GROWING POULTRY 267 



every organic function to the normal condition of efficiency, the 

 growing period is so short that it is not worth while to attempt to 

 work with young birds that are crippled, underdeveloped, or con- 

 spicuously lacking in vigor. Unless a bird is lively, bright, and 

 strong on its feet when the time comes to take it from the incu- 

 bator or the nest, it should be killed at that time. Such birds rarely 

 live to marketable age and condition, and the sooner they are put 

 out of the way the smaller is the loss on their account. In addi- 

 tion, the weak birds easily become the hosts of parasites, and are 

 least able to resist disease, while their presence in a flock adds 

 greatly to the risk of epidemics. The natural reluctance to destroy 

 birds which might live and develop satisfactorily makes many 

 poultrymen too lenient in culling at this stage. Those who suc- 

 ceed in growing, with an insignificant percentage of loss, poultry 

 hatched and reared by the natural method get their results, as a rule, 

 by good judgment in separating the weak from the strong birds 

 at the earliest opportunity. When the birds have been artificially 

 hatched, their appearance at the time of taking from the incu- 

 bator is not so reliable an indication of soundness and vitality, for 

 troubles due to faulty incubation may not be plainly developed 

 at that time. Such, however, can be removed as cases develop. 

 Their cases do not affect the first culling. Culling at any time 

 in the first few weeks of the life of young poultry is done on the 

 principle that the bird that goes wrong at this time is not worth 

 keeping longer. 



Preservation of vitality in young poultry. Under natural con- 

 ditions, physical and constitutional soundness is easily secured, 

 and notable progress may be made even in building up weak 

 constitutions. Though not commercially profitable, a little work in 

 this line may have great educational value. The improvement of 

 weak birds under favorable conditions clearly indicates that when 

 strong birds deteriorate, either the conditions or the rations are at 

 fault. It is usual to look to the feeding for the cause of trouble, 

 but in by far the greater number of cases the cause is to be found in 

 the conditions to which the birds are subjected. Unfavorable con- 

 ditions have much more serious effects on young poultry than upon 

 adults. Though independent of their parents to the extent that 

 substitutes for the parents' care are easily provided, the young 



