1907.] DISCUSSION. 61 



the eggs are tested for infertility, I take the infertile eggs out 

 and put the fertile eggs under the hens, if they will take them 

 all, and, if not, I put the balance into the three machines, and 

 let them hatch there. If the hens will take them, I prefer to 

 have them hatched in the natural way. 



Question. How do you arrange about your setting hens? 

 Do you have a special setting house? 



Mr. Almy. Yes, we have a regular setting house, or one 

 that we devote to that purpose, where the nests are arranged 

 in rows, where they can be shut on. We have sections of five, 

 eight, or ten nests, which by dropping a board can be shut off. 

 In that way I can let them off a part at a time, eight or ten, and 

 then shut them on and let off eight or ten more. 



Question. Do you hatch the whole year round or just in 

 the spring? 



Mr. Almy. Principally in the spring. 



Question. Is that 75 or 80 per cent, practically a summer 

 hatch ? 



Mr. Almy. I am speaking of a year round hatch. But in 

 the winter I will agree with you entirely that for fall and winter 

 fifty per cent, is a good hatch, taken on the average. In the 

 spring, during the natural hatching season, I am able to get 

 a good deal better percentage than that. 



Question. What do you do in reference to furnishing the 

 hens with shell food ? 



Mr. Almy. We always have to keep oyster shells by the 

 hens, or something of that kind all the time. Shell grit, either 

 commercial grit, or else gravel from the shore. There is a 

 ledge quite close to my vicinity v/here I can get a sort of red 

 granite grit. It is not round and smooth, but quite rough and 

 works first rate for grit. We have some small gravel that i^ 

 practically round, but it is too smooth. ^ 



Question. How do you manage with your broody hens ? 



Mr. Almy. We shut up our broody hens once a week. 



Question. How long do you keep them shut up? 



Mr. Almy. We keep them shut up a week. We shut them 



