225 



Two settings of eggs of the following breeds were purchased for the purpose of 

 introducing new strains, viz., White Leghorns, Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks and 

 Andalusians. The chicks from these eggs with two or three exceptions were strong, 

 vigorous and well marked. The majorit}- of them are now used as breeding stock 

 and with equally well-bred males should give good results. 



As in previous years, the sitters were placed in comfortable nests, some on the 

 damp earth of the cellar and others on the dry board floor of the upper compart- 

 ment of the main building. The report of 1890, page 209, contains full particulars 

 as to the proper management and treatment of sitting hens. Before giving the sitter 

 valuable eggs it is better that she be placed on a nest made of short cut straw, and 

 well dusted with carbolic acid disinfecting powder. Three or four china eggs should 

 be placed in the nest and the sitter allowed to remain on these for two days. The 

 valuable eggs should then be given to her. The probability is that the disinfecting 

 powder has meanwhile driven away vermin that might have been on the hen and 

 she will sit with comparative ease and quiet, which she could not do if annoyed by 

 lice. Many settings of valuable eggs are lost every season from the lack of the 

 necessary attention to the sitter. 



Dry Boards versus Damp Ground. 



The experiment of placing a certain number of eggs on the damp ground and 

 dry boards, with a view of ascertaining hatching results, was continued, with less 

 satisfactory results from the dry boards. The following will show the number of 

 chickens obtained by the different methods : — 



In the eggs placed on the dry boards there were a number of chickens which 

 had attained to full size but had died, apparently unable to break through the thick 

 integument enclosing the chick inside the shell, and which was unusually dry and 

 tough. In other cases the eggshells seemed to be dried on to the dead chicks so as 

 to make it difficult to separate them, and the best way to do so was to soak both 

 the chick and shell in warm water. It seemed as if it would have had a beneficial 

 effect to have sprinkled the eggs with luke-warm water some times previous to the 

 hatching period. The absence of moisture seemed to have had an injurious effect. 

 7p— 15 



