BREEDING 107 



around a couple of times and pull them out quickly. Remove 

 the spreaders and allow the skin to cover the opening between 

 the ribs, as in Fig. 46. In ten days there will be nothing 

 left but a shiny scar. 



"It is customary to remove both testicles from one side. 

 In that case it is better to remove the lower one first. Some- 

 times there is a little bleeding which would hide the lower 

 one if the upper one was removed first. Beginners, however, 

 will do well to make two incisions, one on each side, operat- 

 ing at first on a dead bird. After doing this successfully 

 several times, one may tear away the membranes enough 

 to see the second testicle and remove both testicles through 

 the same incision. In fact, one may become so proficient 

 that he can grasp both organs at once and remove them 

 together. 



"After the operation, the birds should be placed in a yard, 

 by themselves and fed on soft food for three or four days. 

 After that time give them their regular rations. At the end 

 of a week they may be turned in with the other chickens. 

 A few of them will bloat during the first week. This is not 

 serious, and is remedied by pricking the skin with a coarse 

 needle or with the little blade of a pocket-knife." 



Spaying of Pullets. — ^The spaying of pullets is not practised 

 for two reasons: they are more profitable as egg producers 

 than as meat producers, and there would be no economic 

 gain in performing the operation. A further and more 

 decisive reason is that because of surgical difficulties it is 

 impossible to perform the operation successfully. Removing 

 the ovary in its entirety results in the rupture of a large 

 bloodvessel lying at the base of the main stock, which allows 

 sufficient hemorrhage to cause death. If the organ is not 

 removed perfectly clean, it has the power to regenerate 

 from the remaining tissue and so defeat the purpose of the 

 operation. 



Time Elapsing Between Mating and Fertility. — Pearl and 

 Surface* make note of the fact that in "Some experiments 

 carried out by H. J. Odam of the period elapsing between 



> Maine Bulletin No. 168. 



