Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-27
TIME To PLAN
EARLY MATCHES
Means of Identifying Hatching
Eggs and Baby
Chicks.
WARM MASH START Staying
Manure Pit Instead of Dropping
Boards Saves Labor i'll
Cleaning.
WARM MASHSTART Staying
BY III. Armstrong Roberts.

BY III. Armstrong Roberts.
II Is now time 10 plan for the spring
hatchlng season Opel atiuns may not
begin for some weeks, but the poultry
man should form some idea OF what
these operations are likely 10 be, and 70
prepare for them we'll III advance. III
NAV he that YOU are going to buy hatchlnR
eg;rs or baby chicks, then consider where
you are going to Obtain thus stock; send
for information and prices.
Additions to the incubatIng or broodlnE
equipment should be made IN time 10 try
out the appliances. Last years ap-
paratus should ho inspected ami over
haulcd I ecauSP broodcr or incubator
VAS left in good running order last sum
ner - no assurance that 10 Is IN perfect
rrpair now. Many things can happen
L, such equipment in the course of six
months Of ldeness The replacement of
/. simple new part sometimes takes weeks
and when put of 10 the last minute can
cause no end OF embarrassment.
February -hatchcd chicks are none too
carly for the heavy breeds which require
eight months or more 10 mature March
" a good month 10 start tho matches for
lcghorns and similar lightweight fowls,
winch mature IN from five To SIX months.
some poultry raisers begin ca-licr, with the
view to having laying pullcts in July.
Such being the plan, breeding pens
should he mated next month
DISTINGUISHING Sen IN CHICKS.
Size is considered the first indication
al sex III brood of young chicks, males
running slightly larger than females.
Sometimes color Is the most pronounced
characteristic, inasInuch "a the male
-b,-lre Ii Lstxg IN, h. fr,fi y,s-hFDr ~.
females Greed Inoss on the part of Young
maics IS another tclltale. though not in
salhblc, because = sturdy pullct Is not
likely 10 give way in front of the feed
trough 1 ~ n noticeable fact, however,
that young males have not the gallsntrv
in thelr youth which they develop at
maturity
The voice il another distinguishing
fcsture. the maze voice being louder
and deeper tllan the females. Combs
and wattlcs develop quite early with the
Leghorns and similar breeds, and these
signs. OF course, are almost unmistaksblc
There is no method Of determining
the sex Of an egg Or the sex Of newly
hatched chick There Is 4 belief that
sex characteristics are present, but As
vet we arc incapable Of recognising them.
When sex can he told in the cgg il will
BE- Of tremendous advantage tothe poultry
industry
In marking eggs for identification az
Matching time ~ in tho case of special
matngS, hc sIn. 70 make the pencil mark
on the small end 81 the egg. because As
5 rule tho chick breaks the shell near the
largr end of tho egg which IS likely 70
destroy the mark that Is placed there
THIS method Is usually used in conncc-
tlon with Matching haGs because II course.
onrrs the chicks leave their shells there Is
no telling % which shells they belong.
Hatrhng bags arc made of cheese cloth, /,
N which the eggs are placed al the tune I
~ tho last turning usually on the evening I
oi the eighteenth day
ClftcK~ sooN oUTiRow LFGBASpS
q the close of the hatch AS the chicks
arr removed from tie incubator to he
taken 70 the hroodcr thcy arc taken
out II the bass and lcgbandcd As the
chicks threaten 70 ouiCrow these tiny
highlands. larger bands >hould be substi-
tutcd or the smaller hands can he re
moved from the >hanAs and inserted IN
the wings where they remain for life
Il = believed that chickens have dis
tmctIvo footprints, INST as We humans
have individual tngcrprints, which re-
man constant through iifc and some
tntfFfeei ing tAEN.FAsfittAll~ sttt tAHEE Grtli-
ducfei toward utilizing this means Of
Identification for breeding purposes
The power or ability - isv z
number Of eggs is IN inherited quality
but not all fowls nave the capacity t3
transmit their virtues and herr Il WHORE
the mating prnblen commences The
male dominates ,Ae situation because hc
ts half the mating with each hen IN q
particular fiOck For instance N 8 flock
of ten females and one male Lht offspring
would have the blood Of ten dams but
only one sarc Therefore II behooves
the poui,rvman - be sure of thi> sre.
REMOVE DUST PROM CURTAINS.
Muslin curtains commonly used IN
the fronts Of poultry houses for yeutila-
iIon IN cold wfstbcr must be brushed OF
especially on tn nSde at regular inter-
sal, Itcy accumulate dus, RAPIDLY and
m tins state tarv 90 not admit free
lrculaflon Of az which Is their purpose
Moreover dus,-ladrn curtains dcteri0ra;e
ulckly II moSt ms eiancos d + not
necessary 90 lower the curtains except at
night and th,a only ID extremely cold
weather
Som, po8tr, keepers are dispensing
EIth dfepplg soafas 10 accum ulato
manure be44s the labor involved
4 scrapinc Il. ha4rI- at frequent inter-
FalS. II her place manure pit is used
N which the uaHlre Is allowed "a collect
ior months IL TN, Th.- arrangement
las been found Nev satisfactory. provided
~ fowls are not ..ss,r,. .ec,ss IL the pI,
md provided tHs raanu-. 5 kept dr,.
- that II val no- r.vg ef offensive odor~
Whereas dropping board aIc elevated.
"a the DIT -chcm The manure i made
= acrumuiate or tie .ioor and separated
rom the rest of tn floor =, 4 suitable
BOARD partition Prom tac top oi this
partition to tho rear wall Is stretched inch-
mesh poultry netting through which
.Ae dropp.ngs iaii hi> netting prevents
he fowls IRON getting INTO the manure