THE POULTRY RUN

Southland Times, Issue 20661, 17 April 1929, Page 14

THE POULTRY RUN

INFLUENCES IN BLEEDING

HINTS FOR BREEDERS.

A writer in a northern exchange makes the following interesting reference to influences in breeding.

My experience is that there is “no body of breeders of any kind of domestic live stock that holds such a diversity -of views on the subject of breeding as poultrymen. When one considers how quickly—compared with cattle and sheep breeding—it is possible to obtain a large number of examples of the result of any special mating of two fowls it is extraordinary that such a wide difference of opinion should exist. The probable cause is that there is not one poultrykeeper in a thousand who could trace the true pedigree of all his stock — both of. the dam and the sire—back for even five years. But tell me of the fancier who can do so (there are few who can go much farther back l, and I would feel assured even before 1 had seen his stock, that I would find him a really scientific breeder, and owner of some of the best specimens to be found in the variety he kept. A knowledge of how a fowl is bred is absolutely essential before one can with real confidence predict that it will, if mated to a given hen, produce the desired effect in the offspring. It is a recognised fact that the female has the greater influence over the size of the progeny. One has, however, only to mention this fact to have half-a-dozen poultry breeders write back to say they have bred from a very small hen and produced some of the largest chickens for the breed that they ever had. Freaks or

“sports” in nature undoubtedly do occur, but they are very rare, and in almost all eases—such as above —it would be found, if one could accurately trace back the ancestors for a few years, that the explanation of the apparent exception to the rule was very simple. Possibly even the mother and grandmoth, er of the hen that bred the large chickens were also small in size; but tracing back another generation we find the original stock was bought —possibly as day old chicks—-from a breeder whose stock was noted for size, and that the apparent deficiency in this respect of the stock was due either to unfavourable conditions of accommodation or climate, or to a deficiency of care or poor feeding in the rearing; and that for two years one or another of these adverse conditions prevailed, at the end of which time the owner had considerably improved one or all of these conditions, with the result that he reproduced the original characteristic of the strain. Male Responsible for Colour.

Another well-established rule is that the male is far more res[x>nsible for the ground colour (as distinct from barring, pencilling, etc.l of the progeny than the hen. However, if the youngsters from a good ground coloured cockerel are reared so that, they have little or no protection from the inclemency of the weather or the scorching sun that fades the plumage, they will probably not be nearly so good in ground colour as chickens produced from a male inferior as regards ground colour, which had the advantage of natural or artificial production from sun and rain. The casual visitor, or even the owner, is liable to conclude that not only is the foregoing rule wrong, but also makes the error that the apparently best ground-coloured chickens of those reared under favourable circumstances would produce better ground colour in the offspring than those whose deficiency in this respect was really caused by the conditions under which they had been brought up. Such would, of course, be a great mistake.

This should show that (1) an accurate record of the parentage of all birds used for stock purposes y of the greatest possible assistance at the time of mating; and (2) that if one is a novice and desires to pen off birds suitably mated to produce winners, by far the best plan is to go to the breeder of one’s choice and say to him, “I am prepared to pay so much for a breed-ing-pen, and I leave it to you to do the best you can for me.” He knows how they have been bred, and if he understands the science of breeding should be able to mate up a 10 times better breeding pen than a novice could. The art of breeding anything is to know the tendencies of the stock. In poultry one strain fails in comb, another in lobe, a third in lacing, and so on. I daresay I have had as much experience as most breeders in mating up other people's yards, and I always make a rule to ask first of all to be shown the season’s young stock before making any attempt to sort out the stock birds. Here, any how, without previous knowledge of the bird’s parentage, I can see what are the defective tendencies of the strain; and then, armed with this knowledge—if the pens are left aS~ bred from — it is 10 times easier to see. even with only generations available, whether the faults are inherent in the strain or are due to improper mating. However, if the details of five or six years breeding are available, the veriest novice would probably be able to discover where the fault lay. Meat Meal for Stimulating. When fowls have arrived at the eggproducing stage of development stimulation may be given by increasing the supply of albuminoids, and one of the cheapest, simplest and best forms by which this can be given is by meat-meal. This is a food which is becoming more and more popular with utilitarians. The egg is largely composed of albumen, and since meat meal contains a large percentage of albuminoids in an easily digestible form, it is clear that, if added to the usual diet in reasonable quantities, good results must follow. One must, however, remember that out of nothing comes nothing, and that if one desires eggs one must furnish the bird with the materials wherewith to manufacture them; one must put the penny in the slot, or one cannot extract the toothsome chocolate. Many people look in vain daily, for eggs and they are furnishing only a bare .sustenance diet to their birds. This is very unwise, and the fact must be grasped that a bird can only furnish eggs when supplied with the necessary materials to make them, after she has already received sufficient food for her own bodily upkeep.