POULTRY KEEPING FOB PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22358, 23 March 1938, Page 15

POULTRY KEEPING FOB PROFIT

EARLY SELECTION OF BREEDERS

tßy •‘LEGHORN.’'!

It is important the poultrykeeper should, throughout the year, be ever on the watch for birds which for one reason pr another have become unprofitable. Such birds should be culled without delay. It is just as important to note birds which are good producers, possess vigour, and are of good type. It is wise to make, as early as possible, a preliminary selection of birds intended for breeding purposes. The selection of the breeders and the mating of the breeding, pens is one of the most important activities of the entire year for the poultry-keeper, but in too many cases this work is not given the thought and attention that it deserves. Later results depend to a large degree upon the proper mating of the individuals in order to bring out their best qualities regardless of what the objectives of breeding are. The actual mating of the pens is usuafky done soon after the autumn of th* year, but the real selection of the birds or the decision as to which to use and which to discard, should be a long-time proposition; in fact, it should extend throughout the entire year. Selection of the birds for the breeding pen should really be the climax of the culling programme for the entire year. Selection or culling should start with the chicks, and continue through the various stages of brooding and rearing, eliminating the undesirables at whatever stage they may appear. The mere selection of the breeders at the time of mating and by external appearances at that time will be only a doubtful affair which should never be tolerated, because the mistakes will be too numerous, and any improvement will be only by accident. Definite selection toward the object for which.one is working is- the only way to make progress.

Egg Selection Not Enough

Too often under general farm conditions the laying flock and the breeding flock are one and the same, hatching eggs being saved from the best looking eggs as they are gathered. This method is unwise, because it does not allow for any selection of the breeders. There are a number of factors which have been found to be transmitted from one generation to another, and which have a direct bearing on egg production. If any improvement in production is to be expected, these factors will have, to be considered, and birds that will be able to transmit such qualities to their offspring must be chosen. Some factors which affect production, and a knowledge of which would be of value as a basis for the selection of breeders, are: Early maturity, broodiness, rest periods during the winter, rate of laying, length of paying, period, and vitality or resistance to disease. These factors may be observed at various times during the year, and a record of the individual birds would certainly be Invaluable as a basis of selection for the breeding pens.

In order to have these data on which to select the breeders, some system of recording the past history of the individuals will be necessary. If trap nests are being used a detailed record of the individual performance will be available. Traps are not necessary, however, In order to have a reliable index of the production value of each individual. Observation of physical characters at intervals throughout the year and some system of marking or banding the birds will provide most of the information desired when selecting and mating the pens.

At the time of observation the birds may be banded with celluloid bands, of different colours, or the birds mayi be marked with numbered bands and i the records kept on prepared sheets or' note-books. Either method will be satisfactory. The use of coloured bands will require less labour and book work, but there is also more danger of the bands becoming lost and the record spoiled. A record of early maturity may be made by observing which birds are laying at different periods during the autumn. For instance, the birds might be handled about the first of March, and all those laying before that time marked with a red band; another handling about April 15, _ and all birds starting to lay during that interval marked with a yellow band;

and a still different colour for those that had not laid before May 1. The number of classes of birds are divided into will depend somewhat on the time available for the marking. Perhaps two or three classes would be sufficient in most instances. The amount of broodiness may be recorded very quickly and easily by placing a green band on each bird at each broody period. At the end of the season It will be a simple matter to check which hens' have been broody and the number of times they have been off duty as layers. Broody hens should never be allowed in the breeding pens. They lose too much , time for good production, and the character is transmitted to their offspring. Pigment and moult may be used to distinguish the birds that have been laying throughout the winter if they are observed during 'June and July. Those showing well-bleached beaks and shanks and with no indication of having moulted should be given a blue band, as an indication of good winter laying. Here again there may be two or mqre classes. For instance, a blue band may indicate the best winter layers, while a purple band may be used to mark the medium layers. Those birds without either band would be those that did not qualify as good winter layers, and should, therefore, not be allowed in the breeding pens. , Rate of bleaching and the handling quality of the, skin and abdomen may be used to record the rate of laying, and should be.marked with a distinctive colour, or they may also be divided into two or three ■ groups. Length of laying periods may be recorded by observing the birds during the summer and autumn months, using a different colour for those birds that stop laying early in January or

February, and those that continue In production into May or June. Vitality and health may be observed at all times of the year. A coloured band should be placed on every bird that shows any signs of disease or weakness, because no diseased bird should ever be used for a breeder. Vitality is important, and there is no excuse for taking a chance by using any bird that has shown signs of weakness. While health is important at all times of the year, it is especially important during the breeding season if fertile eggs are to be produced. This is especially true of the male bird.