ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING 



animals for human food there are several products which fur- 

 nish the desired food materials for this purpose. Fresh bone, 

 cut into pieces sufficiently small is one of the very best of animal 

 foods. Speaking upon this point a bulletin of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture says: "Where fowls are kept in 

 confinement it will be necessary to supply some meat food. 

 Finely cut fresh bone from the meat markets is one of the best 

 if not the best kind of meat food for laying hens and young 

 chickens.'' The bone should be fresh, and should be freshly 

 cut, and this point is especially mentioned in the above bulletin, 

 which says: "Tainted bones should be rejected as unfit for 

 food." 



In cut fresh bone from the meat market we have one of 



the best, if not the very best, of animal foods, and one so mod- 

 erate in cost that every keeper of fowls who has facilities for 

 procuring the bone cannot afford not to feed it. The manufac- 

 turers of bone cutters have carefully studied the conditions of 

 bone-cutting, and have given us, in the modem bone cutter, a 

 machine which is especially adapted to the turning of this waste 

 product into an excellent food for fowls and chicks. Fresh 

 bones have to be cut. They cannot be ground unless first cook- 

 ed and then dried, which almost wholly extracts the animal 

 matter and leaves practically only mineral matter, chiefly lime. 

 A good bone cutter will cut the fresh, raw bones, with the at- 

 tached pieces of meat, gristle, etc., and make them into a food , 

 which promotes growth in chicks and increases egg production. 



WEAK GERMS IN WINTER EGGS 



TESTS CONDUCTED WITH EGGS LAID PREVIOUS TO AND DURING WINTER CONFINE- 

 MENT—WARM HOUSING LOWERS VITALITY— EVIL EFFECTS OF STIMULATING FOOD- 

 COLD HOUSING GIVES BEST RESULTS— GENEROUS RATIONS DID NOT LESSEN FERTILITY 



A. G. GILBERT 



URING the months of March and April for some 

 years past [ investigation has been made at 

 the Canadian Experiment Station with the 

 view of discovering, if possible, the cause, or 

 causes, of so many weak germs found in eggs 

 laid at the latter part of the winter and in 

 early spring by hens which were confined to lim- 

 ited quarters in the farm! poultry houses. The houses were 

 artifically heated to a moderate temperature, varying from 

 30 in cold weather to 50 degrees on mild days. The fowls 

 had been gently stimulated to lay, but with no condiment, 

 and had laid fairly well. But these eggs when hatched out in- 

 late March or April by incubator or hens, produced few chick- 

 ens. The eggs on being tested showed a fairly satisfactory 

 percentage of fertility, but on examination, after the hatch 

 was over, a great many chickens were found dead in the 

 shell, the majority of them, at the "pipping" stage. 



TESTING STRENGTH OF GERM IN EGGS LAID IN DECEMBER 



With the view of obtaining further data a number of pens 

 were mated up on the fowls going into winter quarters. Tests 

 heretofore had been made towards the end of the winter season. 

 The object of this occasion was to test the fertility and strength 

 of germs of eggs laid in December and before the hens had be- 

 come enervated by long laying or confinement. Accordingly 

 on December 20, 181 eggs of different breeds (enumerated fur- 

 ther on) were placed in an incubator. On the 26th instant 18 

 clear eggs (i. e., without germs) and 6 with partially developed 

 germs, were removed. 



On January 1 (eleven days from date of placing eggs in in- 

 cubator) a further test was made with following results: 



Barred Rocks — 46 eggs showed 69 per cent fertihty 



Light Brahma-Barred Rock Cross — 54 eggs showed 90 per 



«ent fertility. 



Rhode Island Reds and White Plymouth Rocks— 49 eggs 

 showed 61 per cent fertility. 



Buff Leghorns — 8 eggs showed 26 per cent fertility. 



The rapidly developing germs presented a strong and 

 healthy appearance. This was confirmed by later examination. 

 An unfortunate accident to the incubator two days before the 

 chickens were due resulted in the death of all but 26, which, 

 however, hatched out apparently strong and healthy. 



TESTS CONDUCTED DURING THE WINTER 



Further experimental tests were made with eggs laid from 

 .time to time during the balance of the season and confirmed 



the conclusions of previous years. These conclusions showed 

 that the longer and closer the term of artificial life of the laying 

 stock the greater was the weakness of the germs. Experience 

 has shown, with no uncertainty, that it is one thing to have a 

 high percentage of fertility and another to have results in a 

 corresponding number of robust chickens. It is the strong and 

 lively chicken which will make rapid growth, that is wanted. 

 It has been shown by experiment that the germs in eggs from 

 hens closely confined to winter quarters, but laid in spring time, 

 although showing a high percentage of fertility, did not result 

 in many chickens. The germs had died in different stages of 

 development, the greatest number when fully developed, or at 

 the "pipping stage." And in many cases the chickens which 

 came out proved weaklings. As warranting the foregoing con- 

 clusions, the following results of experimental tests are given: 



HATCHING RESULTS IN AN INCUBATOR OF EGGS LAID BY HENS IN 

 MODERATELY HEATED HOUSES 



On March 27, 202 eggs of different breeds were placed in 

 one of the most reliable incubators on the market. The result 

 was 39 chicks. The eggs placed in the incubator were laid pro- 

 bably during the third week of the month named, and by hens 

 which were kept in artificially but moderately heated compart- 

 ments of our poultry houses. The fowls had received generous 

 rations with a view to egg production, and had laid fairly well 

 for the most part of the previous Vinter. 



The examination of the unhatched eggs showed that the 

 great majority contained chicks fully developed but dead, pre- 

 sumably too weak to break their way out of the shell, a very 

 discouraging result certainly. Under similar circumstances the 

 first conclusion would be, on the part of the inexperienced, to 

 blame the incubator. But if it hatched 39 chickens, was it not 

 as capable of hatching out more, if germs were as strong in the 

 unhatched eggs as in those which produced chicks? 



SIMILAR EGGS UNDER HENS AND RESULTS 



In order to ascertain results with hens as hatching mediums 

 on the same day as the incubator was started, four Faverolle 

 hens, which were broody, were given 13 eggs each. The 

 eggs were of the same kind and age as those put into the incu- 

 bator. 



Of the 52 eggs set, 17 hatched, so that as compared with 

 results from the incubator this showing is in favor of the hens, 

 but the average experience of several years past does not point 

 to much difference between incubator or hen when conditions 

 are equally favorable to both. 



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