Breeding. 25 



Many keepers test the eggs for fertility after they 

 have been under the hen a week or ten days ; I 

 seldom do so the less they are disturbed the better. 

 If they are to be tested, take a stout piece of card 

 or millboard, about gin. square, colour one side black, 

 and in the centre cut an egg-shaped hole rather 

 smaller than the eggs to be examined. The edge of 

 the hole should be slightly bevelled. Then take the 

 eggs, board, and a bright lamp, into a dark room ; 

 hold the board in front of the lamp, and place an 

 egg in the hole, holding them as close to the flame 

 of the lamp as possible (see Fig. 6). If the eggs are 

 fertile, they will appear dark ; but if unfertile, they 

 will be translucent. It is better to remove the globe 

 of the lamp, as you want the lig t concentrated as 

 much as possible. 



Hatching. Eggs are due to hatch on the twenty- 

 second or twenty-fourth day ; the Gold will some- 

 times hatch in twenty-one days. If you find an 

 egg chipped, and it has not advanced after an 

 interval of, say, eight hours, place it for a minute 

 or two in a basin of warm water (blood heat) 

 not deep, or it will drown the chicken the damaged 

 part uppermost. This softens the membrane, and 

 quickly assists hatching. Take care not to draw the 

 chicken from the shell, or you may do so before the 

 yolk is absorbed, and that will be fatal. If you find 

 the shell coming off, leaving the membrane-like parch- 

 ment, and the egg in danger of being crushed by a 

 heavy hen, put the egg in a Christy's egg-protector 



