Poultry Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19034, 11 June 1924, Page 10

Poultry Notes

By “CHANTICLEER”

INFERTILITY IN EGGS WHAT IS THE CAUSE? To ask this question is easy. Tc answer it is practically, with our pre sent knowledge impossible. There are many theories. Investigators are at work on the subject, and we know more that we did, little though that may be (says E. Brown, the great English authority). Professor Lamson, of Connecticut, is .one who is giving attention to the question of incubation. He states that the failure of some hens’ eggs to hatch in incubators has suggested that there is a vast difference in the results of artificial and natural incubation. With tnat most of us will agree. He, however, says that investigation has indicated that the difference is largely in the hens that lay the eggs. Trap-nesting and the study of individual hens has shown that they fall into four groups. First: A very small group of hens that lay few or no eggs. Second: A rather large group that lay eggs, nearly all of which are fer tile. Third: A very small group that laj e £§, 8 ' nearly all of which are infertile Fourth: Another rather large group whose eggs are usually fertile, but the performance of the eggs cannot De de pended upon for their hatching quali ties. In other words, their hatchabiliti Varies and is inconsistent. Many causes are given as fol lows: 1. Weakness of parents from indis criminate in-breeding. 2. Immaturity of the female es pecially. 3. Diminutiveness of the lemale, ai in very small bantams.

4. Adnormally big parents on either side. In humans monstrosities never breed well. 5. Poor health in parents from any cause. 6. Birds not nicking, as it is called. 7. Birds with huge combs, which should bo removed in the male. 8. Too early breeding in the year. 9. Weakness after severe illness. 10. Constitutional barrenness. 11. Male too old. 12. Too many hens with male, sometimes too few. 13. Too great preponderance of virility in either sex. 14. Refusal of male to cohabit with certain females. 15. Starvation of male by reason of his gallantry towards females. 16. Cold, bleak weather, with unsuitable rations. 17. A preponderance of fat in either seX. 18. Forcing with condiments so as to bring the females on to lay. 19. Over-showing. 20. Very poor condition from any cause. I suggest as the most likely 6, 7. 10, 13, 15. and the most common cause of all, 17. THE INCUBATOR A MACHINE. Users of incubators may be, roughly, divided into three classes, viz., those who think the machine is gifted with human intelligence, those who think they know a good deal more than the maker of Ac machine, and (happily the largest class) those who carry out faithfully the instructions laid down and benefit accordingly. To-day we want to deal principally with the first class, as we have just come across a very bad case. On our advice a standard make of incubator was purchased by an absolute novice, was diily set up, and proved to be running in perfect order The eggs were put in—over 200 — and at the end of three weeks and one day 80 chickens struggled out to a snow-clad world. The owner was in despair over the loss of good eggs, and came tor advice again. A few questions elicited that the following departures had been made from the pnatod directions: —• (1) No felts had put :u the machine for the first tea days (2) The eggs were turned only once daily. (3) The eggs were mixed, some a bad shape, others small, others a bit stale. There was no need to go any further into the matter. We had more than sufficient reason for the failure of the batch. The felts are put in hot air machines to control the amount of air entering the machine. On examining one of these incubators the bottom will be found to consist of laths though which a draught ean freely pass. The felts are put in to check this draught and prevent anything but a verry slow current of air from entering. As the chicks oeveiop one felt is removed, this giving more air. but at no time should both felts be taken out. As to turning, we consider the rule of two turnings each day the wise one for the amateur. Experts may and do

try many methods with their machines ! but it is quite a different matter wheri a novice who does not even know the elements of incubator construction, o ] has not the least idea of what goes ci. ( inside the egg, starts a method oi ' management of his own. i Our first and last advice to begin- < ners is to carry out to the very letter < the advice and instructions given by 1 the maker of the machine. It is to ' the interest of the firm to have these ' instructions as clear and easily fol 1 lowed as they are accurate. Those who ' have never really studied their books , of rules should do so now. No user ol an incubator should be satisfied until he or she understands the construe- , tion of the machine in use. For one thing it makes it so much more interesting, and when something goes wrong it is much more easy to find it. | We wonder how many users can , without reference to the printed dia- | gram indentify each part? If there is i any difficulty the proper course is to i send for the Poultry Instructor and < ask her to explain every part and why i certain rules are made. It is very i necessary to test old thermometers, as i the mercury is liable to split, and so ' cause the thermometer to register higher than appears from the figure . registered. Nothing but attention to deail will ensure success, but, given this, the in- ’ cubator is a good friend to the small poultry-keeper and an indispensable aid to the big farm. It will not, how- i r ever, run itself.—M. H. M. 1