PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



neglect of constitution, health and vigor of body-parts 

 in breeding for fancy points, abuse of the reproductive 

 organs as in excessive egg-laying, neglect of the facts 

 of breeding, improper feeding, including rations that 

 are over-fattening or contain insufficient nourishment, 

 the use of condiments or condimental mixtures, lack of 

 mineral constituents in the feeds, failure to supply 

 green food, carelessness in management resulting in 

 foul quarters favorable to the increase of lice, mites 

 and internal parasites which sap the vitality of the. 

 breeding birds, permitting conditions which invite dis- 

 ease such as drinking from barnyard pools or sink- 

 drains, confinement in close, unventilated houses or in 

 quarters where the fowls are subjected to chilling drafts 

 of wind, to excessive cold or depressing heat, to ex- 

 tremely moist air, to mud or snow underfoot, to lack 

 of sunshine, to conditions that tempt them to stand 

 stupidly about rather than take necessary bodily exer- 

 cise, any condition, in fact, which lessens the sturdi- 

 ness of the breeding stock. 



Trouble may come from carelessness in collecting 

 the eggs after laying or in keeping them until incu- 

 bation time. There is danger in over-heating or freez- 

 ing, in keeping them in a place wuere a stagnant, humid 

 atmosphere or foul odors can affect the eggs, in allow- 

 ing, them to age or permitting their contents to partly 

 evaporate because of too dry or drafty atmosphere and 

 in rough handling or jolting during transportation. 



Errors during Incubation: During the process of 

 hatching, influences which tend to cause death in the 

 shell, if they do not actually prevent hatching, may 

 cause the death of the chick in the brooding period. 



Some of these conditions or their indications are: 

 Too high temperature of the egg at some ti-me during 

 the first week of incubation, too much ventilation or 

 too little moisture in the air surrounding the eggs dur- 

 ing the early stages of incubating, excess of moisture 

 in the atmosphere about the eggs during the last week 

 of incubation, too great difference between the temper- 

 ature of the upper and lower parts of the egg. 



