130 



POULTRY PRODUCTION 



the vigor of the dam has to effect upon the food supply of 

 the embryo chick, comprising the yolk and albumen of the 

 egg. 



While technically this has no more to do with the inherit- 

 ance of the chick than the amount and quality of milk 

 drank has to do with the inheritance of the calf, practically 

 it is of great importance in bringing out strong chicks. As 

 a result of observations, incidental to his studies of the 

 inheritance of egg production, Pearl^ makes the following 

 statement : " It is certain, from observations of both egg and 

 chick, that the same kind and quality of food is not furnished 

 to the embryo by the egg manufactured in the body of a 



Fig. 65 



Cockerels showing strong and weak constitutions. 

 Experiment Station.) 



(Courtesy of Cornell 



strong fowl as is furnished in the egg manufactured in the 

 body of a weak fowl. 



"Furnished with a qualitatively inadequate food-supply, 

 the embryo either dies before hatching or hatches into a weak, 

 debilitated chick. This badly nourished, weak chick grows 

 into an adult fowl which is weak in constitution and usually 

 weaker and to a greater degree lacking in vitality than the 

 parent. This offspring may thus be expected to produce 

 a still less normal supply of nutriment in its eggs than did 



' Maine Bulletin No. 192. 



