NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL 



INCUBATION AND BROODING 



INTRODUCTION. 



bulletin has been prepared with the idea of helping, if possible, those already 

 * in the poultry business, both large and small breeders, who have, perhaps, 

 experienced some difficulty in the hatching or brooding branch of their work, and 

 those without experience who intend starting in this branch of agriculture. 



THE ESSENTIALS OF SUCCESSFUL INCUBATION. 



The most common cause of poor results or failure in incubation is the use of eggs 

 of low vitality. Successful incubation begins long before the eggs are laid. The 

 eggs must be from stock of high vitality that have never been forced ; that are fed 

 all the green food they will eat, and some form of animal food as well as grain. 

 While fowls will sometimes lay a goodly number of eggs upon a grain diet, yet the 

 eggs are oftentimes lacking in those food elements that the embryo requires, and they 

 often hatch poorly, and those chicks that do hatch will be of impaired vitality, very 

 difficult to raise. The vitality of the breeding stock, food or housing, and the range 

 should be carefully looked after, as the neglect of any one of these factors will 

 impair the vitality of the stock; consequently the eggs will not give good results 

 with either incubator or hen. 



VIGOROUS BREEDING STOCK NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL INCUBATION. 



THE MALE. 



Care should be exercised in the selection of the male, since his influence in the 

 flock is so great. He should be fully matured and well developed, though not too 

 heavy. Medium-sized male birds give good results when mated to hens of good 

 proportions. That he be a sound bird constitutionally is of vital import. His 

 head should give every evidence of masculinity, and should be of good size and 

 of symmetrical proportions. A bright eye and a rather short, stout beak are other 

 requisites. The body should present a symmetrical appearance, being filled out and 

 carried well on stout legs of medium length, set well apart. In general, he should 

 be active, a bird of quality, and one possessed of abundance of vitality and vigour. 



THE FEMALE. 



The above general characteristics may also be applied to the female. A two- 

 year-old, a yearling hen, or a well-grown, well-developed, and fully-matured pullet 

 may be used, but only when absolutely necessary. Many times the vigour of the 

 flock has been greatly reduced by breeding from pullets. In some places where the 

 raising of poultry is the main industry, the size of the fowls as well as the eggs 

 has been reduced in just this way. Breeders are beginning to realize the necessity 

 of breeding from fully matured, well-developed fowls if vitality, vigour, and prc>- 

 liflcacy are to be maintained year after year. Indications as noted in the male will 

 suffice to differentiate the desirable from the undesirable type. Generally speaking, 

 about ten or fifteen females is considered a sufficient number for one male of the 

 general-purpose breeds, such as Rocks, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Reds, and from 

 fifteen to twenty for the Mediterranean breeds, as Leghorns and Anconas. The exact 

 number of birds per male in either class depends greatly upon the vigour and con- 

 stitution of the particular male bird used. 



