264 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDWARD VII., A. 1908 

 Third Pf.riod. — Incubators Filled May 7, 1906. 



Many useful deductions may be derived from a study of the above table. A few 

 are noted as follows : — 



1. There was little difference in the percentage of favourable results from the 

 selected, or, fertile eggs of early or middle March and those of the same sort in May. 



2. The percentage of clear eggs was less in the May eggs than in any other, 



3. The percentage of chickens hatched from the fertile eggs of May was better 

 than in any other month. 



4. The difference between the percentage of ' fertile eggs ' and results in chickens 

 is most marked. This feature of incubation — particularly noticeable in early spring 

 eggs — is fully discussed in the reports of the earlier work of this department 10 and 

 12 years ago. 



5. Eesults go to emphasize the advice given to farmers and other poultry keepers, 

 in this and preceding reports not to select eggs for hatching by incubator or hen until 

 the fowls have had opportunity, in spring time, to run outside and recuperate from 

 their long term of winter life and treatment. 



6. The showing is in favour of the unheated house manner of keeping the laying 

 stock during the winter season. 



PROGRESS OF THE CHICKENS. 



A strong germ which usually comes from constitutionally vigorous parent stock 

 will, in most cases, emerge clear and clean from the shell as a robust chicken. But every 

 chicken that hatches out in incubator or under hen is not such. The hen inadvertently 

 tramps on or otherwise disposes of the weakling chicken. But the incubator nursery 

 often sustains the weakling— unless meanwhile trampled to death by its more lusty 

 mates — to reach the brooder, there to peep, or, mope itself to death. Frequently these 

 weaklings are numerous and when they do most miserably perish, the incubator prim- 

 arily and the brooder in the second place are held responsible in many instances for 

 what mismanagement and improper feeding of the parent hens are directly respon- 

 sible for. 



The chickens were allowed to remain in the nursery of the incubators, or, under 

 the mother hen for 24 hours, or, until strong on their legs. It was not desired that 

 a weakling chicken, a deformed one or one unable to make its way out of the shell 

 should be removed from the incubator. The rule to take no weakling from either 

 shell, incubator or hen, should be rigidly observed. On being placed in the brooders, 

 or with their mother hens removed to coops in a field, the chicks made satisfactory 

 progress. 



