® POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20032, 24 November 1928, Page 24

® POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.] \wXw.wAm° ■V-jig;

“ Beginner.”—lt is sometimes very difficult oven for an experienced fancier to toll whether a chicken is a cockerel or a pullet. You say you shave removed all the cockerels that yon oulJ distinguish, hub that there are still one or two about which you are doubtful, if you return one of the most vigorous of the cockerels to the pen and watch results yo may see a light ensue, and if so it will ho with the doubtful hint. If there is no light you may judge that the “ doubtfuls ” are indicts. “Broody.”—lf you do nut want her for incubation purposes you should put her in a coop wth a slatted bottom. The cool air beneath her will soon put her olf the cluck, and she will come on to laving again in short time. T'eed her well in the meantime. A Duck’s Egg Record.—An official record sequence in laying eggs has been set up by a Khaki Campbell duck, belonging to Air A. N. Dickson, of Chester, in the laying trials at the Harper Adams College, this bird having produced 2DI eggs without missing a day. There is a possibility that this duck may set up a now English record for production _ during a .year. Thu present record is 357 eggs in 305 days, in last season’s Harper Adams trials. Predetermines the Sex of Chickens. • —There are many who profess that they know how to tell whether an egg will hatch out a male or female bit cl, but none have satisfied the poultry world generally that they can actually do so. Wo now hear of a still greater pretention, i.c., that by the use of the X-ray they can, as they desire, cause such changes within the chromosomes of the germ that any tendency to maleness can bo suppressed, so that a pullet will bo hatched out instead of a cockerel, or if desired any tendency to male ness may bo made more determined, with the result that the chicken produced will bo more sexually vigorous than it otherwise would be. To my mind sue 1 scichtlic theories as these are useless to practical poultry keepers, but judging by the following extract from an American paper, which seemingly is written in serious view, even the experts of American agricultural colleges vouch for the “ Predetermination of Sox in Chickens by X-ray ” being a fact in actual practice. The extract is as follows:—In Paul It. Hadley’s barn-yard at Kauwood, New Jersey, there is a great clucking as though something important had been hatched. Ami it has. Hadley, after seven years of experimenting with X-ray, has hit upon a formula et predetermining the sox of chickens in Hie egg. Letters from a number of scientists and from experts in State Agricutural Colleges testify to his discovery. And Hadley has gone even further. When ho wants any certain egg to hatch out a pullet, instead of a young rooster, that egg hatches a pullet. Hadley pointed to about SUO chickens scratching around on his farm, all of them cut-cul-cul-cadahlng instead of cockadoodlcdooing. “ t wanted hens,” ho said, “ and I’ve got ’em.” Thu point in his X-ray successes, aside from the possibility that they may someday be extended beyond the barnyard in intluencing sex, is one lamiliar to ail who have ever settled down to get rich raising chickens. AIo.-c eggs turn out to he roosters, and roosters are notoriously improlitahle. They do nothing to support themselves, are bellicose and noisy, eat more than hens, and are in' general lit only for Hie table. At the present lime 1 Do predominance of roosters over hens in every hatch is so grout that of 11m 2,000,000,000 chickens raised in __ Hie United States last year about 1,50(1,000,000 were males. But not so in Hadley’s barnyard. “ In many of our experiments wo used just ordinary eggs,” ho said, “ and so far wo have been able io turn out 100 per cent,, pullets from every hatch.” Ami when Hadley decides that ho wants a. rooster, he changes the method of X-ray exposure and gels an extraordinary one—a roes I or than (an lick any other rooster of his ago in short order. “Wo also have turned out mixed hatches with eggs especially 1 shot ’ for the purpose,” lie continued. “ That rooster you sec over there is fifteen weeks old to-day. Ju every way he will measure up three to four weeks more mature than any rooster on tliu place not treated by our method. Officials of various Stain agricultural colleges have taken official weights of tho flocks of chickens, and data eou-

corning thorn is on file at iho New Jersey Experiment __ Station.” Although Hadley’s X-ray treatment makes pullets out of eggs that otherwise would produce roosters, it is apparently easier to insure an all-fcmaio hatch than to tho sox toward masculinity. Tho X-ray affects tho chromosomes beginnings of form and leather in tho fowl. “ Tho chromosomes not only hold tho secret of sex,” said Hadley, “ but that tiling which in human beings unfolds _in duo course into tho hair, tho skin, and organs of tho child. Ono sot of chromosomes has tho beginnings of a malo fowl and another set, equal in number to tho first, has the female characteristics. In the development of tho chick in tho egg one set of chromosorics predominates until it practically kills tho other groups.” Hadley’s experiments finally revealed to him the proper timing and voltage to kill all tho malo chromosomes in tho egg, because tho male chromosomes arc weaker, and then by another “shot”, to stimulate the female chromosomes to such an extent that rapid growth and maturity would follow. Uadloy’s X-rayed hens aro said to bo heavier and healthier than iho common barnyard variety of ben, almost from tho pipping of tho shell. Tho X-rays not only prevented any tendency to becoimy roosr.ms, but hided off any inherited d'soaso genus m tht. egg. Hadley began his experiments with X-rays soon after the Worn! War Ho returned from Franco and first tried forcing plants to quick maturity. Ho thou decided to experiment with ins chickens, with an object of making them grow taster. Tho discoveries about sex were an almost aceid mlal development. Dr \V. H. Dieffcnbaaa, of tho New York Homeopathic Hospital ami others aro interested in J,is work, which has so far cost him alums JO,QUO dollars. Chinese Hens aro led ou Garbage.--A Mr Deans, who lias had considerable 'experience in the export of eggs from China, where ho Jived for some years, confirms tho reports which wo have heard of the manner in which Chinese hens aro fed on garbage, and as the ‘ X’oultry World’ remarks: “ British poultry keepers should let it be known far and wide now tho birds which produce tho Chinese eggs which come in pulp, dried and shell form, are fed.” How Modern Breeds Were Made.— Dr 11.I 1 . A. 11. Crew (Edinburgh University), in an article read before the Harper-Adams Conference, explains the making of breeds as follows;—The modern breeds were made by practical men who were in no sense guided in their methods by scientific Jaws, but it can bo .shown that llio success of these breeders was duo to tho fact iliat iho methods they adopted were essentially in accord with scientific principles that have been disclosed since the time when the breeds were made. These early fanciers, though they recognised vermin rules of breeding, did not comprehend its- scientific principles, and so were not able to generalise and (o predict, and thus !■> shorten Hie methods ot improvement for themselves in oilier fields or lor breeders of oilier kinds ot .stuck. A. careful examination of their records reveals their methods, and in an analysis of these methods the .scientific principles ot breeding aro disclosed. When I lie pioneers first undertook tho improvement of British poultry tho general .stuck of tho country was of very mixed typo and of poor quality. Certain local types vero distinguished by peculiarities of size, prevailing colour, and product.’voiie.-s, but there aero no breeds in the modern sense, and in all these local types there was a very great amount of variability in respect of all characters. Tho modern breeds had their beginnings in the, vision of an artist, the. breeder, and in tho lurLumito and fortuitous appearance of ono or more superior individual animals. The breeder had in his mind's eyo I bo picture of an ideal type, and lie. chose from among tho local block individuals which exhibited ono nr more of tho components of bis ideal. Tho initial stage in iho improvement of each breed was flic collection in as small a group of the local typo as possible and as many of tho characters of tho ideal as possible. Tho breeder has never possessed tho power to produce hereditary characters, desirable or underirable, bub ho has_ had tho power of creating any combination of such heritable characters as already existed separately, and of manipulating iho environment through husbandry, so (hat tlieso characters became expressed more fully. This power of forming new groupings of characters has already produced results of tho greatest value, and may confidently bo expected to produce ' many more, for standards continually change, and (bo need for new combinations of characters is always present. Appearance Nob a. Reliable Guido in Mating.—Tho doctor, in this address, is evidently trying to deal with subjects; of direct interest to tboao engaged iu tho poultry industry, and not, as formerly, with mailers of purely .scientific interest. The following excerpt is an example. Ho says; —“Appearance alone is nob n reliable guide to breeding ability. This vvas a lesson quickly learned._ The acid test of the worth of tho sire and dam is that it shall beget ofiispring certainly i nob le-s valuable and preferably more valuable than itself. Selection on an estimate of tho hereditary constitution of the individual is revealed in jjs pedigree and iu its progeny. Pedigree', when rationally used, forms a. very valuable aid to tho_breeder iu his work of selection, hub Bs importance; can he, and commonly is, ovor-cmplm-sisnd. Individual meri t is a safer guide (ban pedigree, but the Iwo in conjunction are belter than cither alone. From tho pedigree the breeder seeks information concerning tho average' merit of tho immediate ancestors, not merely of siro and dam, gnmdsiro and grand-dam, but also of the brothers and sisters, and also indications of the orderliness and mode of inheritance of these good qualities from generation to generation. Commonly too much importance is paid to more remote'ancestors and to descent m tho direct fcmalo line to some particular “foundation fcmalo.” There is no biological justification for such practices as these, for it is quilo certain limb in practice nothing can be. gained in the ease of an estabbsbed breed by undue consideration of iho ancestry four nr more generations back”" , , Tho Progeny (be Beal lest.—Another extract from Dr. Crew’s paper is as follows; —“ Though it is sound policy to uso for breeding only those individuals of manifest merit out of admirable and true-brooding parents, tho real test of breeding worth is the progeny test. Tho father is judged not by his own appearance and performance, but by the attainments of bis offspring. The breeding value of an individual is estimated by examination of a sample of its early progeny. _ Tho progeny tost is applied most readily to males because of tho greater number of offspring which may bo obtained from a single individual and because the flock can bo improved more rapidly in this way than through tho selection of superior females, in tho caso of which half the brooding life must ho over before a sufficient number of offspring had been secured. Those males _ which beget the best progeny are retained, the others, eves though they may in general ap-,

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poaranco bo tho hotter specimens, aro discarded. Tho test of a utility cock, for example, is tine average egg-produc-tion of a number of his daughters compared with that of their dams, assuming, of course, that tho conditions of husbandry aro similar in tho two cases. To compare tho merits of different sires of a table breed it is necessary to roar, under carefully controlled conditions, groups of offspring of each sire, and finally to have them oaten. The best siro is iio wiioso offspring aro the choicest mcah Another problem of the breeder then is that of recognising the hereditary constitution of tho individuals with which ho works. Ho has to recognise that breeding ability is more accurately assessed by the progeny test than by tho appearance of the individual.” TWENTY-FOURTH PAPANDI EGGLAYING COMPETITION. Lcadjng' Pens, Thirty-second Week, Ended November 10 (-24 days). Test I.—J. 11. Shaw Memorial Challenge. Light and Heavy Breeds. Black Orpingtons. Week’s Weight, Eggs. O.U- drs. Tl. Green Bros., No 17 M U IDA L. J. Knowles ... 7 Iff H 3W5 Green Bros.. No. 2 7 .10 5 18b Master Biggins ... 7 14 3 18-1 W. E. Ward ... (i 12 0 178 E. J. Ross G 12 !) 177 E. V. Crouch ... A IU Id 171 Test ll.—White Leghorn Single Hen. Owner Enurs 3 Birds. Week’s Eggs. Total. 11. Williams, No. 1 ... ... 7 181) T. W. Bettoridgc, No. 1 ... tj 187 J. W. Tlsmisoii, No. 2 ... 7 187 31. G. Craig, No. 1 G ISA H. Williams, No. 2 ... (j 18A Tracey King, No. 2 ... 7 3S-1 T. Bond, No. I ti JBl —Single lieu Test.— Owner Enters 3 Birds. Test HI—A.O.V. Light Breeds, Except White Leghorns. Anemias. Week's Eggs. Total. G. H. Mitchell, No 1 ... (,! 331 R. Poarec, No. 3 1 130 Test 13’.—Black Orpingtons Only. J. 31. Campbell, No. 3 ... A 130 J. 31. Campbell. No. 2 ... 3 183 A. 31. Espio, No. 2 ... A 378 A. 11. Lcck'ic, No. 3 ... G IAB Test V.— A.O.V. Heavy Breeds Other Thau Black Orpingtons. ,T. B. Griffcn (L.S.), No. 1 G 37(3 B. G. Gorlult tW.R.), No. 2 -I 333 J. G. Wilson (8.5.), No. I A lot Test Vl.—Flock Teams (G Birds). Light Breeds. Wee fit’s Weight. Eggs. on. drs. Total. 11. 1 I'hitEoh ... 33 13 3 1,011 11. AY. Beck, No. 1 33 GO 3.3 070 H. W. Beck'No. 2 2S AP IA Obi V. Hawes 31 Go.il- 013 J. Bobbitt 3,1 71 It 882 0. J. Veri-all ... 33 7U 3 872 Test Vll.—Single Duck Test. Owner Enters 3 Birds. Bek ins. W-ek’s Eggs. Total. J. W. Thomson, N<>. 2 ... 7 3KI ,T. W, Thomson, No. 3 ... I Mb 11. A. I Huber, No. 2 ... A 318 Indian Runners. G. E. Barnett, No. I ... G 211 11. A. Daw her, No. 2 ... 7 2U7 .1. W. Thomson, No. ■’> ... 7 2u3 . IV. Thomson. No. 2 ... < 2d I. C. E. Barncll, No. 3 ... 7 10G J. \\. Thomson, No. I ... 3 101