POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. 



17 



kept there until the close of the test. The eggs laid each succeed- 

 ing day until June 6th were incubated. 



The eleven eggs laid May 26th were all removed after having 

 been in the incubator eight days. Eight of them were clear and 

 the three others showed very light traces of fertility. At the 

 same time the eight eggs laid May 27th were examined and three 

 of them showed clear, three were slightly cloudy and two had 

 good strong centers and radiating lines. From these eggs two 

 good strong chicks were hatched on the twentieth day of incuba- 

 tion. The best results were obtained from the eggs laid June 

 2d, eight days after the introduction of the male bird. From 

 the ten eggs laid that day, eight good chicks were hatched and 

 two eggs were completely infertile. 



This test shows that eggs become fertile very soon after mating 

 commences. As it was after dark when the cockerel was put 

 in the pen with the hens it is not at all probable that he mated 

 with any hen until daylight the next morning, May 26th, yet the 

 eggs laid by two of the hens May 27th, not more than 40 hours 

 after mating, yielded vigorous chicks. 



TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OP EGGS SECURED FROM THE HENS 

 EACH DAY AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COCKEREL, THE NIGHT 

 OF MAY 25, AND THE NUMBER OF CHICKS HATCHED FROM THEM. 



bea 



H.2 



7) OJ 

 O o 



S3 



May 26 



May 27 



May 28 



May 29.. 



May 30 



May 31 



June 1 



June 2 



June 3 



June 4 v 



Juneo 



June 6 



11 



8 

 13 

 10 

 12 

 10 

 13 

 10 



9 

 11 

 11 

 10 





 2 

 3 

 1 

 3 

 3 

 5 

 8 

 4 

 4 

 6 

 3 



