Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-15
EGG Fertilization
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Not much has been said about the
reproductive organs of the male
| birds. just what the germ looks like
| when seen under the microscope,
where and how it is made, what it
| consists of and where it fertilizes
| the eggs. Factors that affect its
, manufacture by the cells of the tes-
ticle, conditions which make birds
sterile and many other points of
! practical interest to the poultrymen
such as, How long will the germ
! live and how long does it take to
| fertilize the eggs?-all have practical
bearing on the breeding of birds. If
[ birds have not been mated and are
mated today, how long should one
wait before saving eggs in order to
expect normal fertility? Or, suppose
a male dies or proves of no value
as breeder and a new male is put
Inflow long will the germs of the
| old male remain alive in the oviduct
of the females and be capable of
fertilizing an egg? When the grand
rush for the yolk begins. just what
takes place?
The male reproductive organs of
the bird are simple because in man.
malian life these organs are quite
complex.
In the young cockerel the testicles
are rather small, being about the
shape but much smaller than a navy
| bean. AS the cockerel grows and
reaches sexual maturity or puberty
this testicle begins to grow. AT this
time the comb and wattles, which
are external sex characters, begin
to grow. If the cockerel is rugged
and of good constitutional vigor
these parts become quite large.
governed, of course, by the breed, and
if the bird is of low vitality the
parts do not develop normally and
hence the bird we say, is crow
headed, meaning that the head lack
ing comb and wattles resembles that
of a crow. Such a bird does not
produce strong vigorous chicks. in
spite Of any igor the female may
have. but produces weaklings.
The kidneys are located in ex-
cavations in the back bone and con-
sist of three lobes.. Extending down
from the testicles there is small
tube called the Vas deferens which
allows the passage of the semen or
fluid from the testicle carrying the
germs (called spermatoZoa) to the
cloacal mucous membrane where
they empty in a small papilla which
becomes turgid during population.
In breeding experiments it has
been able to show that these germs
smeared on the outer parts of the
mucous membrane lining the cloaca
will find their way into the oviduct
and fertilize eggs. The old concep-
ton was that the germs must be
thrown into the outer opening of the
egg canal which also opens out on
the mucous membrane of the cloaca,
but this is not the case. AS a male
bird reaches the breeding stage the
testicles are enormously enlarged
An average of large number of
measurements Of testicles of adult
diameter and two inches long.
The testicle is made up Of small
tubes. These tubes are microscopic
in size and are lined with cells that
are square or called cuboidal cells
cube. There are other cells among
these and this latter variety Sc
cretes an internal secretion which
gives to the male his masculine ap-
pearance. When a cockerel is capon-
lied and part of one of these testicles
is left in the body Of the bird there
is sufficient internal secretion to keep
it from developing the typical juve-
nile or feminine appearance charac-
teristic Of a capon. but we say 1t
is slip" which means that 1t still
possesses in small degree, some
of the characteristics OF the male.
The cuboidal cells go through va
rious stages, finally producing the
male germs or spermatozoa.. This
central part Is called the nucleus.
The germ contains half of the
chromosomes or units of the male
and when the egg is fortified the
other half Is furnished by the ovum
or egg cell Of the female. When
the two come together a new indivi-
dual Is created. The thick end of the
germ is called the head and extend
ing from the head is a slender, film
like structure called the tail. with
THIS tail 1t very rapidly moves about