92 LEHMAN'S POULTRY DOCTOR. 



This treatment may seem a little cruel but it is not 

 nearly as severe as some other methods that are often 

 resorted to with little or no effect. Another very ef- 

 fective method is to set her in a bucket containing 

 several inches of water, for several hours. 



THE NUMBER OF HENS THAT SHOULD BE MATED 

 WITH ONE MALE. 



The number of hens that can be safely mated to one 

 male depends upon the breed and vigor of the male, 

 but the following is a good rule to follow: The small, 

 or Mediterranean breeds, such as Leghorns, Minorcas, 

 etc., may be mated from twelve to fifteen hens to a 

 healthy cock. 



The medium breeds, such as Plymouth Rocks and 



Wyandottes, ten to twelve. The very heavy breeds, 



such as Cochins and Brahmas, eight to twelve hens to 

 a cock. 



TIME REQUIRED IN MATING TO INSURE PURE 

 AND FERTILE EGGS. 



The subject of mating is not exactly agreed upon 



by all poultry raisers, yet in most cases when the hen 



has been mated ten days, the eggs may be considered 



pure; but perhaps the surest way is to change hens 



from one male to another at the close of an egg litter. 



The following are a few tests made by several dif- 

 ferent stations: 



Not more than 30% of eggs will hatch, when gath- 

 ered during the first week after mating; from 40 to 

 80%, when gathered during the second week; from 

 50 to dO%, when gathered during the third week. 



