Show Backward Spring ring Con Con- Confines Confines Confines fines Hens Causing Il fe Infertile Eggs Many commercial chick hatcheries are complaining about the large per per- percentage percentage of infertile eggs eggs this spring spring according to the directors of or the In- In International International In International Baby C Chick ick association who vho met this spring with poultry specialists of the United States De- De De Department of Agriculture Many 1 of the hatches they report show that th less than 75 or 80 pcr per cent of the eggs available are arc fertil fertile e whereas in in nor nor- normal normal normal mal years fertility runs as high as 90 per cent or mo more Fertility is largely largey a management pr problem blem says Di Dr D 1 M A Jull in charge of poultry investigations and infertility thi this spring is due larsel largely to the cold kind wet weather which ha has hns caused a deviation from nr- nr mal nr-mal mal handling of the tIle average flock The only way way that hatcheries can be certain of of se securing high percentage of fertile eggs from farmers or others is to buy only from flocks that ar are properly managed There is no practical practical practical Ot or scientific method known by which infertile eg egg can be detected before incubation incubation-f incubation f Backward weather r has resulted in inmany inmany inmany many flocks being to a great great- greater greater er extent this sprint sprint- than usual and a consequent lack o sufficient exercise to insure fertile et eggs s Then too un- un under un under der confinement to 9 to many males may maybe maybe maybe be a cause of low fertility They spen spend too much time in fighting each other Under normal ra raie range e or yard Jard condi condi- conditions conditions one male to 15 6 or 20 O hens of the themore themore more active sueh as Leghorns is about right Inthe heavier breeds one male to 10 to 12 hens will be re- re required required re required Fewer mal mans males s than this would be better in each Ose se when the birds are arc in close confinement ment Breeding stock should st have a variety of of- of feed consisting of grains meat and g green en feed The green feed is especially essential if the birds are confined Free rang range or exercise helps materially in the production of hatch hatch- hatch able able eggs i a |