36 The Machine as a Mother. 



it indicates that your temperature was too low. If they hatch 

 on the igth day it indicates that the temperature was higher 

 than necessary. 



6. No one can be successful who depends on procuring eggs 

 from all sources. Such eggs are "unknown quantities." 



7. A Leghorn male mated with large hens, particularly of 

 the Asiatic or American breeds, produces chicks that will 

 grow rapidly and sell well as broilers, and the eggs from hens 

 so mated are usually fertile. 



8. Eggs from hens in confinement and which are overfed, 

 either fail to hatch or produce puny and weak chicks. 



9. Small incubators, of a capacity not exceeding 200 eggs, 

 give the best results. It is easier to secure a sufficiency of fer- 

 tile eggs for a small incubator than for a large one, hence the 

 risk and expense is less. 



10. As eggs may cost three cents each in winter, the first 

 cost of each chick depends upon the number of eggs used dur- 

 ing the hatch and the proportionate number of chickssecured. 

 The larger the hatch the less the cost of each chick. 



n. Five cents worth of food will produce one pound of 

 meat, either of duck or chicken. 



12. A chick is naked when hatched, the down being no pro- 

 tection. In winter the chicks should at no time become 

 chilled. They must be treated as carefully and tenderly as 

 babies. 



13. Like the hen, the chicks need exercise. Keep them 

 busily scratching, providing litter for that purpose, and they 

 will escape leg weakness, and have better appetites. 



14. When bowel disease appears it is usually due to colds, 

 principally from the lack of warmth at night. Currents of air 

 over them are to be avoided. 



15. When chicks droop, and appear sleepy, the cause is us- 

 ually large gray lice on the heads and necks. 



16. Dry food is best for chicks, and they should be fed three 

 times a day, but millet seed and screenings should bescattered 

 in the litter in order to induce them to work and scratch. 



