The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-11
WATCH ARTIFICIALlBROOD

1 away from the hover and discarded en- tirely when the chickens are three or
 four days old or when they have learned
 to return to the source of heat.
 1 Young chickens should he closely Awatched to see that they do not huddle to-
 gether or get chilled. They should be
 allowed to run on the ground, whenever
 the weather is favorable. as they do mulch better there than when kept continuous | ly on cement or board floors Weak chickens should, usually be killed as soon | as noticed, as they rarely make good
 stock. while they may become carriers
 Of disease. Breeders should be disinfect-
 ed at least once year. and more fre-
 quently if the chickens brooded in them ' have had any disease.
 | All eggs should be tested at least twice
 during the period of incubation. on about the seventh and fourteenth days. and the | infertile eggs and those combining dead
 germs removed. White eggs can be tested ! on the fifth and sixth days. but the de- lvelopment in eggs having brown shells
 often can not be seen by the use of an
 ordinary eggNtester until the seventh day | Eggs containing dead germs soon de- 1 cay and give off a bad odor If allowed to remain in an incubator. Most incu- l'Dator companies furnish with their ma
 chimes testing chimneys, which will fit | the incubator lambs. Electric or gas | lamps may be used in a box with hole
 slightly smaller than an egg cut in the
 side of the box and et the same level
 as the light.
 l A good homemade egg tester or cand-
 Ter can be made fom lage shot box,
 or any box that islarge enough to go over
 lamp. It is made by removing the l end of the box and cutting hole 8 | little larger than quarter in the bot | tom When it is set over a kerosene lamp 1 the hole in the bottom should be op- posite the blaze. The lamp chimney should project through the other end of
 the box or large enough hole be cut | to prevent the box from burning.
 The eggs are tested with the large end
 up. so that the size of the air cell as
 well as the condition of the embryo may be seen. The testing should take place ' in a dark room The infertile egg, w.en held before the small hole with the lamp I lighted inside the box, will look per- fectly clear, the same as a fresh one, while a fertile egg will show small
 dark spot. known as the embr-o, With
 a mass of little blood veins extending 1 in all directions of the embryo is living. 1 If the embryo is dead and blood settia } away from it toward the edges of the yolk, forming in some cases an irreg- ular circle of blood known as blood
 ring. Eggs vary in this respect, some
 showing only a streak of blood. l All infertile eggs should be removed at the first test. The eggs containing strong, living embryos are dark'and well
 filled up on the fourteenth day and show
 clear, sharp, distinct line between the air cen and the growing embryo while
 dead germs show only partial deveSp- ment and lack this clear distinct out lline.
 1 Chickens never wash, as many birds oo, 1 but cleanse themselves of insects by wal Towing in dust. Where board or cement l floors are used in the chicken house. some means of dusting during the winter
 months should be provided. A dust box
 three feet by five feet. or four feet by four feet win be found large enough in most instances. for flock of 90 to W
 fowls. It should be placed where it can
 be reached by sunlight uuring as much
 of the day as possible.
 Finefi light. dry dust is best for the box but sandy loam is good. Road dust IS recommended by many, but it is often lhard to secure. Coal ashes may be mixed with the soil if desired to make them lighter.