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10 INTROD U CTION. In publishing our system of Progressive Poultry K eeping we simply give the facts about all branches of th e work t hat have been learned from experiments conducted by the We have learned by actual writer. tests that many theories advanced by the m a j ori t y o f poultry w riters are without M gifted with the power of imagination en foundation. and. the ability to write an entertaining article h ave been given too much space in p oultry publications. Our experience in poultry keeping dates back over a p eriod of thirty - fiv e years and the mistakes made during that time if fully stated would fill a book much larger than this While many of our mistakes one. were expen s ive and discouraging we were determined to win out and the failures came we had the opportunity to study the causes and as again start frorn the foundation to overcome the Many difficulties. times the discoveries were surprising to us as they will no doubt be to you and were not p u t down facts until each of them had been tested as for at least years and many of them much five longer. We have learned that artificial heat supplied to chickens i not only s unnecessary but better poultry m a y be raised without The average it. ordinary heated wood brooder is too complicated and expensive and there is too much danger of chilling overheating or burning the chickens. When they come into this world they are supplied with an abundance of heat and all we have to do i to retain s it. When green cut bone is fed liberally to breeding stock good eggs from which to hatch strong chickens cannot be obtained neither are the eggs likely to be fertile. The best two p ound broilers can be raised when confined to a space of one square foot when there are not too many in the flock. Pullets may be properly matured in a space of one and a half square feet and a laying hen can be made to do her best when given three square feet of s p ace.

11 6 While it is generally u nderstood t hat the la gest egg yields from r la y ing hens obtained from the smallest flocks the system ar e has not been i n general use. It is not u ncommon to get six eggs from six hens in a flock seven consecutive days. To get sixty eggs from sixty hens in a flock one day in a year is hardly possible an d as far as our kn owledge goes is not on record. Sixty hens properly bred an d kept in ten colony coops should lay sixty eggs per day many days in t he year and at least twenty- fiv e per cent. mor e eggs th an the flock con taining sixty hens ; And if young chicks ar e to do their best flocks. they m ust also be kept in small The natural desire ofmen to get rich' quick without m uch knowledge of the business flocks. or much capital toinvest is probably the excuse for large They es timate the profits from a given number of hens they wish to keep:and figure that the cost of the poultry plant would be less when the fowls are maintained i n l ar g e flocks. Our aim has not been simply to get the greatest returns as we have given more thought to economy and simplicity in labor saving devi - c es making it possible to keep large numbers of laying hens in small flocks at no greater ex p enditure for appliances than where large numbers are kept' E verything in connection with our system is made with together. a view of using all kinds of material to best advantage and without the "The lumber wire muslin waste. an d waterproof covering required in t he construction of appliances are our al l standard sizes and may readily be obtained in all villages and cities. While the ad vantages of the Philo System are many they can all be summed u p in one word Follow the entire plan as out success. lined and success is sure. V ery truly yours E. W. PH ILO.

12 STARTING IN T H E POU L TRY BU SINE SS. St ar t Wi t h T wo Pair s. The best way to start in the p oultry business 15 to begi n with two pairs of the best bird s "not re l ated ) that you can afford to p urchase. When the details of our system are care fully followed and the breedi ng stock i s right it will be perfectly safe to handle as large a business from the start as you can p rovide necessary appliances for and t he time required for proper attention and care. However the disadvantage is likely to be inferior stock that possibly has been i nbred or that h as not been raised in a way to build u p a con sti t u tion of vigor and hardiness which is the foundation for a successful business. Larg e Pr ofi ts M or e Qu i ckl y. By starting with two p airs of t he best stock obtainable with t heassurance that they have n ot been inbred youwill get large p rofits more quickly than to start with a dozen or more birds. I t would not be difficult to raise twenty - fiv e pullets and anumber ofcockerels the first season from two hens furnishin g breedersthat would give you three - hundred pullets the second y ear and this would enable you t o do as large a business as y ou like the third season. While these figures may look - large they are not over estimated as we are getting still greater returns right here in our own yard and are not gi ving them as careful attention as it is p ossible to do. P u r ch asi n g E gg s for Hatch i n g. ' Purchasing the best eggs ob tai n ab l e for hatching is also_ a desirable way to start i n the business and in many cases would be less expensive than to buy the stock. We would not ad vise you to buy stock that would cost less than ten dollars each unless you know positively the quality and can get them for less money and it would be still better to pay twenty - fiv e dollars each provided you could get-birds so well bred as to be worth the money. Good St ock Pays Best. -Two sittings of eggs from unrelated birds at ten dollars a sitting should produce more and better stock than you could p urchase for an equal amount of money and it someti mes ha p pens that better birds are raised from eggs bought than from those raised by the p roducer. I f you can find eggs from very choice stock for fifteen or twenty dollars a sitting it would prove a good investment. In other words ifyou can get either stock or eggs that are really worth the money almost any p rice is not too much to pay as what you raise from them would soon bring you large additional returns ; It is sometimes p ossible during t hedull season to get eggs from choice stock for a reduced amount but then you are not getting them at the best time for develo p ing a flock

13 8 of winter layers and in any case the higher priced eggs bought at the right season are likely to be the most profitable in the end. Wh en t o Hat ch. l f you are to buy eggs for the foundation stock they should be incubated in February or March provided the fertility is I fnot get the eggs during the natural season for hatching guaranteed. A p ril M ay or"une. U se E gg s Fr om Wi n t er Layer The advantages s. of getti ng eggs for hatching that are laid during January or Feb r u r ar y are that you are sure they were l aid by winter layers ; and after breeding in this manner for two or three generations your hens will lay as n aturally through t he cold winter months as others do in June. Have Br ooder Coop Ready. I f they are to be hatched during the wi nter or early s p ring one of the brooder coo p s should be ready when they hatch which will p rovide the y protection to kee necessar p them in the best p ossible con di tion at al l times. Before eggs are ordered some should provision be made hatch for i n g them you cannot afford to take chances on finding a broody hen as or on the p rompt delivery of an The successful man is the incubator. one who i s j ust a little in advance of his business and takes ti me by the forelock. L OCATION. Bu t Li t tl e Lan d N eed ed. One of the advantages of our system is that you can start in the business where you n ow l ive provided you have four square feet of land for each fowl you wish to kee p. Thre e fourths of the l and i s for fowls and one fourth for It i walks. s better however to have twice the amount of land required that you m a y a l ternate the p oultry yard with the garden thereby purifying the ground and making a garden that will astonish the natives. Pr e p ar i. n g t h e Soi l S hould the s oil be l ow and dam p it will be necessar y to fill in with sand or gravel that it will be slightly above the so ground around I f dry and there is some gravel in the soil i t will it. not be necessary to fill Stony or coarse lumpy soil should be avoided in. as it is necessary to keep the ground mellow which is easily accom lished p by spading with the aid of the hens to keep it stirr e d u p. Soi l of San d or Gr avel. I n selec ting a new location to make a specialty of the p oultry business you will find it of advantage to get a place where the soil i s composed principally of sand or I t i also s gravel. an advantage to have it slightly rolling with a South or E ast exposure

14 9 to the By selecting su n a. g r av el l y soil the hens are furnished a natural grit which is not only a saving in the expense account of the plant but is actually preferred by the fowls to the manufactured grit. An Or ch ar d for Fowl s. A nice apple orchard is a fine place during the hot summer months and the increased production of the trees an 1 the improved q uality of the fruit will add much to the profits of the plant. G rapevines and plum trees grow quickly and m ake a desirable shade well as being very as productive.. Pou l try Fr u i t an d Gar den The combination of p oultr y fruit. and garden is one of the best and the possibilities from an acre l ot can hardly be estimated. Bee K ee p i n g P e. r o fi t abl To m ake the combination complete a few colonies of bees should be There i hardly a thing that the s kept. writer has undertaken that has brought as large returns the amount of for capital invested and labor required as the honey One season 200 bee. pounds of whi t e cl honey in one ov er p ound boxes were taken from one colony of bees anade up from two new swarms The time combined. required to care for the bees was less than a day and the value of the honey was thirty This of course an uncommon yield still half was dollars. that amount is not unusual and the returns are large enough to make the busin e ss interestin g. S E L E CT ING BR EEDER S TO P R ODU CE LAYERS. Th ere i s n o Best Br eed. - I t would be treading upon d angerous g rou nd t o men t ion any one breed of fowls as being superior to others as egg In ex ou r p roducers. p erience it i not so much the breed as the s strain as careful and intelligent breeding will do wonders in a few gen er at i It will make sitters of non on s - sitters and non - sitters of the breed. that is often f ound broody if you wish to breed to that I t i s also end. possible to mak e t he very best layers from p oor ones from the best. S. C. W. O r p i n g t on s Pop u l ar. Comb White Orpingtons simply for and very poor ones W e have selected the Single the reason that there is more money in them for us at the present time than in any of the other breeds. After carefully selecting and breeding them for eight y ears we find they will lay m ore eggs in a year than any fowls we ever kept although we consi d er it ossible to make as go p o d layers from many of the older breeds. all breeds they h av e details of any p a rtic u lar breed p o ultr y m an. t L 1ke hei r good qualities but we will not go into the as it is largely a matter of choice of t he

15 10 Advan tag e s of a N ew Bre ed When u ndertaking t he fancy p a rt of the p oultry business there are advantages in selecting a n ew breed and growing u p with it. Ther e a r e many noted breeders of t he o lder Varieties making i t difficult to compete with them while i n t he n ewer varieties there are less experts at the work making it p ossible t o gain a substantial footing at an earlier date. For utility breeding either eggs or meat i t would be exceedingly difficult to im p rove on m any of t he old standbys. M eth ods of Sel ect i n g La y e r s. The systems for selectin g layers that are n ow advertised in the p oultry j ournals were p racticed by the writer twenty years ago. The width of the hen and general make - u p will determine to a certain extent her value as a layer. I t i s not always true with us as we find some of the hens that are not quite as wide b e hind as t he widest are superior layers and the only correct way is to know to a cer t an i t y how many eggs each individual hen will l ay in a given time but we do not consider it n ecessary to have a com p lete year s record as every hen wi ll show her productiveness in each l ot of eggs laid between her r est p e riods. After a hen has laid a certain number of eggs sh e will either rest for a few days or become broody when t he stock of egg - making material h been " as T h e exhausted. time required for this rest seldom varies i t generally being. j ust one week from t he time t he last egg was laid before furnishing the first one of the n ew lot. This i s of course when the hens are p roperly fed and in good condition. Necessi ty for a Recor d. I n our tests we find the number of eggs laid between t herest periods are sometimes not over nine while others will lay forty to fifty or more without stopping. The number of eggs laid between each rest i s not sure to i n dicate the value of the h en as an egg producer as it often happens that the hen producing twelve eggs between the rest periods will lay them in twelve consecutive days while the one laying more eggs without stopping often requires two days to lay one egg. A day and date record for two months should determ in e t he quality of t he hen as an e gg producer. Earl y Layin g Pu l l ets Best. The pullets that first beg i n laying or those t hat commence while quite young are generally the best layers. The philosophy of this i s that the p ullets that lay first have matured most quickly because constitutionally more vigorous. The same physical conditions will enable them to produce a larger number of eggs than the pullet that was slower in comin g t o maturity because of a less vi gorous constitution. T w o Poi n ts i n Sel ect i n g Layer s I n selecting layers there are two points to be considered that we have never k nown to fail. The

16 11 largest individual hens of any breed are never the best layers and the hens laying the largest eggs never lay as many of them in a given length o f time. When finding a hen that will lay twelve eggs in twelve con secu t i v e days the eggs will seldom weigh over twenty ounces to - fiv e the dozen and the hen la y ing very large ones requires two days to make every egg. As long as eggs are sold by the dozen it is an advantage to the poultryman to breed hens that will lay eggs averaging about twenty ounces to the fiv e dozen. They not considered small and will sell ar e at the highest market price. Col or of t h e E gg. s The color of the eggs is also another point to be considered as e gg s ' of a uniform color either white or brown are more and will generally bring a little better price when mar attractive. ket ed. Br eed Fr om Best Layer s Breeding from t he best layers for three or four generations will produce a strain of fowls that is capabl e of producing its like while a good laying hen that has not the breeding back of her is not likely to produce her equal. Su m m i ng U p. I n summing up we will give a few points that go to make up the most productive One that is not over large for her hen. breed and that is especially wide and deep in her One that fluff. h as a very large crop for her size and has it well filled at night and one that lays eggs of a medium size. SEL ECTING BREEDERS FOR BROILE RS. Qu al i t i es for Br oil er s. I n selecting breeders for broilers c a pons one s aim should be extreme hardiness early maturity and large etc. well developed These qualities are all possible with the best frames. layers still these best layers may not be the best for the broiler farm. The hen that lays only every other day puts more vi tality into the egg. Sh e is generally the largest of her breed and her eggs also are large ; furnis h ing more nutriment for the growing embryo and m ore yolk for the chick to absorb to give it a g ood start in life after being hat ched. Fi r st Cr osses M ak e Good Broil er s With the. first crosses will make the best broilers than the ones raised from t horo u g hb fiids not being related and is the point which should the practice of inbreeding is a mistake It. average stock and make them more quickly hi s is on accou n t ofthe breeders con v i n ce poultrymen that is possible however to get as good results from t he thoroughbred stock when they have not been inbred and when their constitution and vigor have been retained to the highest degree.

17 12 D e fin i t i on of Fi r st Cr The First Cross i s breeding together oss. two distinct breeds and the offspring would be hybrids n ot valuable to breeders for g together nor for crossing wi u se as matin t h a thorough bred ofanother breed. c SE L E C TING BREEDER S FOR E"HIBITI ON. F i n al A u t h or i ty f or "u dg i n g Fowl s. I n breeding for exhibiti on the American S tandard of Perfection should be consulted and birds selected conformin g as nearly as p ossible to t he Standard requirements. When it i s possible t he m ales should be es p ecially strong in the points where the females are weakest. H en Gi ves Si ze an d Sh a pe M al e Gi ves C ol on The size and sha p e of the hen and the color of the male bird are reproduced in ine cases out of A Black Minorca n m ale crossed with Barred ten. Rock females will produce black fowls shaped like Rocks and a Rock mal e crossed with M inorca hens will produce Barred fowls shaped like Minorcas. While there may be exceptions to the rule it may safely be relie d u pon in n early every case. The chicks hatched from the first si x eggs laid after the m ating a re n ot as likely to follow the color of the male as those laid after the first six. Scor i n g You r O wn Bi r ds. Leg bands should be used on all breeders and a careful recor d kept ; giving as man y details as possible including weight color etc. j ust as given on a score card as indicated on another pa g e the necessary cu t s being made after carefully compari n g the bird with t he illustration in the Standard and making t he cuts for im p erfections as indicated therein. Recor d E n su r es Cor r ect Br eedi n g For pedigree breeding this record i s indispensable as it i s the only means by which we can ascertain facts about breeders of the past that we may know to a certainty the true qualities of the stock from which our birds have sprung. an educator in itself the improvements made an d I t i s also as it p lainly shows from one generation to the next how they were brou ght about ; besides the stock thus raised has a market value greatly in excess of stock of t he same quality that has been produced by chance or haphazard breeding. Si xt een Pu n ch M ar ks for Toes. There are sixteen individual toe marks that may be made by punchin g the webs between the toes in all combinations. As soon as the chicks are hatched they should be thus marked and a careful record kept showing their ancestors " When the chicks have matured it is an easy matter to tell the breeders which are

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19 14 producing valuable show birds and these should be retained for many years or as long as they will prod i ce s u perior stock. Br eedi n g Wi l l Tel l. I t sometimes happens that the best speci mens do not produce the best stock. Several years ag o we lost all of our best male birds of one breed at the close of the hatching season. There was one bird left that we considered worthless as a We breeder. were anxious to raise a few more chickens and it was too late in the season to urchase a valuable bird so concluded to make a trial of the one p we we had. To our surprise the best specimens we raised that season were from this male bird which we had considered worthless and the chickens were especially strong in points i which the old bird n w as The weak. breeding back of this bird was of the very best and the qualities produced by him were the superior qualities of his ancestors. Seconds from carefully bred stock are more valuable for breeding p urposes than the firsts from stock that has been carelessly bred. T H E BE ST AG E FOR BRE E DE RS. B est Ag e for Br eeder s. l n ' t hi s matter our ex p erience differs from the theories advanced by most breeders as it is generally claimed that the cockerels m a ted to t year old hens are We get best results wo best. from breeders both male and female that are j ust p ast one year old. The pullets having then reached maturity the time of laying large eggs are then fully develo p ed and should be in better p hysical condition than either earlier or later in A male bird that has been wi th hens life. constantly for a year i not likely to be a good breeder during the succeed s ing winter and needs a few months rest You will be surer. of sati s factory results by using a younger bird j ust matured. Our breeding stock is all hatched E ar l y Hat ch ed Br eedi n gst ock. in February or March and i grown as rapidly as possible s commencing to lay in August or Sep t ember and laying from sixty to' one h undred eggs each before the n ew year when they are to be used as breeders. From twenty - fiv e to fifty per cent. of the winter hatched pullets - will go through the molt in October or November generally completing it in about half the time required by old hens. After completing the molt they are full fled - g ed hens and in prime condition for breeders or the show room. The fertility ofthe eggs is then at its best and the chicks after being hatched are more easily raised than those from old or very young hens besides reaching maturity at an earlier age. This system also has the advantage of raising stock that comes t o

20 15 laying during the " cold winter months naturally as as the average stock la y s in May and une. When raising exhibition fowls it is best to use your choice breeding stock as long as they will produce birds of superior Females quality. from five to ten years old are often valuable. FE RTILITY. Fer t i l e E gg s i n Th r ee Da y s Three days after mating fertile eggs may be ex p ected. If the matings have been changed some results from the former mating will be in evidence. The followi n g si x eggs are also likely to p roduce birds showing the characteristics of either ma ting. Wh en Fer t i l i t y En ds. Careful tests have shown that not over twelve eggs will be fertilized after the sexes have been se p arated and in many instances the fertility ends with the sixth egg. After two weeks mating we may ex p ect nothing but the results from the last mating. When a hen becom es broody she may be taken from one pen and placed i n another where she s hould again commence la y ing i n one week. T he first egg laid will be fertilized by t he l ast m ati n g. FERTILITY AND HATCHABIL I TY.. Fer t i l e E gg s d o n ot Al wa y s Hat ch A very l arge per of all cent. poultry kee p ers are now learning that fertile eggs and those capable of producing strong chickens are two different E very egg from a things. hen or pen of fowls may b e strongly fertilized ; yet not composed of the proper material to furnish a It should not be difficult to find the chick. reason for the defect still hundreds of people are p uzzled and think the trouble is due to impro p er incubat I n ninety - nine out ofone hundred ion. cases the trouble i s in the feeding and the food used i s too fattening and l acks bulk. Feedi n g Det er m i n es Hat ch abi l i ty. A p en. of fowls p urchased party from a who paid but little attention to their feeding may serve had " an The first eggs laid after they came to swere fertile as u illustration. but the chicks died in the shell at about the tenth The next lot day. did better but did n ot However after these hens had been hatch. fed on coarse bulky food i ncluding clover for abou t three weeks their eg s g hatched w ell and have dono so ever The since. p rogress made i their n improvement along this li ne has been steady an d before the close of the season we ex pect to p roduce chi ckens which will leave the shell with

21 16 a bound and grow from a tiny ball to a mature hen in the shortest r e quired space of time.. F oods Wh i ch Fu r n i sh Good Resu l t s F or the benefit of those having trouble along this line we will say that foods used to overcome the these defects in eggs from which to hatch strong chickens are as follows Whole oats wheat bran sweet milk lean beef and green food either cut clover or alfalfa or sprouted oats. Dry whole oats and wheat bran should always be kept in hoppers as hens will never overeat of these and they furnish some of the best food properties that can be had. Good re sults may be obtained without the use of either lean beef or milk when plenty of bran green food and sprouted oats are provided. A F o r m u l a for Su m m er Feedi n g I n summer we use a mash made up as follows : Two parts by measure of wheat bran one part of ground oats one part of corn meal and four parts of dry short ou t alfalfa or clover. quarts of the dry mixture. A teaspoonful of salt should be used for each two The whole should be m o istened with water or m i lkf an d thoroughly mixed together and fed while fresh and only as much given as will be eate n quickly. to become sour. None should be left in troughs Once a day an ounce of short sprouted oats should be gi ven for each hen and after the fowls have become accustomed to them the amount can be doubled. When fresh green lawn clippings can be had some of these may be fed to the hens once or twice a day. A Form u l a for Wi n t er Feedi n g I winter same mash n the may fed except that two parts of corn meal should be used be i n stead ofone part and one part of wheat middlings added. To take the place of t hegreen lawn clippings which cannot be had in winter an added amount of sprouted oats may be fed. CARE OF BRE E DING STOCK. N atu r al Con di tion s E ssen ti al. N atural conditions are the e s sen ti al points to While it is not possible in a cold climate success. during _the best breeding season of the year to bring about perfectly natural conditions we are to do so as nearly as possible. I t i s necessary to commence the work before the first cold weather that the change may be gradual and the fowls hardened under natural conditions to the extreme cold They must be protected from weather. the wind and direct draft having at the same time the full outside weather

22 17 conditions and without being ' i n the rain or sn ow. Our E conomy coop for summer and winter use is well ada p ted to get the desired conditions. A B ar n L oft m a y b e Used O r buildings that will answer the purpose and save the cost of the colony coop may easily be arranged with but little expense and labor. We used the loft of an old barn for some of our best breeding stock one winter with very satisfactory results. There were no glass or window openings on the south side six inches from the floor so large openings were made six inches from the roof and six feet long and the openings covered with muslin. A tight box three feet wide three feet deep and j ust long enough to accommodate t hefowls on two perches allowing two feet in length for every five birds was nailed in the rear of the room two feet above the floor the opening of the box facing the south or front of the room and covered with a burlap curtain that was let down every night to retain the heat of the fowls keeping them comfortable and at the same time supplying an abundance of fresh air. I t was nearly as cold in the room outside of the roosting box as the outside weather conditions yet the fowls in the box did not suffer and their combs were not frosted. H O W t h e Feedi n g w a s Don e. Whole oats dry wheat bran cut clover and oyster shells were kept in boxes all the time and a little wheat buckwheat and barley was scatte r ed in the litter at night after roosting time so that in the morning they might exercise enough to warm up and get their blood circulatin g. food and scattered in ' the Cracked corn was used for the night litter a bout three o clock in the afternoon which would keep them busy until roosting time. Water was given them i n the morning and at noon ; and on very cold days it was necessary to empty out the ice and furnish water four or fi ve times durin g the d ay. If the water supply i s allowed to run short the egg supply will suddenly he cut off. C o n di t i on Powder s Det r i m en tal. We n ever feed condition powders nor any of the patent material for promoting egg producti on as it weakens the vitality of the stock and brings about unnatural con di t i that are ruinous to a fertile egg Green cut bone was never on s supply. g i v eri as w e - had discovered that eggs were not good for hatching after fowls were fed green cut bone during the winter. " When lean beef can be had at a reasonable cost it is advisable to use it and the results will be very Bone if fed at all should be dried and ground satisfactory. or burned and Grease tallow and the marrow of the bones crumbled. should never be fed except to fowls that are being fattened. G oo d Resu l ts Fr om B ar n Loft The pen of fourteen hens in the barn loft furnished us from eight to twelve and occasi on al ly fou r t een eggs

23 18 per day d uring t he entire winter and spring. Nine eg g s were set the 20th of January to test fertility and nine chicks were the result. After the 20th all p erfect - shell eggs were incubated and the lowest fertility durin g the w inter w as five infertile eggs from one hundred. Several sittings showed one hundred per cent. fertility m any times hatching every egg. The average hatch during the winter was over ninety per cent. from all eggs set and_n i n et y - eight per cent. o ft he chickens assigned to our brooder coo p s were successfully raised. KEE PING EGGS FOR HATCHING.. E gg s Sh ou l d b e Set Wh i l e Fr esh The very best treatment to give eggs for hatching is t o set them the same day they are laid. When breeding from one or two hens this is not always advi sable. They may be kept in good for a week or two although we seldom incubate condition. eggs over one week old. It is not uncommon to hatch eggs six weeks old still it i not advisable it would be very diffi cult to raise the s as chickens. The loss of fertility i not the only thing to be taken into s consideration. The eva p oration of the moisture from the egg comm ences at once t a king with it some of the material necessary to grow a strong chicken and making a depreciation in i t value each succeeding day s until' the e gg i s worthless for incubation. The age of the egg before commencing to incubate has m uch to do with the amount of moisture to be supplied during the p r ocess of incuba tion. A p erfectly fresh egg in a properly constructed incubator should never require supplied mois ture. While the moisture m a y be supplied to bring out a satisfactor y hatch the same quality of m aterial cannot be replaced that was lost by evaporation and the vitality of the chick i s weakened to a degree cor responding to the age of the egg. Car e of E gg s for Hat ch i n g While kee p ing eggs that are to be used for hatchin g it i s not best to turn them every day as is generally advised for it weakens the albumen making it more volatile and capable of p enetratin g the shell to a greater extent besides bringin g the g erm capable of producing life nearer the surface of the shell until finally i t becomes attached. when it is worthless for incubation. H i ght em p er at u r e In du ces Eva p o r at i on As the temp erature is increased above the freezin g p oint evaporation i n creases i n proportion. An egg kept at a. tem p erature of eighty degrees will lose as m uch in weight in one week as i t would in two w eeks at a temperature of fi ft y fiv e degrees ; and i ts value at two weeks i s not equal to that of eggs ke p t

24 19 at a temperature of fift y - fiv e degrees as the temperature is too hi g h to retain the living germ in a p erfectly dormant condition. E fi ect of L ow Tem e. p er at u r A low temperature does not weake n the vitality of the germ. If too low i t kills it outright an d the egg m a y be kept as an infertile egg an d it wi ll ' dr y up in time withou t decayin g. We have had good hatches from a basket of eggs where per twenty- fiv e cent of them were frozen and cracked About twenty per - fiv e open. cent. of those not cracked were killed while the other fifty per p roduced cent. fin e chickens that were r aised to m aturity and made healthy stock. I n all of our experiments the g erm been killed at some poi t has n below twenty - eight degrees above zero when exposed for at least twelve A temperature below fifty degrees i s better for eggs that are to hours. be hatched than any p oint higher. E gg s Sh ou l d L i e Fl at E ggs that are intended for incubation should never be placed with t he small end I t is not their n at ural down. After standing on the small end for a week or two the germ will position. float near the air cell in the large end of the The chick will grow egg. naturally for about ten days then the growth will n ot be ormal n an d t he chick will not be properly m atured at hatching It is also more time. likely to bring the chick s head at th small end of the egg making it e nearly impossible to free itself from the shell without help. I n cu bat i on Star t s at 85 Deg r ee s A temperature of eighty - fiv e degr ees for a few hours will start incubation and the em br y o will di e durin g the next twenty - four hours u nless the temperature i raised to at s least one hundred degrees. The egg will then decay. A temperature of degrees for five hours will kill the g erm and the egg will appear infert ile Over h eated Du r i n gtr an s p or tat i on. and will kee p nearly long as an infertile as egg. There is reason why eggs a that are shipped lon g distances often prove unsatisfact ory and it is found in the fact that a temperature of eighty degrees for a few hours will - fiv e start incubation and if this p ro c ess i s checked by subsequent cooling the g erm will and the egg will then die decay. Dan g er i. n Su m m er or Win ter Such a temperature m a y be induced in summer by an overheated car or by the shini g on su n n t he package on truck or platform and in winter by p roximity to steam pipes in car or express office.. E gg s Sh ou l d b e Gat h er ed Fr equ en t l y From this it will be seen that it i import s a nt to gather the eggs that are to be used fc hatching r at frequent intervals especially i n summer as several hens following one another quickly in t he same nest might start the process of incuba tion in the eggs first l aid.

25 20 Stor ed i n a Cool Pl ace. This will also e m phasize t he n eed of storin g them in a cool place as soon as gathered. CONTROLLING T H E SE ". s. T o Rai se Most l y Cocker el To raise cockerels select a very strong active Km al A young bird is generall e. y better than an old one. Then select hens that are from two to five years old. When but one hen is used in the breeding pen you will hatch from seventy to ninety per cocker e By increasing the number of females in the pen you will ls cent. increase in proportion the number of fem ales raised. T o Rai se Mostl y Pu l l To raise nearly all pullets - ets. u se an old male bird or cockerel not especially active m ated to thirty or forty good lively You will not be likely to get the highest average fertility pullets. but the chickens hatched will run largely to I n one experiment pullets. we raised seventy pullets from seventy seven chickens hatched -. The early hatched chickens are likely to run to cockerels to a m uch greater extent than those hat c hed from the same pens later in the season. When the vitality of the male is greatly in excess of the females the chicks will run largely to males and when the females are superior in that respect a large portion of the chicks will be pullets. SE LE CTING EGGS. Weig h t of Hat ch i n g E gg s. I n selecting eggs from which to hatch our best layers those weighing about twenty - ounces to the doze fiv e n have the preference. Sh el l s Sm ooth an d Un i for m The shells should be smooth. a nd uniform in shape and The ones that have a ridge around the color. center and those with rough ends are rejected. When the rough end appears firm and the shell as thick as other portions of the egg safely be used. it may E ggs having a metallic ring when being handled or rubbed between the hands are infertile dull heavy ring like a ripe watermelon are best. and the eggs that feel smooth and solid with a Large eggs are best to hatch broilers from as a rule although t he eggs weighing twenty- fiv e ounces or more should produce quick maturing broilers. Hen eggs weighing more than thirty - two or less than twenty - four ounces to the dozen sho uld never be set.

26

27 22 Th or ou g h l y Tu r n i n g t h e E gg s ' 1 s of t h e Gr eat est Im p o r tan ce All the eggs in the two center rows should be changed to the outside ; and all eggs in the outside row changed to the center three times each day. After the eggs are thus turned the entire lot should be rolled at least one - third the way around the nest. To roll the eggs easily place the hands at opposite sides of the machine flat on the eggs and by a g entle r 0 11ing motion with both hands you will be able quickly to move al l the eggs the desired amount. Continue to turn the eggs as usual until the first one i s pi pp ed. 1 N atu r e s Pr ovi si on for Em br yo. Nature has p rovided for the very frail condition of the embryo during the first five da y si n two ways First time by giving a hen the instinct to stick closely to the nest during this and secondly by allowing the embryo to float to the surface no matter what position the egg is in during the first five days that it may come in contact with the heating surface of the hen s body. After five days when the embryo becomes stationary there is quite a network of blood veins and the rapid movement of the heart causes the blood to circulate more than half way around the egg' is a hel ' p i n overcoming excessive cooling. thereb y g enerating heat that SE COND WE E K In di cati on s of Tr ou bl e. At the beginning of the second week the blood veins should completely encircle the egg near the air cell. Should there be a space not covered it would indicate a lack of heat too much cooling or a deficiency in the egg. If there is a clear s p ace of a quarter of an inch between the extreme ends of the blood veins that they do so not completely encircle the egg near the air cell and the egg i s n ot at fault the defective work of the first week may be partially overcome by carrying the temperature a half degree higher than is best under natural conditions during the remainder of the hatch. Tem p er atu r e t h e Secon d Week. When prop erly developed at the beginning of the second week the temperature should be carried a s nearly as possible at 1 03 degrees. The eggs should be turned two or three times daily as during the first week and when turning the last time at night they should be cooled about five minutes when the room is from sixty to seventy degrees. If above seventy degrees they should be cooled one minute longer for every two degrees above seventy d e grees. When the room temperature is below sixty one minute should be taken from the five for every fiv e degrees cooler which would allow bu t one minute "about the time required to turn the eggs) in a room temperature of

28 23 forty I f the tem degrees. p erature of the eggs should be found above 1 03 degrees the eggs should be cooled five minutes longer for each degree too I f found at 1 degrees they should be cooled 04; t en minutes high. or fift een - minutes if found at 1 05 If at any time t h e tempera degrees. ture should be at 1 06 or beyond it may be quickly reduced by sprinkling the eggs with cold water. T o Rai se Tem p er at u r e Qu i ckl Shou- ld the temperature of the y. eggs get below the desired point at any time do not cool them nor turn them ; close the machine quickly and allow the eggs to warm up first. If the lamp should accidentally go out allowing the eggs to get cold a few fiat bottles or rubber bags of hot water or hot dry cloths laid on the eggs will quickly restore the E xcellent hatches can be had with heat. a varying temperature of from 98 to 1 06 if the -average temperature i s ab out THIRD WE E K 1-2) Tem p er atu r e t h e Th i r d Week. The rules as above for the second week are used during the last week and the only changes made are to run allow t temperature to a half degree higher and cool the eggs five he minutes longer making standard time for cooling ten minutes in place the of five and the temperature of the eggs degrees in place of By cooling the eggs last thing at night the E gg s Cool ed at N i g h t. they h ave a better chance to regain the lost heat and are not likely to get verheated before morni o n g. On the seventh twelfth and seventeenth days cool the eggs a full half - hour a room tem i n p erature of about 70 In cooling the degrees. eggs thus the con t ents contract drawing through the es of the egg por shell good supply of oxygen that is needed for the proper development a of the chick. SUGGE STION S. 1. Never under any conditions put eggs on t o p of the eggs so there will be two layers. 2 When the regulator of a machine has been adj usted give. i t plenty of time to do i t work before readj us s Man y hatches are ting. ruined by playing with t After the eggs have been cooled heregulator. the damper will sometimes open with a temperature of90 degrees ; and whe n they ar e thoroughly heated through and before settling down to

29 24 business the thermometer will sometimes register 1 04 or 1 05 degrees before it has time to reach the correct adj bu t i n a sh or t me ti ustment both thermometer and damper will readj ust The fact that themselves. the thermometer registers a little high does not indicate that the 1 n s1de of the eggs has reached that degree of heat as it requires several hours to cha n ge the temp s - Q t u r e of the interior of the egg more than one degr ee. 3 While we give the usual directions as to the standard tempera. ure we find in actual practi ce that there may be considerable v ar1 at l on t with no serious if the operator finds the thermometer several So results. degrees too high or too low especi ally after the first week there 13 no cause for alarm for this extreme has only been reached grad u ally and the interior of the egg is not affected fully for several hours. I f by an oversight the cover is left o ff the machine for severa l hours frightened do not be but take pains to see that the eggs are warmed u p as qu i ckly as p ossible using a little more flame for a few hours and perhaps cover i ng t he eggs with dry woolen cloths. After the first week no bad results are likely to follow. The hen sometimes leaves her nest for many hours and yet brings off a nice brood of chicks. 4. After ten or twelve days the developing embryo grows very rapidly and the increasing blood circulation causes more internal heat so that less needs to be supplied by the lam p gradually lessened. an d the flam e m ust be TE STING. "A Testi n g E gg s H ow an d Wh en. The eggs should be tested as soon as the germ can be detected which is about five days eggs with for white shells and one week for eggs with brown or dark colored shells and they should be tested again about the fourteenth da y. hold the egg between the thumbs and fingers of both hands I n testing keeping the hands flat as as possible to exclude the light near the Close the egg. hands on t he e gg so t here will not be any openings for light between the hands and e Then by holding the egg before a strong light and turn gg. i n g it y ou can see perfectly the condition of the egg and i t s contents. E gg testers are not to be compared with this system after having a l ittle practice and learning j ust how to hold the egg. Practice with a china egg at first in order to learn how to hold and turn the egg. Three eggs may be tested in this manner in the same time required to test one with an ordinary Testing i best done at s tester. night. Look through the side of the egg not the K eep turning the egg end. with thumbs and fingers until you have seen all parts of it so as to deter mine i t s exact condition.

30 25 Discard all eggs that are perfectly clear dark ring around the embryo not produce chickens. testing and those having a decided as these are imperfectly fertilized and will Rem ove al l I m p er fectl y Devel o p ed E gg s. A t any subsequent remove all eggs that are decidedly behind the others i n their development as they are but imperfectly fertilized and will not produce chickens. I t is much better to get all such eggs out of the incubator or from under the hen as soon as possible as there will be left more room for the good ones and there will be no ill effects such as might follow if left with the others. E xam i n e Par tl y Devel o p ed E gg s an d Pr eser v e Th em i n Al coh ol. I t is an excellent plan to break every partly developed egg that you remove for the purpose of becoming familiar with the various stages of growth and development ; and if you will preserve several specimens in alcohol marking the age of each it will make an inter e sting exhibit. Di ffer en t Stag es of Gr owth ; an I n ter esti n g Col l ecti on. Some of these specimens m a y be preserved j ust as they come from the shell while others may be freed from the ' albumen by careful handling i n warm water leaving the yolk u ndisturbed. Still others may have everything removed from the embryo that it may be seen and studied so _ in its actual development. E ffect s of L ow Tem p er atu r e. Chickens have more difficulty in getting out of the shells when the temperature h as been carried too low than they do when t average temperature has been full high enou he g h. Too much cooling the first week will retard the growth of the embryo to such an extent that the albumen will not all be consumed. The chick will h a tch a day or two late and will be glued to everything it touches that it is better if any deviation is made high than too low. so to have the temperature too As soon. as the chicks are dried off they- should be removed at once to the brooder. "See Broodi ng.) Wh y E gg s D o N ot Hatch. I t is a mistaken idea that all fertile eggs are Unless hens are provided with proper food their hatchable. eggs will not h a tch even though they are Fully half the food fertile. consumed by the laying hens should be of a bulky nature such as cut clover alfalfa sprouted oats wheat bran Too much whole grain etc. commercial meat scraps or green cut bone will inj ure the fertility of the eggs and the V itality of the chick.

31 26 HATCHING WITH H E N S. All sorts of interesting and uninteresting advice h as been given about setting hens. When persons have one good hatch they take it for granted that they have solved the problem. L cat o i on o f N es t. -Regarding the location of the nest the advice most gen e rally given is to place it the gro on und. After careful tests for thirty years we are not prepared to say that the ground is a better place to set a hen than the loft of a barn. I f E gg s Brok ar e e n. ' Poor results in hatching with the hens may be tr a ced to but few causes provided the eggs are what they should be. If eggs are tally broken in the acciden n est the shells of the other eggs must be thoroughl y cleaned so that the pores may be opened for the ad missio n ofair to the growing chicks. D uring the first week of incubation it will not inj ure the embryo if the egg is coated with the contents of the broken egg for twenty-four hours and then thoroughly cleaned. I f coat e d twelve hours the second week the chan ces are against i t an d i f the egg remains entirely coated for two hours the third week the chick will die. B es t H en for Hatch i n g The quiet hen that would naturally be considered the best sitter is really the poorest hatcher as she retains the sam e position on the nest too long at atime not giving the eggs air or embryo the exercise by moving about and changing the position of the the eggs. The hens doing the best work are those having a nervous temperament changing about on the nest an d changing the p osition of the eggs i n the nest with their beaks. When you have a close sitter she should be lifted every ti m e you have the opportunity changing the eggs about in the nest with your hands. The eggs that feel cool or not quite as warm others should as be placed i n the center of the nest. K eep i n g Ch i cks Fr ee Fr om Li ce. You can save every chick by removing the eggs as soon as the first one i found pipped s and placing them between woolen cloths thick enough to retain the heat and keeping them near the stove or i n a temperature from eighty to ninety degrees. This would not answer for three or four eggs containing chicks without keeping them i n a warmer place bu t where there are ten or more the heat of the chicks will do the work when i t is properly retained. Your chicks will then be free from lice and may be raised i n our brooder without artificial heat. I n c u b ati on Pr ocess Fin i sh ed Aw ay Fr om H em W e once shipped by ex p ress to a point three hundred miles away eggs that were

32 27 abou t to They were billed out eggs hatch. and received as chickens with a one hundred p er The next week received a letter we cent. hatch. from the party receiving the chicks saying that had received a box he. containing fourteen fin e chickens and some egg These eggs had shells. been properly incubated and would have hatched if they had been put on the floor and cov ered wi th a blanket and ke p t warm. A TRICK OF T H E TRADE. H ow t o Save Fu l l é y M atu r ed Ch i cks Th at Cou l d N ot Hat ch Wi t h ou t H el p A t least one - third of all the chickens tha t are fully developed at the hatching time are unable to free themselves from the shell and many times are unable to make the first little o p When ening. they have been pro p erly developed u to the hatching time they p. can all be saved. I n pro p ortion to the number set t her e ar e j ust as many lost under hens as in incubators. H el p i n g Th em t o Hat ch W hen the time has come for the egg to hatc h and there i s no sign of life h old t he egg to the light and find the air With a shar -pointed knife cell. p blade make an op ening about the center of the air By holding your thumb firmly against the side cell. of the knife near the point of the blade you will avoid cutting deep. Make t he opening the size of a dime and you can then see t he condition of the I f chick. y ou find that its beak is through the inner lining of the egg take a p i n with the p oint upward and the head next the egg and holding i t at a right angle with the egg carefully chi p out the shell around the large end of the egg commencing at the Chick s By being a beak. little careful the shell may easily be chipped so that the large e nd m a y be disconnected without inj uring the membran e or causing it to bleed. Then roll the egg u p in a moistened strip of woolen cloth three inches wide by about ten inches long the ends left o p e n so the chick can get' out without assistance and lay the egg back in the machine to hatch. U se hot water for moistening t he cloth. Sm al l O p en i n g Often Su ffi ci en t I n the majorit y of cases it would not be necessary to break the shell loose with the p i n as described as the small opening in large end of the egg furnishes a liberal supply of air and the chicks that would not hatch otherwise come out nicely w i thout the danger of smothering j ust as they are about to leave the shell as the woolen cloth causes the chick to sweat and softens the lining of the egg the chick can make its escape without any great so effort. H ow W e Lear n ed. Our first experiment with the above plan w as made several years ago after we had bought two sittings ofex p ensive eggs.