POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 192, 18 July 1925, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”)

It is taken for granted that the breeding hens were selected sometime ago, for it is never a good practice to leave this until the breeding season begins. For early breeders of chicks (some mated up weeks ago), all that now remains to he done so far as selection is concerned, is the work of choosing the male bird. To many this is the' most important part of their job as a breeder. They may have cnc or two of the hens unfitted for reproductive purposes in the pen and still h.aio fair hatches and strong resultant progeny more or less, hut the percentage is multiplied many times when the male bird is a poor specimen for a breeding bird. Always remember that the male bird influences for good or ill the product of every egg, whereas the one or two weakling liens affect only the eggs they themselves produce. If you have to buy a male bird, don’t make a mistake in thinking that high prices are a sure indication of quality. Know tho history of the bird ; see that he is up to the standard in breed characteristics and, what is most important, see that he is full of ' constitutional vigour. What you must certainly avoid is using an immature bird—this has been proved to bo one of tho chief causes of poor hatches. Overcrowding in breeding pens should be avoided as much as is possible. There is nothing which lessens tho comfort of birds more than to be crammed into too small a space. There is a big temptation, it is known, in order to secure a given number of fertile eggs in 'the shortest possible space of time, for breeders to add additional birds to the pen. Whilst it is admitted that eggs above a certain age are doubtful numbers when it comes to hatching, there is nothing to be gained in trying to secure eggs a day or so earlier at trio expense of overcrowding tho pens. Three foot of floor space for each bird is thought fair liberty, but increase it if possible. Breeders will reduce scrapping, have cleaner floors and in every respect materially add to the comfort of the birds. That is what they must aim at. An unsettled, -uncomfortable pen of birds will never give good results. “Sex linkage is a' fad which will do much harm to the poultry industry,” says Poultry World. “Unless we keep our breeds pure we shall soon be on the rocks and England will lose her proud position as the home of the high-class pure-bred stock.” But “Leghorn,” in the Weekly Times, says that sex linkage should not bring about the determination of purebred stock, as these will still be required and are necessary even to carry out sex linkage. Even so. many continue to oppose tho proposed innovation on the grounds that once we start this breeding process there is no telling where it will etui and one day we shall awaken to find our flocks throughout the country a motley gathering of no one knows what. Better far to continue as at present, breeding the purebred bird which lias given and will rightly treated, give even better results.