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lowered in vitality or vigor, which of necessity must be more or less imparted to 

 the germ of the egg. It has been shown under the- discussion of foods that the 

 hatch is influenced by the feeds. 



The farmer's flock is usually strong and rugged; it has plenty of exercise in 

 the fresh air, and, moreover, is seldom kept in such numbers that the ground 

 about the buildings becomes seriously contaminated. There are, of course, some 

 exceptions to the above statement. Fowls upon the farm are very seldom ex- 

 excessively fed upon meat, or what may be termed forcing foods. Then, again, the 

 unlimited range and the great variety of foods available make the conditions upon 

 the farm excellent for the production of good hatchable eggs. If more attention 

 was paid to the selection of the males, the results would be improved. The selling 

 of the largest, and earJiest maturing males, and the breeding of the late hatched, 

 immature, ill-nourished males is not conducive to progress, to say the least. 



The difficulties of the large growers are mainly due to bad housing, yarding, 

 and feeding. Many houses are poorly ventilated, and the yards are smalL and the 

 fowls are on them constantly, and are, therefore, in an unsanitary condition; and, 

 furthermore, the lack of a variety of foods and exercise, and the use of animal foods, 

 are also more or less injurious. All these conditions are largely under our control, 

 and many of the failures in the past appear to be directly due to a too intensified 

 condition. It has been many people's idea to see how many hundreds could be kept 

 on the least acreage of land. 



Natural and Artificial Incubation. 



Whether it will pay to buy the incubators and brooders depends largely on 

 one's circumstances. Where chicks are wanted in considerable numbers earlier than 

 April 15th, an incubator becomes practically a necessity, as it is seldom that hens 

 become broody in numbers until after the 1st of April. Again, where one wishes 

 to hatch more than 150 chicks, an incubator is in many cases cheaper and better 

 than the natural methods. It is also a necessity where one is breeding from the 

 non-setting varieties. 



There are numerous illustrations of chicks being raised in large numbers by the 

 natural method in the States of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, particularly in 

 the former State. Where this method is followed, the chicks are hatched largely 

 during the months of May and June: and where from 500 to 1.500 layins: hens are 

 kept, there is little difficulty in getting a sufficient number of broody hens. Those 

 who are keeping large numbers of hens appear to be well satisfied with the natural 

 method ; but there can be no doubt that the number of incubators in use is increas- 

 ing from year to year. 



The average hatch is probably one chicken from every two eggs set. This, of 

 course, varies with the difi'erent seasons, also with the percentage of fertile eggs, and 

 the strength of the germ. We have found during the months of February and 

 March, when the ground is covered with snow and the fowls are closely houserl. that 

 the percentage of fertile eggs is small, and that the germs are very weak. Tinder 

 such conditions we have very poor hatches and chicks thnt are very hard to rear. 

 Much better eggs are obtained in December and early January, or when the fowls 

 get out into the fresh air and are able to pick some grass. Thus it will be seen that, 

 as a general rule, as the percentage of fertile eggs increases, the vitality of the germ 

 increase^, the percentage hatched is larger and the mortality nmong the young 

 chicks smaller. For example, we would expect to get a much larger percentage 

 hatch of the fertile eggs from eggs that were 90 per cent, fertile than from those 



