ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING 



properly mated the hatching of their eggs is mere play. But 

 before I close, I want to say for the benefit of those concern- 

 ed that I placed 220 eggs in my incubator and on the four- 

 teenth day I tested out eighteen. On the twenty-first day I 

 took out 172 White Rock chicks and I raised every chick to 

 maturity except one — an 85 per cent, hatch. I have had 

 other hatches just as good, but generally lose some before 

 maturity. 



HELP FOR BEGINNERS 



CONDIMENTS ARE INJURIOUS— THE PROPER DIET 

 FOR BREEDING FOWLS TO INSURE FERTILE EGGS 



W. H. HARDIN 



WE CANNOT hope to get strong, vigorous chicks, 

 whether hatched artificially or by the natural 

 method, imless our breeding stock is in the best 

 possible condition. After years of experimenting 

 the writer has become convinced that it is a, mistake to 

 feed condiments to any kind of breeding stock. In fact I 

 do not believe in feeding these so-called egg-producing for- 

 mulas even to laying stock from which eggs are to be sold for 

 market purposes, as they simply irritate the egg producing or- 

 gans and are sure to prove a detriment to your fowls sooner 

 or later. Rather should you endeavor to improve the laying 

 power of your flock by breeding each year from your best 

 layers of the previous year. Such a method systematically 

 carried out year after year will be sure to bring your fowls 

 up to a high state of productiveness, which will be more satis- 

 factory and it can be done without undue forcing. 



I have had frequent inquiries from poultry keepers and 

 the managers of two state experiment stations, asking for a 

 proper diet for breeding fowls to insure a high percentage of 

 fertiUty. 



The feeding of fowls to bring about this desirable result is 

 a question that has given many of us more or less trouble in 

 times past, especially during the early spring when the fowls 

 must be confined to their houses the greater portion of the time 

 on account of bad weather. While I do not say that my meth- 

 od is perfection, yet it is one that I have adopted after carefully 

 studying and experimenting, and it is giving me satisfactory 

 results. 



FEEDING FOR FERTILITY 



To begin with, I feed only twice daily. I do not consid- 

 er it good policy to feed fowls three times a day. The work- 

 ing meal of the day is whole grain, which is fed every morning 

 as soon after daylight as possible, and it consists of a, mixture 



of wheat and coarsely cracked corn. One quart of this mixture 

 is allowed to every twelve fowls and it is scattered in the litter 

 of the scratching sheds, the floors of which are kept covered to 

 the depth of six to eight inches. It takes the birds the better 

 part of the day to find all these grains when they are well buried 

 in the litter, which gives them plenty of exercise, and exercise 

 they must have if you want fertile eggs and plenty of them. 

 The working hen is almost invariably a good laying hen. 



The evening meal is a mash of milling products, animal and 

 vegetable food mixed by measure as follows 1 



Good wheat bran, two parts. 



Ground oats, one part. 



Second crop cut clover, two parts. 



Corn meal, one part. 



Best quality beef scrap, one part. 



This soft mash is prepared by first putting into the feed 

 bucket the proper quantity of cut clover, adding a small quan- 

 tity of salt, or in other words, seasoning it about as you would 

 for your own palate. Next we pour on the boiling water, cover- 

 ing the vessel and allowing it to stand half an hour or so and 

 then add the other ingredients. Mix well to a crumbly consis- 

 tency (not sloppy), and feed warm. There can be no fixed rule 

 about the proper quantity to feed, as no two flocks will eat the 

 same amount. However, I make it a rule to feed my birds 

 just what they will eat up readily in from ten to fifteen min- 

 utes, being careful to remove any food that is not eaten, be- 

 cause if it is allowed to remain in the feed troughs it will sour 

 and is liable to sicken the fowls. 



Fresh, pure water should be kept before them all the time. 

 The fowls can not be good layers if their water supply is stinted. 

 Perhaps many of you have noticed that yom- hens that drink 

 freely are generally the best layers. Be careful to keep the 

 water vessels scrupulously clean. I make it a rule to scald 

 mine two or three times a week. Bear in mind that filthy drink- 

 ing vessels and filthy water are prolific sources of disease among 

 poultry. Fowls that are confined to yards should have access 

 to plenty of good, sharp grit at all times. They cannot be 

 healthy without it. Ground oyster shell is also very healthful 

 in many ways. During the winter and early spring I try to 

 keep green food, such as cabbage, mangels, beets, etc., before 

 my birds at all times. It is not only a great relish to them, but 

 it assists in keeping their systems in good tone. 



Twice a week I omit the beef scrap from the soft mash 

 and on those days I feed instead a liberal quantity of green cut 

 bone in the proportion of about one ounce to each fowl. They 

 are extremely fond of it and it is one of the best natural egg pro- 

 ducers that can be fed, and it assists wonderfully in the matter 

 of fertility of the eggs, especially during the winter and early 

 spring before the insects come. 



