The Hope pioneer., 1915-03-25
Selecting Eggs and Incu-
baton.

CulG prODl0mS Oh bQ0 pOuItFym6u Oh
today are the Matching OF chicks and
keeping them alive for the first three |
or four weeks. To succeed in solving |
these two problems the successful
poultry grower begins early In the
spring.
The first essential 10 to handle the
breeding flock of hens In such man
ner as to secure high percentage Of
fertile eggs. To accomplish this, all
small, weak or sickly appearing hens
should be removed from the flock aud
only eggs from strong, vigorous,
healthy hens should be used for hatch
ing. The flock should, II possible, be
allowed considerable range if this Is
convenient, though extensive range 10
not necessary to secure fertile eggs. It
the hens must be confined in small
quarters, however, green food or meat
meal must be used in the ration and
the hens must be compelled to scratch
in clean litter for part of their feed in
order to insure sufficient exercise.
Strong; vigorous cock birds must
also be used and in-breeding avoided.
For all meat and egg breeds one cook
should be allowed for each ten hens,
and for the lighter weight egg produo
ing breeds one cook bird for each fif-
teen hens.
A good ration for flock of breed
ing hens is as follows: wheat one
half, oats one-half; this to be fed in
the litter in the morning. In addition
to this dry mash should be fed in a
self-feeding hopper, the hopper to be
closed in the morning and opened at
noon and allowed to remain open for
the remainder Of the day. The mash
should be composed of wheat bran
two parts, shorts two parts, ground
oats two parts, corn meal one part,
meat meal one part, and alfalfa cut
fine or alfalfa meal one part.
Unless the hens have access to a
free run on gravely soil both oyster
she'll and mica crystal grit should be
supplied where the hens may have free
access to it. If a free range Is avail
able the oyster shell will be sufficient.
Eggs that are 10 be used for hatch
ing should be kept In cool room in
which the temperature is more or less
moist. A basement that is not too
damp is the best kind of a storage
room. A room temperature of As to
SIS degrees is preferable. Fresh eggs
invariably show slightly higher per-
centage of fertility and hatch slightly
stronger chicks than eggs ten days old
or more.
Where artificial incubation is used
In Matching eggs several principles
must be strongly adhered to if success
is to be attained. Second, the incuba-
tor room and incubator must be we'll
ventilated. Third, the atmosphere in
both the incubator room and the in
cubator must be kept moist. It is, of
course, possible to go to extremes
with each of the two latter require
ments. A room in which strong drafts
prevail is not good incubator room
because of the difficulty thus encoun-
tered in maintaining an even tempera.
ture. A room too moist will cause
molding of the eggs and one too dry
will cause excessive evaporation,
either of which will kill good many
chicks in the she'll and cause the
Matching of many weak chicks which
will die at an early age. A basement
room is always preferable to an attic
room as location for an incubator,
as it is easier to regulate both the
room temperature and atmospheric
moisture in basement than in an at.
tic or upstairs room.
| There are many types and makes oi
incubators, most of which are quite
satisfactory If properly located and
carefully operated according to in.
strnctions given. AS complete in
structions for the operation OF any in.
cubator are supplied with the incuba-
tor, space will not be taken here to
discuss operation.
In selecting eggs to be placed in an
incubator only average sized, we'll
shaped eggs should be used, as ex-
tremely large or small eggs that do
not conform to normal shape will in.
variably hatch a low percentage OF
irregular sized chicks.
| Do not delay the starting of the in.
cubator for the first Matching beyond
April 1st, as the advantages and pos.
sibilities for profit are much greater
with early hatehed chicks than with
later ones. The early Matched pullet,
are the ones that will be the fall and
winter layers. Early hatohed chicks
will make more rapid growth than late
hatched ones. If one wishes TO sell
breeding stock this Is a decided ad.
vantage. Also, if one wishes to mar.
ket part of the chick crop as broilers
and roasters, the market Is best for