REPORT OF THE POULTRY MANAGER. 



209 



As in previous years the demand for eggs for hatching was much greater than 

 ould be filled, and many disappointments were the result, but the orders were taken 

 n rotation, and as far as possible farmers had first choice. 



EGGS SET AND CHICKENS HATCHED. 



When 

 set. 



AprU 8. 



do 19. 



do 21. 



do 24. 



do 29. 



do 29. 



do 29. 

 May 2. 



do 3. 



do 

 do 

 do 



do 11. 



do 13. 



do 17. 



do 18. 



do 22. 



do 27. 



do 27. 



do 29. 



do 30. 



do 30. 



do 30. 



Description of Eggs. 



11 Black Minorca 



8 Red Caps, 3 crosses 



11 Langshans . . . . 



13 Plymouth Rock . . 



13 White Plymouth Rocks 



13 S. L. Wyandottes 



13 do 



8 W. P. Rocks, 5 Langshans 



13 Red Caps 



13 Coloured Dorkings 



13 White Plymouth Rocks 



13 Langshans 



13 White Wyandottes 



13 Black Minorcas 



13 White Wyandottes 



8 G. Polands, 5 P. Rocks . . 



13 White Wyandottes 



13 Red Caps and Plymouth Rocks 



9 Plymouth Rocks, 4 G. Polands 



13 B. Plymouth Rocks 



13 Houdans. ... 



13 Langshans-B. Minorca, cross. . 

 Sundry eggs 



Number 



of 



Chicks 



hatched. 



5 

 7 

 7 

 7 



12 

 6 

 6 



10 

 8 

 6 



12 

 6 



10 

 7 



10 



12 

 6 

 9 

 9 

 7 



12 



12 

 9 



195 



When 

 hatched, 



April29. 



May 11. 



do 13. 



do 17. 



do 20. 



do 20. 



do 20. 



do 23. 



do 24. 



do 2?. 



do 30. 



do 30. 

 June 1. 



do 3. 



do 6. 



do 8. 



do 12. 



do 17. 



do 17. 



do 19. 



do 20. 



do 30. 



do 30. 



Remarks. 



From Toronto, 



FromF. A. Mortimer, Pottsville, U.S. 



From Allan's Comers, Q. 



do Todmorden, Ont. 

 do do 



do Toronto, 

 do do 



do London, Ont. 



do Toronto. 



do Kingston, 

 do Toronto. 

 do Ottawa. 



do Kingston. 



Sitters Scarce. 



The difficulty in obtaining early sitters clearly proved the necessity of the 

 assistance of a good incubator. It is an every year experience. When sitters 

 become numerous the season is too far advanced to permit of early chickens being 

 hatched out so as to obtain pullets that will lay while the hens are moulting, or 

 eai'ly hatched cockerels to make early market chickens. The probabilities are that 

 the time is not far distant when artificial incubation will be well understood and gen- 

 erally practised. The first hen to become broody was a Plymouth Rock, and she 

 was given eleven Black Minorca eggs on the 8th April. The hens were all "set" 

 on board floors covered with two to three inches of sand and earth. Description of 

 the nests used, and the method of setting the hens have been fully described in pre- 

 vious reports. Drink, food and a dust bath were in close proximity to the sitters at 

 all times. 



Progress op the Chicks. 



The chicks made good progress, considering that the ground has been used for 

 the same purpose for the four previous years. It is the intention to give the newly 

 hatched chickens entirely new ground next spring, a large space having been fenced 

 in for that purpose. After hatching, the chicks were allowed to remain in the nest 

 until thoroughly strong on their legs. Their first food was stale bread soaked in milk 

 and squeezed dry, varied by stale bread crumbs. In a day or two granulated oat- 

 meal was added, then crushed corn and after 12 or 15 days whole wheat. A splen- 

 did mash for the rapidly growing youngsters was found to be shorts, cornmeal, bran, 

 8c— U 



