CHAPTER IX 

 What is the Best Time to Hatch? 



The question which is the title of this chapter is 

 asked over and over again. You see it propounded 

 to the editor of almost every poultry paper in the 

 country. And it is a difficult one to answer, because 

 the various needs of different people are so diversi- 

 fied. April and May are doubtless the natural hatch- 

 ing seasons for all varieties. Climatic conditions are 

 then kinder, the food which is necessary for the pro- 

 duction of many eggs, and eggs of the strong hatcha- 

 ble kind, is supplied by Nature in great abundance, 

 and the young chick coming into life in these months 

 finds a great variety of natural food of the very best 

 kind for growth awaiting it. In Spring eggs run 

 strongly fertile, and in every way Nature seems to 

 lend herself to successful hatching, and the starting of 

 the young chick properly on its journey. 



The man, however, who is operating an egg farm, 

 and has made contracts for the delivery of a con- 

 tinuous supply of eggs to exacting customers, cannot 

 well afford to wait until these months to hatch in, 

 for it is necessary for him to have a large number of 

 pullets reaching maturity and beginning to lay, 



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