POULTRY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 37, 28 September 1911, Page 8

POULTRY COLUMN.

(By F. C. Brown, in “Journal of Department of Agriculture.”) Culling. There are many lessons the breeder at feathered stock can take from the breeders of horses, cattle and sheep who have contributed in any measure to the advancement of type, but there is no lession in this connection of greater significance, or one more neglected by the poultry-breeder, than that of culling. There is no more patent fact than that only 7 a minor percentage of the stock produced each .year are good enough to place in the breeding-pen—in fact, the breeder himself practically 7 recognises this when • t comes to the selection of ids own ;tud birds; but unfortunately too imny do not exhibit the same ■ keenness .of discrimination when it comes yo selling breeding stock to their climts.U Tho reputable breeder of other classes of live stock culls heavily and thereby l - secures a low percentage of ■vliat he regards as stud animals and / high percentage of what are con■ideicd unlit for breeding purposes. Tow many poultrymon follow this example? Again, the purchaser of stud mrses, cattle, and sheep inspects the '.nimals before ho will purchase, or loes so through a qualified agent, but mw many ponltrymen are in a position to see the birds they are Inning? Surely, therefore, there is all the groat■r nce d on the part of the breeder t should in fact appeal to his sense )f honour—to send out only stud mis which are up to the standard vhich lie himself demands in Jus lireedng stock. ft is a common expori■uco with our leading breeders of ntilty stock that hundreds of birds have o ho; handled in order to secure a •reeding or a competition pen, a. strikag fact m proof of the difficulty of (reeding, a large lino of birds up to ho standard being aimed at, and of ho vital necessity of heavy culling. Of course,- these remarks are main■y intended for the breeder who is making a business of supplying stud Jock. To such men the sending-out ■f birds of a deirablo standard should

‘° matter of the first consideration. ■Io should place himself in the position >f his client, and if fie will but rcnomhor the chagrin and disappointment of himself in his early cxpoiiiiee when he purchased a stud bird vliidi ultimately deteriorated rather ban advanced his little flock, lie will, lerliaps, think twice before being mrty to a client having a similar experience' The advancement of utility poultry will never proceed at the pace :t should until those concerned in )rooding | foundation stock conduct the •usmess on sound and legitimate inefl, endeavouring at all , times to ■ivo satisfaction to their clients, tiiorc>y enhancing their own reputations md thus insuring a more extensive onneetjou as well as doing their share n extending the admirers of utility lonltry. r .l o aim at-soiling as' many •tud birds as possible irrespective of juality is a policy fatal to all concerned. It wilf affect, ; and probably ■ Uimatyly destroy, the breeder’s remtatiou ; it will cause JJio buyer to ose init l l in utility poultry; and it will •ctnrd, in a greater or lessor degree, ho development of the industry. . (To ho continued.)