26 



These are generally quite hard and cheesy. These spots are not always present, but 

 from our examination I would judge they are in fifty per cent, of the cases. Some 

 lungs have no white spots, but are red, sometimes fleshy. These in our experience 

 are not very common unless the chickens are chilled. The yolk is often hard and 

 cheesy. It varies greatly — some jolks are of a gelatinous nature or almost like the 

 white of the eggs; others are hard and cheesy and very yellow in color, sometimes 

 these are greatly inflamed; other yolks appear like a custard that has curdled, and 

 they usually have a very offensive odor. The ceaca, or blind intestine, is frequently 

 filled with a cheesy substance. 



The white spots in the chicks' lungs are generally considered to be due to the 

 growth of a common mould. This may be in the eggs, or more frequently comes 

 from moldy feed or litter. It is much more troublesome in damp, dull weather, 

 when the chicks are most inclined to stay under or near the hover. 



BEARING CHICKENS. 



Experience and observation has led me to believe that chickens, in order to do 

 their best, require to be grown on fairly good land, probably a clay loam or a sandy 

 loam being the best. I have never been successful nor yet have I seen good flocks 

 of chickens grown on very light sand. Chickens require dry ground at times, yet, 

 at the same time, a rather moist location near by renders a good foraging ground. 



Young chickens require plenty of ground to range over; some convenient 

 shade, such as fruit trees, or* growing corn or artichokes; tender green food and 

 insects. Many growers of large numbers of chickens on limited areas crowd the 

 birds far too much, the result hemg a large proportion of unthrifty chicks. These 

 last mentioned chickens have been very much in evidence on nearly all the large, 

 intensive poultry plants that I have visited. The chicks frequently outgrow these 

 conditions to such an extent that they are very difficult to pick out when mature, 

 but are readily seen Avhen about one-half grown. Many growers appear to believe 

 that as long as a chicken is alive it is a good one, but this is folly. I believe by 

 breeding from such stock the vitality will gradually decrease until we shall reach 

 a point where eggs are practically unhatchable. 



Chickens when taken from the nest or incubator should be placed on ground 

 upon which no other chickens have ranged that season. The range or run for a 

 chick during the first four weeks of its life need not be large, but it should be fresh. 



Many make the mistake of putting late hatched chickens on old tough sod, the 

 green grass (if there is any) being so tough that the chicks cannot break it, and 

 often the grass too thick to admit of a chick catching an insect before it is out of 

 reach. T much prefer a cultivated piece of ground. A little tender lettuce, or rape, 

 or even weeds for green food are preferable to summer sod, or grass. But after the 

 middle of May the cultivated land gives better results than grass land. 



A corn field well cultivated appears to be nearly an ideal place for raising late 

 hatched chicks. 



Chickens hatcher! in an incubator can be reared either with hens or with a 

 brooder. Some people are able to make good hatches with their incubators ; but 

 they are unable to rear the chickens in brooders. In this case I would advise the use 

 of broody hens for mothers ; and the same would apply to those who have an 

 incubator, but do not care to invest in a brooder. 



