POULTRY 435 



1. Are the chickens on your farm pure bred, grade, or 

 scrub ? What breed or breeds do you use ? Is this an egg, 

 meat or general purpose breed? 



2. What steps could be taken to improve the breed? 

 Would this not pay? Do egg or table breeds return most 

 profit under farm conditions? 



4. Producing Chickens 



A successful hatch depends (1) on securing fertile tin- 

 injured eggs, and (2) on proper incubation. 



Eggs for hatching. Heredity has its effect in fowl as 

 well as other animals. The eggs for hatching should there- 

 fore come from the choicest and most vigorous members 

 of the flock. The best plan is to separate from the main 

 flock a sufficient number of desirable hens to produce the 

 eggs required for setting. These can be kept by them- 

 selves until the hatching season is over. 



In order that eggs may hatch at all they must be fertile. 

 They are made fertile by the presence of a male bird in 

 the flock during the laying season. One male should be 

 supplied for every ten or twelve hens. Since one-half of the 

 heredity of the entire flock is dependent on the male bird, 

 he should be pure bred, the best of his kind, young and 

 vigorous. 



Care of eggs before setting. Eggs should be fresh 

 when they are set, never more than two weeks old, and 

 better if not more than a few days from the nest. They 

 should be kept rather cool, a suitable temperature being 

 between fifty and sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Eggs that have 

 been badly chilled will not hatch. It is necessary, therefore, 

 that eggs intended for hatching shall be gathered at fre- 

 quent intervals during cold weather. Many poultrymen 

 think it is best to turn the eggs over every day or so during 

 the time they are stored before setting. They should never 

 be jarred or shaken. 



