THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



and if he reared them we stand a good chance 

 of getting back at a fair price a bird which 

 circumstances may then have made invaluable. 

 Of course the chickens, as they grow, must 

 be marked in some way, or all this is useless. 

 Those hatched in incubators can often be iden- 

 tified in regard to mother as well 

 Marking ^s father, but if such identity is 



Chickens. to be preserved it must be marked 

 at once. The readiest, and per- 

 haps the most simple, means for this is by what 

 is called "toe-punching," but which is really 

 " web-punching." This consists of punching 



rhicken Toe-Punch. 



small round holes in the web of the feet, and 

 is easily accomplished by the aid of a special 

 appliance that may now be purchased of most 

 manufacturers of poultry requisites. By this 

 method a reliable record of the produce of each 

 individual hen in the breeding pen may be 

 kept ; and if each chicken is further " leg- 

 banded " with a numbered ring, first at the age 

 of three or four days, on attaining the age of 

 three or four weeks, and again on attaining 

 to adulthood, it can always be identified. 

 *" Toe-punching," which is not cruel, as some 



Fig. 77. — Possible Variations in Toe- Punching. 



believe, since the web of a chicken's foot is 

 by no means sensitive, should be done soon 

 after the bird is hatched ; and should the hole 

 become blocked, which will be an infrequent 

 occurrence, the process must be repeated. If, 

 however, the hole is cleanly punched, it is prac- 

 tically impossible for the web to grow together 

 again. A chart of the combinations of hole- 

 marks must be made, and kept for reference. 

 Many such combinations will suggest them- 

 selves, but the following will be found quite 



sufficient for ordinary purposes : One hole in 

 the left web of the left foot ; one in the right 

 web of the left foot ; one in the left web of 

 the right foot ; one in the right web of the 

 right foot ; one in the left web of both feet ; 

 one in the right web of both feet ; one in the 

 left web of the left foot and one in the right 

 web of the right foot ; one in the right web of 

 the left foot and one in the left web of the 

 right foot ; one in each web of the left foot 

 and one in the left web of the right foot ; one 

 in each web of the left foot and one in the 

 right web of the right foot ; one in the right 

 web of the left foot and one in each web of 

 the right foot ; one in the left web of the left 

 foot and one in each web of the right foot ; 

 one in each web of the left foot and the right 

 foot blank ; the left foot blank and one in 

 each web of the right foot ; one in each web 

 of both feet. The diagram given above, taken 

 from The Encydopcedia of Poultry, explains 

 possible combinations of this kind very clearly. 

 Another method is one we saw practised 

 by an ingenious breeder who used nothing but 

 artificial brooders. He kept by him an assort- 

 ment of Judson's dyes (a set of any aniline 

 colours would do), and each chick, as soon as 

 dry, received a dab of colour on the down ; 

 with light chickens the back or saddle is a 

 good place, with dark or striped ones the head 

 or the stern may answer better. These colours 

 give ample variety, and are distinguishable 

 for several weeks, when the chickens are larger 

 and hardier for more permanent marking. 

 Single rings round the legs give four cate- 

 gories, as applied to the right shank, left, both, 

 or none ; two rings will give many more varied 

 with one. Such rings are easily applied in 

 the shape of a bit of coloured worsted, or of 

 tea-lead, or soft tin wire bent round quite 

 loose, but so that it does not slip over the foot. 

 Pedigree rings of various patterns, to which a 

 number can be affixed, and also coloured cellu- 

 loid rings, in which a variety of changes can 

 be obtained, are also procurable. Examples 

 of two forms of marking rings are given here- 

 with through the courtesy of Mr. W. Tamlin, 

 of 7, St. Margaret's, Twickenham. The metal 

 pedigree rings (Fig. 78) are non-corrosive, and 

 their interlocking fastening prevents dropping 

 off. They require alteration at two further 

 stages of life after the first ringing of the 

 chicken, namely, at a month old and when 

 ready for the adult rings. Cheaper and more 

 generally in use now are the spiral celluloid 

 rings (Fig. 79) ; these are easily put on or re- 

 moved, and do not drop off. With these coils, 

 as in toe-punching, a number of changes can be 



