PEDIGREE RECORDS 



253 



The process of banding chicks is explained in the following quo- 

 tation from Rob. R. Slocum who has had charge of the breeding work 

 on the poultry farm of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Mary- 

 land : 



The parentage of the eggs having bee'n identified, the eggs are then set in an 

 incubator in the usual manner, receiving exactly the same treatment as any other 

 eggs until the eighteenth day. On this date the eggs are sorted out according to 

 the hens which laid them, the eggs from any individual hen being placed by them- 

 selves in a wire basket or compartment, or in a pedigree bag made of bobi.net. Both 

 the pedigree baskets arid the bobinet bags are found to be quite satisfactory. 



The baskets allow greater freedon for the chicks after they are hatched, and 

 may interfere to a slightly less degree with the hatching of the eggs. The bobinet 

 bags take up less room on the incubator tray, and are adapted to varying numbers 

 of eggs to better advantage. The ends of the bags are closed by means of a draw- 

 string which can be tied tightly so as to prevent the escape of the chicks. 



When the eggs are placed in the pedigree compartments, a slip of paper is en- 

 closed with them on which is written the hen number and pen number which appears 

 on the eggs. This is "done by way of precaution, so that if the eggshells are broken 

 so badly during the process of hatching that it is impossible to decipher the numbers 

 on them, the record will be available on the slip of paper and the parentage of the 

 chicks will not be lost. 



When the eggs are hatched under hens, only eggs from one hen are placed in 

 a nest, or else eggs from hens of different breeds or varieties where the color 

 of the baby chicks is so different that the chicks can be distinguished readily, are 

 hatched together. After the chicks are hatched under the hens they are banded in 

 the same manner as those hatched in the incubator. 



I 



Punching a Hole in the Web With Strong, Sturdy Barred Rock Chick With 

 a Toe Punch. Bands on Legs. 



