The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-08-02
WAYNE co. POULTRY ASSN
Continued From Page one)

often times that these are the most |
profitable matches of all the season |
In the first place the stock should |
be fully matured Many authorities |
claim and advocate the using of two |
year old hens only, to produce our
eggs for Matching. | have had equal |
ly good results with early hatched |
pullets or those little over one
year old.
Breeding stock must be kept in !
comfortable quarters with plenty of
chance for exercise, being made to
scratch for their living, and supplied
with the necessary food for making
the kind of eggs we want. One es-
pecially important item is green
food, one of the best, easiest and
cheapest to procure being sprouted
oats, also they must have that con-
stitutional vigor and vitality that
will send them to their roosting
place at night with their crops full
and off the perch the first thing in
the morning looking for some thing
to eat. l really believe that Nature
intended that every egg laid should
hatch a chick and that that chick
should live and develop to a full
grown fowl.
The next thing in Importance is
the care of the eggs. Nature never
proposed that a hen should lay or a
chick should hatch when the ther-
mometer plays around the freezing
point, consequently eggs intended for
Matching should be gathered several
times a day and for best results
should never be kept over two weeks
as after this time eggs evaporate
and lose their vitality very rapidly
so that every possible effort should
be made to avoid holding them long
er. Right here is one of the best
arguments advanced for the small in
cubator for the small producer.
Washing eggs is very undesirable
and a cool dark place of about so to
60 degrees is the best place to keep
them, little higher temperature to
be preferred to lower one as the
chilling of the eggs has to a certain
extent an undesirable effect upon
the hatch. If eggs are to be kept
| any length of time they should be
turned occasionally to prevent the
yolk settling and adhering to the
shell. One of the best ways to do
this is simply to change the eggs
from one basket to another.
If eggs are to be Matched with
hens only those of good shape and
strong shells should be placed in the
nest as nothing is more disgusting
than to have hen break an egg
or two every few days. The nest
| should be rather fiat with plenty of
room, rather than deep and narrow
to allow the hen to turn the eggs
which is very necessary. If an in
cubator is to be used it should be
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
after each hatch. This is very i'm
portant. While there are two kind
of incubators, hat water and hot air,
and having practically no exper-
ience with the latter and exception
ally good results with the former,
naturally favor the hot water ma
chine. l do not think there is any
best machine as different conditions
produce different results and the
condition of the eggs is the most i'm
portant part of all. Modern science
has not yet produced a perfect incu-
bator as there are some things such
as moisture and ventilation that are
not completely understood and un-
less we are of an experimental turn
of mind, the wisest thing for us
to do is to follow the instructions of
the manufacturer as it is to his ad-
vantage as well as ours for us to
! procure large matches.
Experience especially in the poul-
try business is the best teacher. In
regard to temperature, most instruc-
tors say 102 degrees to 104 degrees;
a lower temperature is apt to prove
more injurious than a higher one,
/ have often seen the thermometer
on the eggs register 107 degrees and
have had it as high as 10 degrees
and still get 70 to 85 per cent. OF
matches. While this is not desirable
| do not think it necessarily Injuries
the hatch. The temperature in most
machines should be watched quite
} close so sudden changes OF the
weather are apt to effect the tenn
, perature of the room and no ther-
mostat can regulate this to any great
extent. When the hatch is coming
off the temperature should be raised
to about 105 degrees and kept there
as near as possible. The Matching
OF an egg is drying out process
consequently we must apply moist
ure in some manner either by plac
ing a receptacle of water under the
tray or sprinkling with warm water
The dryer the atmosphere and the
!; more ventilation, the more moisture
is required.
Another important item is The
turning of the eggs. This may bC
done in several different ways.
, have found that simply taking tive
! or three rows of eggs from arounC
. the outside of the tray and placinl
them in the center does the worl
very effectively also changes tn,
position of the eggs in the tray, max
ing up for different temperatures il
different parts of the tray. Thi
y; should be done twice daily from tn
: second until the nineteenth day afte
. which they should not be disturbed
/ do not think that the eggs cal
be turned too often if they are KEEP
: warm enough, as this exercises tn
embryo chick which produces an
promotes activity and strength.