The Process of Breeding. 73 



to elapse before all the eggs of a flock of hens will be fertile 

 after the placing of the cock with them, it has been 

 found that an interval of ten days is about the time 

 required, it has also been found that the same time must 

 elapse after removal of the cock before all the eggs are 

 infertile. 



Muscular development in poultry is mainly of interest 

 in connection with its fitness for the table; we find that 

 the same width of back and breast is desired in poultry 

 as in other meat bearing stock. The breast, especially, 

 should be well covered with meat to fully supply the 

 demand of the meat market; to obtain such, plenty of 

 exercise, pure air, good food and water are necessary, 

 together with the grit before mentioned, heredity has a 

 powerful influence similar to its results in cattle. The 

 time necessary for the bringing forth of the offspring 

 varies according to the species, chickens are hatched out 

 in three weeks, goslings, ducklings, and poults (the 

 young of the turkey) in a month. The development of 

 the chick in the egg, by the aid of the incubator, sup- 

 plies the investigator with a large part of his knowledge 

 regarding the development of the young animal in the 

 womb, beginning with the time when the ovum was 

 impregnated in the tube until it is expelled from the 

 womb. The egg is kept at an average temperature of 

 103 degrees when in the incubator. Formation of an 

 Egg. Fowls have only one ovary and one oviduct 

 at maturity; from the ovary comes the ovum, con- 

 sisting of the yelk enclosed in a thin membrane, at 

 the upper part of the oviduct it is fertilized, it is 

 then forced down the oviduct by contractions of that 



