19U.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 31. 59 « 



REPORT OF THE POULTRY HUSBANDMAN. 



JOHN C. GRAHAM. 



The chief investigations started last year, and which are still 

 in progress, consist of a thorough study of the capacity of each 

 hen to produce (a) eggs, (6) fertile eggs, (c) hatchable eggs, 

 (d) viable chicks, (e) vigorous adults, and of the ability of each 

 bird to transmit these qualities to its progeny. 



Secondary studies are being made of the inheritance of 

 various color and form characteristics. To this end, 144 pullets 

 were trapnested through the year 1913. 



During the breeding season eggs were incubated, a record 

 being kept of each egg and its fate, and over 2,000 chicks were 

 hatched, as many as possible being reared to maturity. 



Feather charts of all adults have been made. Besides the 

 main experiments, various trials have been made, from time to 

 time, of such problems as suggest themselves with a view of test- 

 ing their possibilities. Considerable time has been spent on 

 autopsies of birds sent in by poultrymen. 



During the last half of the hatching season it was found that 

 coccidiotis had gained such headway that a large number of 

 chicks were lost from this disease, besides injuring many more. 

 There are so many obscure points in the life history of the 

 causative organism that a large amount of time has to be de- 

 voted to its study, to the disadvantage of our other investiga- 

 tions ; however, certain points regarding the disease had to be 

 made out before we could proceed with our other work with 

 confidence. These points have now been studied with sufficient 

 care to outline a favorable method of management. 



