Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-01-15
FERTILE EGGS THE FIRST ES-
SENTIAL.

A month or two later we will be
hearing the old complaints about low
fertility and poor matches. Those
who conduct the advisory depart.
ments of the poultry journals will
be flooded with letters describing
almost ideal conditions and want to
know what they can do to increase
the fertility of the eggs. If careful
consideration is given this subject
right now at the beginning of the
breeding season, much trouble and
disappointment can be avoided.
The writer has no intention of 60
ing into a technical discussion of the
subject; 1t is neither necessary nor
desirable. There are a few points,
however, which the merest novice or
the experienced poultryman can
watch with profit. One of the first
questions that arises is, "How many
females should be mated with the
male?" There can be no hard and
fast rule. Existing conditions must
be taken into consideration. Under
ordinary conditions an ordinary cock
erel will take care of from 10 to 20
females (cockerels of the lighter
breeds caring for the greater num-
ber) and cocks a few less. To this
rule there are many exceptions.
Some males are not fit to care for
more than five or six females, while
others will often care for 40 or So.
Males in confinement will not care
for nearly so many as those on an
open range. 1t is not wise to place
only two or three females with a
male unless it is necessary for a
special mating, for vigorous bird
will often injure them by too much
mauling.
Proper care of the male bird is nee
essary. Authorities are agreed that
one service fertilizes all of the eggs
laid for two weeks or even longer.
1t can be readily seen that a male
that is attentive and vigorous may
waste his energies in useless service;
then, too, males often fail to get
their share of food through their gall
lantry to their mates or have as their
favorites those hens which are about
to lay and neglect those which have
been laying for some time. For all
of these reasons 1t is wise to remove
the male from the flock for two or
three days occasionally, keeping him
in comfortable coop where he can
neither see nor hear the hens, and
where he may be fed a little extra
meat, green stuff and grain. Do not
throw him in pen with other males,
as 1t often leads to bad and injurious
habits. He should not be kept away
from the hens too long at time
about two days in ten is good rule.
Hens kept closely confined in un-
sanitary quarters cannot be expected
to produce fertile eggs. Exercise is
necessary for health and
health is essential to good strong
germs in the eggs. Hens need not,
and should not be pampered, but
clean, we'll ventilated quarters, whole
some food and clean water are nee
essary.
Hens that are tonicked and doped
cannot produce eggs suitable for
Neither can fat equity
hen produce fertile eggs. In fact,
she more often fails to lay any eggs
at all. 1t is very easy matter for
the man who keeps only few hens
and who is anxious to give them the
best Of care to overfeed and under
exercise his flock.
It is sometimes necessary where
hens have very long, downy fluff
feathers to pluck the fluff SO as not
to interfere with service. Many a
hen has been considered sterile when
q little care would have removed the
Sanitary quarters, plenty of exer-
else, enough wholesome food and
amount of care for the
male will produce plenty of fertile
eggs and no breeder can afford to
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