1914. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
937 
The Henyard. 
THE EGG-LAYING CONTEST. 
J ULY 3 ends the thirty-fifth week of the 
contest. Egg production holds up 
_ well, 3,143 eggs having been laid dur¬ 
ing the week, which is only two eggs less 
than the previous week. 
A new high score was made this week, 
the English White Leghorns laying 63 
eggs. The record is 6-7-7-6-6-G-5-7-6-6 and 
one egg laid on the iloor. These birds 
did not do very well on the start, and I 
had a number of letters inquiring, “What 
is the matter with Barron’s Leghorns 
this year.” I wrote Mr. Barron about it, 
and his reply was, “Those birds are bred 
right, and they will come along all right.” 
I was much impressed with his confi¬ 
dence in the ultimate results of his 
breeding; and the way they have been 
“coming along” lately shows that the con¬ 
fidence was warranted. 
One of the “experimental pens” from 
Stores Agricultural Station takes second 
place with a score of 50. Glenview 
Poultry Farm is third with a record of 
53, and Branford Farm fourth with a 
score of 52. All the above are White 
Leghorns. Three pens laid 51 each, and 
five pens laid 50. 
The week’s record follows: 
Barred Rocks. Week Total 
A. R. Hall. Connecticut. 43 899 
Frank L. Tuttle. Massachusetts.... 39 998 
Waveny Farm, Connecticut. 40 914 
J. J. Francals, New York. 31 1,126 
White P. Rocks. 
Albert T. Lenzen, Massachusetts.... 51 982 
F. II. Benton, Connecticut. 43 1,027 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut. 43 823 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut. 32 858 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut. 37 994 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut. 43 871 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut. 44 090 
Buff P. Rocks, 
A. A. Hall, Connecticut. 42 1,015 
W. 0. Morgan, Jr., Connecticut. 37 780 
White Wyandottes. 
Tom Barron. England. 45 1,403 
West. Mt. Pltry. Yards, Connecticut 10 878 
Merrythought Farm, Connecticut.... 37 1,309 
Neale Bros., It. 1. 40 1,291 
D. J. Ityan & Son. Connecticut. 38 1,028 
Buff Wyandottes. 
Dr. N. W. Sanborn, Massachusetts.. 39 1,002 
Dr. N. W. Sanborn. Massachusetts.. 34 92S 
Am. Buff. Wyan. Club, New York.. 28 855 
II. L. Hamilton, Connecticut. 29 C75 
Columbian Wyanodttes. 
Nat’l Col. Wy. Club, Massachusetts 50 94G 
Single-Comb Reds. 
J. S. Gillespie, Connecticut. 25 702 
Dr. J. C. Dingman, New York. 30 970 
Burnham 1*1 try. Farm, Massachusetts 50 870 
H. P. Doming, Connecticut. 38 887 
Geo. P. Dearborn, Florida. 42 1.0G0 
Dr. J. A. Fritcbie, I’a. 32 1,154 
Ernest Underbill, New Jersey. 34 814 
W. II. Bumsted, Connecticut. 20 597 
Plnecrest Orchards, Massachusetts.. 40 1,131 
Harry It. Cook, Connecticut. 45 989 
Colonial Farm, New Hampshire.... 34 1,004 
A. B. Brundage, Connecticut. 47 1,205 
Rcsecomb Reds. 
Glenview Farm, Connecticut. 19 90S 
0. S. Scoville, Connecticut. 2G G9S 
White Leghorns. 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut.... 48 1,101 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut.... 51 1.108 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut.... 45 1,175 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut.... 50 1,428 
Storrs Agr. Station, Connecticut.... 5G 1,040 
Braeslde Pltry. Farm, Pennsylvania 35 9G7 
Glenview Farm, Connecticut. 53 1,091 
Manor Poultry Farm. New York.... 18 1,005 
A. R. Hall, Connecticut. 31 1,020 
Marwood I’ltry. Farm, Pennsylvania 21 1,109 
Geo. M. Harris, Connecticut. 38 899 
Bonnie Brook Farm. New York. 44 1,132 
N. W. Hendryx. Connecticut. 48 999 
J. J. I.inchan", Massachusetts. 44 928 
F. F. Lincoln. Connecticut. 51 1,416 
Cecil Guernsey, New York. 40 1.20G 
T. W. Moore. Connecticut. 50 1.011 
Chas. N. St. John, New York. 49 1.010 
O. W. Sherwood. Connecticut. 32 991 
L. E. Sands, Pennsylvania. 35 1,025 
Tomoka Pltry. Farm, Connecticut.. 30 934 
Venture Poultry Farm, New York.. 33 887 
Mrs. K. E. Woodruff, Connecticut... 50 1,010 
Windsweep Pltry. Farm, Connecticut 43 930 
O. n. Savage, Connecticut. 40 1,013 
P. G. Platt, Pennsylvania. 49 1,150 
Heneta Bone Co.. New Jersey. 15 350 
F. M. Beasley. Connecticut. 37 1,028 
Chas. Heigh Ohio. 49 935 
Tom Barron, England. 03 1.288 
Brnnforil Farm. Connecticut. 52 1,140 
James Minin, Massachusetts. 48 957 
Geo. A. Cosgrove, Connecticut. 50 970 
Buff Leghorns. 
Wolverine Pltry. Farm. Michigan... 44 1,009 
Bluo Andalusians. 
E. D. Bird, Connecticut. 29 S53 
Buff Orpingtons. 
O. Wilsou, West Virginia. 10 733 
White Orpingtons. 
P. A. Derngar, New York. 29 717 
White-Laced Red Cornish. 
W. L. R. C. Club. Massachusetts_ 14 551 
Silver Campines. 
W. J. II. Lobel, New Jersey. 37 841 
Dunghills. 
H. W. Colling wood, New Jersey.... 40 852 
Daniel lline, Connecticut. 31 788 
Daniel Hine, Connecticut. 32 841 
Mixed Breeds. 
Profitable Poultry . 21 897 
Profitable Poultry . 35 898 
The total number of eggs laid to date is 79,- 
548. GEO. A. COSGROVE. 
Pinioning Fowls. 
W OULD you give directions for per¬ 
forming the operation of pinioning 
on fowls? I understand that it 
is done when the quill feathers come out 
on the wings, but don’t know how to do 
it. T. J. w. 
Washington. 
The host way to pinion fowls is to 
pluck the primaries or (light feathers 
from one wing. Those are the much 
Stronger feathers which grow from the first 
joint of the wing. When these are 
plucked and the secondaries left intact, 
the bird shows no unnatural condition. 
The same results are obtained by using 
a heavy pair of shears and clipping these 
flight feathers two or three inches from 
their base. In the Winter time the feath¬ 
ers should be clipped. In the Summer 
time they may be pulled. By removing 
these feathers from only one wing, the 
bird, in trying to fly, only succeeds in go¬ 
ing sideways and is unable to steer it¬ 
self or fly to any extent. A. L. C. 
A Custom-hatcher’s Troubles. 
N O HARD AND FAST RULES.—The 
writer has for a number of years 
done a limited business in custom 
hatching each Spring and pleads guilty 
to having been a poultry crank for many 
years. I have tried over and over to lay 
down certain rules of procedure in hatch¬ 
ing, etc., only to have the next batch of 
eggs upset all rules and theories. Ex¬ 
actly similar treatment of eggs has pro¬ 
duced great variations in results. One 
odd thing I have noted is that as yet I 
have been unable to get a successful hatch 
of White Plymouth Rock eggs though I 
have tried repeatedly from different breed¬ 
ing pens and in different years. This 
Spring I made four trials. The first 50 
eggs produced 16 chicks, every egg fer¬ 
tile ; the second 50 gave 24, all eggs fer¬ 
tile but two; the next two fifties were 
from the same pens, set just one week 
later, and 58 eggs tested infertile. I 
immediately took up the matter with the 
man who brought the eggs and he de¬ 
clared no change had been made in the 
pens as to feed or mating, there being two 
males in the pen at all times. Can some 
one explain this radical drop in fertility 
in one week? I got 24 strong chicks from 
the remainder of the eggs. With all other 
breeds I have had uniformly good hatches, 
though Leghorn eggs always seem to come 
through in larger numbers. Many in¬ 
cubator manufacturers tell you to keep 
machine tightly closed till hatch is over. 
Repeated experiments with my machines 
convince me that I get more chicks if the 
dry chicks are kept removed. In case it 
is necessary to keep cover off any length 
of time a light sprinkling of warm water 
will restore right conditions. I also 
watch the spot where the chick is pipping 
through. If dry, moisten it with the 
finger. The one big reason for taking out 
the dry chicks is that in struggling about 
over the eggs they turn so many pipped 
eggs over and the chick so turned very 
often smothers. 
Saving Weak Chicks. —Then too, it 
is said that a chick not strong enough to 
get out alone should be left to die. This 
I think is partly wrong. It never pays 
to take a chick from the shell, but poor 
shaped eggs, excessive dryness of the in¬ 
ner lining and other causes sometimes 
prevent a chick’s getting away after the 
egg is pipped. Such eggs I crack clear 
around with the edge of the thermometer, 
breaking the outer shell only. If the 
chick remonstrates vigorously you may 
be sure it is worth saving. Generally 
nothing further need be done. However, 
if the chick still stays in the egg after 
four or five hours, the top or lid can be 
lifted off as bleeding will have then 
ceased. Again, you will find eggs pipped 
clear around but little pieces of the in¬ 
ner lining have been missed in the cutting 
around process and have dried so that 
the top of egg is firmly locked on. Such 
an egg should have the top removed at 
once or a crippled chick will result. And 
right here I might say that nearly all 
crippled chicks are caused by delayed 
hatching. It requires close watching and 
quite a little knowledge of the appearance 
of pipped eggs to tell whether help is 
needed and can profitably be given. 
Warm Weatiier Eggs. —Beware of 
eggs saved in warm weather. I have 
just had a sitting of eggs from an Indian 
fancier, which on test showed many rot¬ 
ten eggs with well developed chicks in. 
This was a fifth day test. Another sit¬ 
ting from a Kentucky fancier who stated 
none of his eggs was oyer a week old 
when shipped, at the fourth day test 
showed nine eggs from 15 badly rotten 
with well developed chicks in. The Ken¬ 
tucky man stated the weather had run 
from 05 to 106 for the entire month dur¬ 
ing which the eggs were saved. Probably 
eggs were not collected till sundown and 
then kept in an ordinary living room 
or kitchen. In that case, with a weather 
mean even as low as 90, incubation was 
bound to start and continue for a num¬ 
ber of days. I cite this because here are 
two instances which appear to give me 
a chance to get mad and demand satis¬ 
faction, but a little study of conditions 
shows that the sellers in both cases acted 
in perfect good faith and were supposedly 
sending perfectly good eggs. The only 
safe way in such weather is to gather 
the eggs hourly and get them into a cool 
cellar, turning them daily until ready to 
put into the machine. Along in May 
after the weather was quite warm, I had 
30 eggs sent me from Indiana. These 
were all dated, showing some of them to 
to be at least three weeks old. Two 
tested out and 21 strong chicks hatched 
in the incubator. An inspection of un¬ 
hatched eggs disclosed the fact that all 
the three-weeks-old eggs lmd hatched and 
those uuhatched were fresh ones or near¬ 
ly so when put in the machine. You 
never can toll, for according to rule and 
theory a poor hatch should have resulted 
from eggs of three weeks of age saved iu 
very warm weather. 
Stolen Nest vs. Incubator.— Just 
one more incident. A man brought me 
300 Brown Leghorn eggs to hatch. Sev¬ 
enth day test showed 175 dead and infer¬ 
tile. When I talked with him he could 
not understand the matter, stating that 
several hens had stolen their nests and 
brought off nearly 100%. A little study 
reveals this situation; the weather was 
very warm. By his own statement he 
gathered eggs only at night, consequently 
eggs laid early in the morning had been 
under hens probably till three or four in 
the afternoon—and it is stated three 
hours will start incubation. The test re¬ 
vealed just such a condition. The eggs 
were not clear but looked as though the 
yolks were very dark, showing the germ 
had started and died. Now the hens that 
stole their nests and got the good hatches 
had a different set of conditions to work 
under. Biddy runs across the road in the 
morning, slips under a bush and in 20 
to 40 minutes has laid an egg and is back 
with the flock. No other hen knows 
where this nest is. The shade of the bush 
keeps the egg cool all day. Next morning 
biddy comes back, settles down, turns 
around a few times, turns the egg or eggs 
over a few times, lays another and is 
gone. Here we have perfect care of the 
eggs from laying until the hen is ready 
to sit and explains the poor test of the 
eggs sent to the hatcher, and the good 
hatch of the stolen nests. Don’t be too 
hasty to condemn your flock or the man 
who hatches your eggs. Look for causes 
and explanations and many problems will 
straighten themselves out. p .l. w. 
Michigan. 
Trouble With Ducks. 
W E have been ‘trying to raise several 
dozen ducks. The eggs hatched 
moderately well, but raising the 
young birds has been a failure. About 
half of them have died. They were start¬ 
ed on chick feed and after a few weeks 
given wheat and corn. They have a 
pleasant, shady little run with a pond 
sufficiently large to give them good 
swimming room. They are being moth¬ 
ered by two hens. The ducklings seem 
to be weak and to feel the heat greatly. 
Every other day one dies. Some have 
trouble with their eyes, so that they are 
sore and closed up. Often one or two 
will seem too weak to walk. Could you 
give me some information regarding the 
care and feeding of young Pekin ducks? 
Ohio. H. B. 
I think the difficulty is in the feed. 
Ducks should not have hard grains till 
they are nearly mature. One of the best 
feeds for the first few days is bread 
crumbs and rolled oats, moistened with 
water or milk just enough to be crumbly. 
Mash for ducks should never be sloppy. 
In three or four days add bran and corn 
meal, and gradually change to a mash 
of as many kinds of ground feeds as you 
have. A splendid feed for growing and 
laying ducks is the following: Vegetables, 
one part; green stuff, one; beef scraps, 
one; low-grade flour, one; bran, two; 
oornmeal, three. Fine grit should be put 
in all mash for ducklings. Lack of it 
causes all sorts of digestive troubles. A 
pinch of salt in each mash helps make it 
a complete food, and a little ground char¬ 
coal once a week is thought by many 
to be good for them. Young ducklings are 
better off without water to swim in. 
Domestication has diminished their abil¬ 
ity to indulge iu promiscuous swimming 
without getting too wet and chilled. They 
should have drinking fountains into 
which they can not get, but with water 
deep enough to cover the entire bill. 
Wash the eyes gently with warm water 
till they can open them. Give them a 
grass run, a chance to get into the shade, 
and a warm dry place at night. 
W. H. H. 
Hen Retains Eggs. 
H AVING a hen so fat that she could 
only walk or rather waddle, and 
thinking she might have “leg weak¬ 
ness,” and then be past any value I killed 
her. In her ovisac were six large soft- 
shelled eggs weighing 17 x /i ounces be¬ 
sides the empty shell of another. The 
question arises in my mind, if these eggs 
had been fertile (I keep no roosters, so 
of course these were not) would there 
have been chicks in them? Would not 
the_ heat of the hen have started incuba¬ 
tion? It is a peculiar case; has anyone 
had a similar one? f. t. j. 
Rhode Island. 
Fertile eggs retained too long in the 
oviduct may undergo partial develop¬ 
ment of the embryo and be anything but 
“fresh” when laid. Due case is reported 
in which skin and feathers had partially 
formed upon an embryo within an egg 
that was removed from a hen after death. 
The bad odor of some new-laid eggs is 
also thought to be due to undue reten¬ 
tion of the egg within the oviduct and 
the changes which it has undergone be¬ 
cause of the high temperature. M. b. d. 
“Do you drive your own car?” asked 
the expert motorist. “No,” replied Mr. 
Cluiggins, “I never drive it, I coax it.” 
—"Washington Star. 
TOM BARRON’S WH "S, 
Special for July— Eggs $5 per 10 
Imported direct from Tom Barron’s Farm. Tra 
nested stock. 280-egg strain. The greatest lay ii 
strain in the world. Eggs. $1 per set: $5 per ll 
P. F. RAFFERTY, - Marlboro, Mas 
Capacities , 1200 to 20,100 Eggs 
(Sectional Construction) 
The cash results demanded by the 
practical poultry man are given by 
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Stronger, livelier chicks (and ducks) 
are invariably hatched by it. “ Hall 
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The Hall gives many chicks you 
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Big dividends are returned to its 
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What size can you use ? Do you want our 
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The Hail Mammoth Incubator Co. 
192 Southern Avenue, Little Falls, N.Y. 
WT A hand poultry 
YVAJN1LJJ start chicken farm. 
Pullets. 
supplies. 
Also 500 
April, May S. G. W. Leghorn 
H. J. GJLKASON, Kliinebeck, N. Y. 
PI fKIMfi flllT th® following stock on account of 
ULUOIliU UUI keepingTVhite Leghornsexclusively 
Khotle Island Reds, Black Minorcas, White 
Orpingtons, Lgt. Hrahmas. White Plymouth 
Rocks, White Pekin Ducks, a few Yearling 
White Leghorns Jfc White Leghorn Cockerels 
First-Class Stock for sale cheap forwantof room 
SUSSEX FARMS, Middleville, Sussex Co., N. J. 
CHICKS 
■ Leghorns. Money 
back for dead ones. Pam¬ 
phlet free. C.M.LAUVUR 
Box 73, Richfield, Pa. 
Farmleigh Leghorns-Ty 0 ™^' r fci y puii^ 
and Cockerels In season. A few ready to lay W. & 
B. Rock Pullets for sale now. J. L, LEE, Carmel, N Y . 
Utility S. C. White Leghorns-^’T.^e-X 1 ^ 
per 100. GEO. FROST, Levanna. Cayupa Co., New York 
MAPLE COVE POULTRY YARDStESmSS, “■ 
try; 200-egg strain: breeders and eggs. Send 2-cent 
stamp for illustrated catalogue. Route 24, Athens, Pa. 
AUSTIN'S 200-EGG R hnrf p 1 01 a n H Rpfio standard 
STRAIN SINGLE COMB DIIUUB IbldilU tltJUb breili hi „ h 
record stock, red to the skin. Old and youngstock for 
sale. AUSTIN'S P0U1TRY FARM, Box 17, Centre Harbor, N. H. 
INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS 
FOR SALE by middle of July. 000 April hatched full 
grown birds apt to lay early September. Irving 
Cook's and B. F. Morgan famous strain. Trio, 
$5.00. Five ducks, one drake, $8 00: Ten and two 
812.00. FAIR VIEW POULTRY FARM, Mayville, New York 
OWEN FARMS STRAIN S^keSKs 
9 and 12 weeks old, $1.00 and $1.50 each. Wyckoff 
Strain of S. C. W. Leghorns—Cockerels, 8-weeks 
old. 500 each. My Orpingtons and Leghorns are 
prolific lavers’of large eggs. 
II. CARNEY, K. R. 1, PUTNAM, CONN. 
