Among the contributory causes to the loss of physical vigour are the following : 

 The greatest and most potent cause is soil-contamination, congestion and crowding 

 of breeding stock upon limited areas, bringing with it lack of exercise, improper 

 housing and feeding ; in-and-in-breeding, without selecting the most vigorous birds ; 

 the too-common use of pullets, instead of matured fowls, for breeding stock ; forced 

 egg yield by heavy feeding during the fall and winter; carelessness in keeping 

 eggs for incubation ; hatching from eggs selected indiscriminately ; faulty methods 

 of incubation ; the use of poor incubators and brooders ; too rapid forcing on rich, 

 easily assimilated food, with lack of exercise; general violation of the principles 

 of sanitation and brooding, "housing and range ; failure to select breeding stock of 

 recognized superior physical vigour ; the use of birds that have been hatched too 

 early that were stunted in growth or hatched too late, and were not grown under 

 proper conditions, and do not reach full size when breeding season commences. 



It is impossible to pass judgment on the merits of any particular variety or 

 individuals of the breed without knowing how they have been bred and handled, but 

 there are some physical characteristics that will aid any one in selecting breeders 

 that are very apt to turn out to be of strong vitality and vigour, and only such 

 should be placed in the breeding-yards. 



HOUSING OF BREEDING STOCK. 



The necessity of fresh air is being realized to a greater extent than ever before. 

 Poultrymen are finding that to have the best success with their breeders they must 

 be kept under as natural conditions as possible. Fresh air is of great value, especi- 

 ally at night. Besides keeping the birds in fresh-air houses, they should, if possible, 

 be given free range, or at least 75 square feet per bird of yard-room. 



EGGS USED FOR INCUBATION. 



Together with the selection of the breeders, a careful selection should be made 

 of the eggs laid by the breeding stock. A poor egg, even from one of the best 

 breeders, should not be used. A poorly shelled, an unevenly shaped egg, or one 

 otherwise lacking in qualities which make up a good egg, should be discarded. The 

 normal egg is one of average size, weighing about 2 oz., with a smooth surface and 



Eggs unsuitable for hatching purposes. Rough-shelled, deformed, undersized, 

 double-yolked, mottled shelled, elongated, or globular eggs will give very poor 

 results, being mostly infertile. 



an even shape, being slightly larger at one end than the other. An extra large >L r u' 

 or a small one should be rejected; the large ones are seldom fertile, and the small 

 ones, If fertile, produce very small chicks. There is nearly always a percentage of 

 eggs from any flock which have never been fertilized. There may be also broken 

 yolks, " green " eggs, " blood yolks," mottled and cracked shells. None of these, of 

 course, are satisfactory for incubation. 



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