesh 
hard, strong and muscular; In good condi¬ 
tion, but not fat; comb rather above the 
average in size; eyes bright and full ; dis¬ 
position lively, but not scary; more inclined 
to follow after and crowd about the attend¬ 
ant than to run and fly at his approach ; 
large consumers of food and always hungry 
when fed regularly and given a chance for 
exercise. 
Hard to Get “ Laying ” Cocks. 
One of the greatest difficulties has been to 
find suitable cocks whenever I wish to in¬ 
troduce fresh blood, as I do every second 
year. My plan has been to get someone in¬ 
terested in the same line to mate a pen of 
his best layers whose records have been kept 
for the past year, showing their laying 
qualities, with the best cock to be procured 
for the purpose, and then select from the 
chicks cockerels when about six weeks old, 
and grow them, selecting from among the 
number some of the best in strength and 
vitality. As I find that a good layer is 
always a strong bird, I pay particular atten¬ 
tion to mating with strong cocks. What I 
would like for this purpose would be cocks 
bred from a long line of ancestors of noted 
laying qualities. Such, however, are at 
present very hard to And, as nearly all 
breeders applied to can refer me only to the 
points their stock will “score” when judged 
by the Standard of Excellence. Now I 
have no quarrel whatever with the makers 
of the Standard or with the breeders who 
follow it; but I have very little use for it 
in my business of “breeding for layers.” 
The Feed Makes the Egg. 
In building up a strain of extra layers, 
while it has become a well established 
fact with me that the selection of the breed¬ 
ing stock is of great importance, It is also a 
frtCt that feeding and care must receive 
especial attention in order that the chicks 
shall be properly grown and built up to 
enable them to perform the work they are 
intended to do. To do this, the chick 
should be generously fed from birth with 
food suitable for the promotion of rapid 
and strong growth without fattening. A 
dally supply of green food and an oppor¬ 
tunity for exercise must not be overlooked. 
I am an advocate of heavy feeding in con-' 
nection with plenty of exercise, both for 
growing chicks and laying hens. I find 
also that the foods best suited for the 
growth of strong, bony, muscular chicks 
are also best suited to large egg produc¬ 
tion, and that the eggs when used for hatch¬ 
ing invariably hatch well. I never find it 
necessary to provide any special diet dur¬ 
ing the moulting period, as a naturally 
strong and vigorous hen that has been 
properly fed and cared for during the year 
previous, will moult quickly and safely, 
and I can furnish positive proof that many 
such birds will do considerable singing and 
lay some eggs during the time. I want 
none of the so-called patent egg foods, con¬ 
dition powders or drugs of any kind; but 
plenty of good, clean, sound grain, such as 
oats, wheat, barley, corn and buckwheat, 
using largely of the first two named. A 
mixture of ground oats and corn, equal 
weights, with their weight of bran added 
and the whole moistened with skim-milk, 
makes up the morning meal when tbe hens 
are always hungry and are allowed all they 
will eat up clean in 15 or 20 minutes. If 
any of the food remains in the trough at 
the end of that time it is taken away at 
once. Whole grain is fed at noon and 
night in litter, so that they must exercise 
to get it; yet care is taken to see that 
they get enough to satisfy them before go¬ 
ing upon their perches at night. Before 
feeding the grain at noon, a feed of green 
food is given, which is greatly relished. 
Green clover cut fine and kale supply this 
want in summer, and cabbage, beets and 
turnips in winter. A little skim-milk is 
given for drink In the fore part of the day, 
with a supply of good, pure, clean water 
the rest of the time. No musty or impure 
food of any kind is ever given for the rea¬ 
son that it is believed to be injurious to 
the health of the fowls and to impart a bad 
flavor to the eggs. 
Is Clover Hay Overpraised? 
A great deal has been said and written of 
late in favor of feeding clover hay to lay¬ 
ing hens, with the claim for it that it will 
increase the egg yield and greatly cheapen 
the cost of feeding. While I do not dispute 
the claim that clover hay contains, to a 
large extent, the elements necessary for the 
construction of the egg, my experience in 
feeding it for the last three years is that it 
will never take a very large part in feeding, 
especially where a large production of eggs 
is desired, because, even when chopped fine 
and scalded, it is too bulky to allow hens to 
eat aDd assimilate enough or it to keep up 
even an ordinary yield of eggs. I consider 
it valuable as hen food only when fed to 
hens that have become fat and inactive 
from overfeeding and lack of exerc’se; 
then feeding it in part for the grain lightens 
the food without reducing the bulk and 
therefore improves the general tone and 
health of the fowls. I find that with my 
hens when in good laying condition and 
getting a daily feed of green or succulent 
food, I cannot afford to crowd out the 
heavier feed of grain for the purpose of 
compelling them to eat so bulky a food as 
clover hay; especially is this so during the 
season when they are doing their heaviest 
laying, at which time I have abandoned the 
feeding of it altogether ; but I feed it light¬ 
ly during moulting and when they are 
closely confined in winter. My object in 
feeding the green food is to improve and 
keep in order the digestive organs, thereby 
increasing their power to assimilate more 
of the heavier foods which are necessary for 
a large egg yield. 
Leghorns Forever! 
Although my experience of late has been 
principally with the Leghorns, I see no rea¬ 
son why the heavy breeds should not be fed 
and handled in the same way. Any heD, large 
or small, that has to work for a good por¬ 
tion of her food will keep in good health 
and not get overfed, unless the food is too 
heavy and fattening, or the hen a poor 
layer. My experience in crossing has con¬ 
vinced me that there is nothing to be gained 
in promoting egg production in that direc- 
(Continued on next page.) 
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FOR 
BILIOUS! NERVOUS 
DISORDERS, 
Such as Sick Headache, Wind and Pain in the 
Stomach, Giddiness, Fullness, Swelling after 
Meals, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Chills, Flushings 
of Heat, Loss of Appetite, Shortness of Breath, 
Co-.tivsness, Scurvy, Blotches on the Skin, 
Disturbed Sleep Frightful Dreams and all 
Nervous and Trembling Sensations, 
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Of all druggists. Price, 25 cents a box. 
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For Information apply to 
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Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration, 
RICHMOND, VA. 
Six days earlier than 
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