TOE MARKING 103 



means of wire baskets, pedigree trays, or mosquito-netting sacks, 

 the eggs are segregated according to the numbers on their shells, 

 and when the hatch is completed these numbers are designated 

 on the leg bands placed on the chicks. 



This method permits the breeder to follow the progress of the 

 chicks from different pens, and to note the results of his selection 

 for given matings. It also keeps a check on the mortality and 

 on early development. When the chick is five or six weeks old, 



Fig. 69. — Sixteen different methods of marking the toes of chicks. 



and has outgrown the size of the first leg band, it must be removed 

 and a larger one substituted, or the original band may be secured 

 to the web of the wing, where it will remain throughout life. 



Wing Bands. — Attaching the band to the web of the wing is 

 accomplished without serious discomfort to the bird. See Fig. 

 67. Select a spot free from blood vessels of any size, pierce it 

 with the point of a sharp knife and adjust the band. 



Toe Marking. — The advantages of having the fowls marked are 

 numerous; it is always possible to tell the bird's age, and if the 



