BREEDING AND INCUBATIOK. 123 



skin of the hen, or that of the delicate chickens. In 

 very cold weather line the nest with feathers. We have 

 successfully hatched eggs by preparing a nest thus, in a 

 room where during part of the time of incubation the 

 temperature was below zero. Set hens in large numbers 

 at a time, having kept some of them upon artificial eggs 

 until all are ready. Of course, an entry must be made 

 in a book of the family or strain, and other particulars 

 of each clutch. 



Examine the eggs after the hen has been upon them 

 ten days, by the well-known method of placing them 

 between the hands and attempting to look through them 

 at a strong light ; or a better way is to use an egg tester, 

 such as is commonly sold by manufacturers of incubators 

 and by poultry supply houses in all the large cities. 

 Return to the hen only those eggs that appear opaque or 

 clouded; those which show clear, orange-colored yolks, 

 being unimpregnated, will not hatch, and may be used 

 as feed for chickens. 



"When hatching is progressing, remove gently once or 

 twice the empty shells, that might otherwise overcap 

 the unhatched eggs, but further than this do not inter- 

 fere, as a chicken worth hatching will contrive to get 

 itself hatched. Sometimes the membrane surrounding 

 the chick is so tough that the prisoner cannot get out, 

 and in such a case the attendant can afford assistance, 

 it is true, but apart from the objection of taking too 

 much time to putter in this way, there is another trouble, 

 namely : By saving chicks from tough membraned 

 eggs you perpetuate a tough membraned breed. When 

 dealing with the pedigreed chickens and selecting the 

 choicest specimens to put in special broods by them- 

 selves, take those which not only get into the world 

 without any trouble, but those which hatch out and 

 become strong and lively the earliest. Let the chicks 

 remain in the nest forty-eight hours without being fed, 



