Rearing — Natural and Artificial. 193 



CHAPTER XVII. 



REARING NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. 



Size of Eggs — Supposed Ways of Testing Sex and Fertility of Eggs — Formation 

 of Egg — The Young Chicks— First Day after Hatching— Food — Coops — 

 Influence of Early Management — Coddling Injurious — First Three or 

 Four Days— Second Stage— The Run — Food — Meat Diet — Green Food — 

 System in Feeding— Cold Mothers - Troubles with Hens — Artificial Mothers 

 — Management — Outdoor Rearers — Heat — Overcrowding — Teaching Chicks 

 to Eat — Turkeys as Hearers. —Water— Milk. 



There is a great variety in the size of eggs laid by the 

 different breeds of domestic poultry, but, the size of the egg 

 is very little indication of the size of the fowl which it will 

 produce. Of course Bantams lay much smaller eggs than 

 ordinary fowls, and ducks much larger ones ; but, if we take 

 the Spanish tribe, which are almost the smallest in size of 

 body, save only Bantams and Hamburghs, they have almost 

 the largest egg of any; whereas, on the other hand, 

 Brahmas and Cochins, which are the largest fowls, have very 

 much smaller eggs than any other domestic fowls, except 

 those already named. Doubtless, they are very rich in quality, 

 whilst the Spanish are rather dry ; but, what we have said, 

 shows that the size of fowl and the size of egg have no regular 

 relationship, and, therefore, larger eggs than those usually 

 laid by the fowls should not be selected for hatching. Very 

 large eggs are generally double yolked and unfertile, or, 

 if fertile, produce mal-formed chicks. The best, and only 



