LIBRARY 
 
 ANNEX 
 
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 \tr MLbJ jl 
 
 AND 
 
 ANSWER 
 
 A GUIDE TO SUCCESS 'OTH POULTRY 
 WRITTEN AND ARRANGED IN THE 
 FORM MOST HELPFUL TO THE 
 
 FANCIER AND THE MARKET POULTRY- 
 MAN, THE AMATEUR AND THE EXPERT 
 
 BY FRANK HECK 
 
 PRICE FIFTY CENTS 
 
 ytTBLISHED BY 
 
 AffEKICAN POtTtTRT JOdtNA-L PUBLISHING OOMPAOT 
 
 JAMES W. BELL, President 
 543 so. DEABBCEK STREET •;- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
 
■ft 
 
 MEMORIAL POULTRY LIBRARY 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 ■fffE Gift Of 
 
 I''. D. -ermoblen 
 
 \ 
 
 ^7»VWV«v»^vWy^VWvmVWy1^^v»VWyWyWV»■vWvyv^■ 
 
 ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY 
 
 New York State Colleges 
 
 of 
 
 Agriculture and Home Economics 
 
 at 
 
 Cornell University 
 
SF 487.H44 rne " UniVerS " V Library 
 
 "9 'questions and answers; a guide to sue 
 
 3 1924 003 178 203 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003178203 
 
999 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 ANSWERS 
 
 A GUIDE TO SUCCESS WITH POULTRY 
 WRITTEN AND ARRANGED IN THE 
 FORM MOST HELPFUL TO THE 
 FANCIER AND THE MARKET POULTRY- 
 MAN. THE AMATEUR AND THE EXPERT 
 
 BY FRANK HECK 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 AMERICAN POULTRY JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 JAMES W. BELL. President 
 642 SO. DEARBORN STREET -:- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
 
 irn.*|. 
 

 E 4509 
 
 Copyright 1903 
 
 BY 
 FRANK HECK 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 Special Questions for the Fancier 7-30 
 
 Eggs 31-37 
 
 Feeding 38-49 
 
 Chicks 50-54 
 
 Houses 55-61 
 
 Diseases 62-75 
 
 Incubators and Brooders. Natural and Artificial Incuba- 
 tion and Brooding 76-87 
 
 Turkeys, Ducks and Geese. 88-92 
 
 Miscellaneous 92-124 
 
Preface. 
 
 In offering the contents of this volume to those who are 
 interested in poultry culture, it has been the object of the author 
 to make clear the fundamental principles of successful poultry- 
 raising and to impart such general information as will in a 
 measure meet the demands of the poultryman who is sufficiently 
 interested in the work to seek a detailed knowledge of the numer- 
 ous conditions with which he is confionted. The experienced 
 breeder will, of course, find much that is not new to him, but it 
 is hoped that to all who are not close students of the vocation, 
 there will be presented a few ideas worthy of consideration, and 
 that the book will possess merit as being convenient for ready 
 reference and for refreshing the memory to advantage occasional- 
 ly. Its greatest value, perhaps, will be to the amateur or beginner 
 who feels the need of information of a purely rudimentary char- 
 acter, as well as a knowledge of the more intricate problems, the 
 correct solution of which has so great a bearing upon success. An 
 effort has been made to cover both branches of the business usu- 
 ally designated as fancy and utility, and to aid both the fancier 
 who breeds fowls for pleasure and exhibition and the market- 
 poultryman who is interested only in the number of eggs and 
 pounds of flesh that his fowls produce. Theories and undemon- 
 strable deductions have been eliminated, or designated as such, 
 and the positive conclusions arrived at are supported by the ex- 
 perience of acknowledged authorities and conspicuously success- 
 ful breeders, as well as the experience of the author as a breeder, 
 exhibitor, judge and editor, in which positions the numerous 
 phases of the business have been presented and dealt with. The 
 great variety of topics and the nature of their arrangement pre- 
 cludes the possibility of a detailed classified index, and, in the 
 absence of it, the reader will find it convenient to designate by 
 marginal notes those questions which may be of greatest inter- 
 est and to which it is desirable to refer often. The form adopted 
 for presenting the information — namely, that of questions and 
 answers — has been chosen for the reason that it responds to a 
 universal and unmistakable demand for knowledge in few words 
 and to the point, devoid of all unnecessary and uninteresting 
 preliminary introduction and supplementary comments of a gen- 
 eral character. The fondest hope of the author is that the book 
 may prove of real value to those into whose hands is may fall. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
Special Questions for the Fancier. 
 
 Question — What is the single mating plan of producing 
 Barred Rocks? 
 
 Answer — By single mating is meant the selection of a Stand- 
 ard colored male mated to Standard colored females with a view 
 to producing both males and females of Standard color from the 
 one mating. A mating of this kind usually produces males that 
 are too light in color and females that are too dark. 
 
 Question — What is the double mating plan of producing 
 Barred Rocks? 
 
 Answer — It is the system of using birds of different shades 
 of color to produce Standard colored birds. In order to produce 
 Standard colored exhibition males, a male bird of Standard color 
 is mated to females a few shades darker than Standard. The 
 males from this mating will be good in color and the females 
 very much too dark. To produce Standard colored exhibition 
 females a male a few shades lighter than the Standard is mated 
 to females that are Standard. The females from this mating will 
 be of the proper color, but the males will be much too light. 
 
 Question — Is double mating practiced with other breeds than 
 the Barred Rocks? 
 
 Answer — Yes, nearly all parti-colored breeds have some 
 friends who believe in double mating, but the system is not of 
 value in connection with solid colored breeds. 
 
 Question — What is meant by "culls"? 
 
 Answer — The term "cull" is given to fowls that are from 
 the best breeding, but are lacking in strong development of one 
 or more features which must be present to make them good 
 exhibition specimens. 
 
 Question — What causes brassy color in white fowls? 
 
 Answer — It is inherited from ancestors the same as. any 
 other color or characteristic, but it is often intensified and first 
 brought out by exposure to the hot summer sun. 
 
 Question — What causes crooked breast bones? 
 Answer — Roosting too early or roosting on perches that are 
 too narrow. 
 
 Question — How is the score of a pen of birds in the show 
 room determined? 
 
8 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Answer — An exhibition pen consists of four females and one 
 male. The scores of the four best females are added and this 
 total divided by four. To the amount thus obtained is added the 
 score of the best male, and this total is the score of the pen. 
 
 Question — When can a breeder claim to have a strain? 
 
 Answer — A strain is a family of any variety of fowls bred 
 in line by descent, by one fancier or a successor, during a num- 
 ber of years, that has acquired individual characteristics which 
 distinguish it more or less from other strains or specimens of 
 the same variety. 
 
 Question — Does continued confinement in the show room 
 for three or four weeks injure birds as breeders? 
 
 Answer — Yes, in most cases. The best of feed and care 
 and favorable conditions generally are necessary to offset the 
 effects of the confinement. 
 
 Question — Does the feeding of yellow corn have a tendency 
 to increase or maintain the brassy and cream color in white 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — There is a more or less common belief that it does, 
 but no one has ever yet satisfactorily proven it. 
 
 Question — What causes wry tail, and is it hereditary? 
 
 Answer — It may be a constitutional defect, in which case it 
 would to some extent be transmitted to the offspring. It may 
 also result from an injury or forced carriage of the tail, in which 
 case it is not hereditary, and may be overcome in the specimen 
 affected. 
 
 Question — Is it possible for adult fowls to naturally develop 
 off color in one or more feathers? 
 
 Answer — Yes. In exceptional cases serious debilitating ill- 
 ness may cause it or an injury to plumage, such as a broken 
 feather while it is growing. Such feathers should be pulled, and 
 they will generally grow in again true to color. 
 
 Question — Will bantams and the large breeds interbreed if 
 allowed to run together? 
 
 Answer — A certain amount of crossing will take place and 
 some of the eggs from these matings will prove fertile. 
 
 Question — Do buff fowls become lighter with each succeed- 
 ing molt ? 
 
 Answer — In most cases there is a shade or two difference in 
 the color and a little white may appear, especially in females. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 9 
 
 Question — Is the rose comb on the Wyandotte as easy to 
 breed as the single comb on the Plymouth Rock? 
 
 Answer — There is about the same percentage of good combs 
 found in each breed, but in say 50 birds of equal quality of each 
 breed selected at random the single combs as a lot would ap- 
 proach nearer perfection than the rose combs. 
 
 Question — Will a mating of high grade Wyandottes ever 
 produce chicks with single combs? 
 
 Answer — Occasionally a single comb chick will appear, but 
 it should be discarded. 
 
 Question — When was the Standard last revised? 
 Answer — 1910. 
 
 Question — Is it reasonable to expect cockerels and pullets 
 to reach Standard weight at nine months of age ? 
 
 Answer — Only a portion of any flock will do it and generally 
 not more than 25 per cent. 
 
 Question — Does one parent have more influence on the size 
 of the progeny than the other? 
 
 Answer — It is believed by many experienced breeders that 
 the female influences size and the male, color. 
 
 Question — What is meant by "frosting" in the plumage of 
 a fowl? 
 
 Answer — A marginal edging or tracing of color on feathers 
 of laced, spangled and penciled varieties. 
 
 Question — What are the hackle feathers? 
 Answer — The long, narrow feathers growing on the neck of 
 a fowl and out of the saddle of male birds. 
 
 Question — What size is best or usual for exhibition coops? 
 Answer — 28 inches deep, 30 inches high and any length de- 
 sired ; 18 inches will answer for single birds of medium size. 
 
 Question — When introdr~mg new blood into a flock is it 
 better to do it through a male than a female? 
 
 Answer — Using a male is much quicker and is usually best, 
 but in a long established line-bred flock itl is better to use a 
 female. 
 
 Question — In breeding for fancy purposes is it advisable to 
 put birds in the breeding pen that score less than 90 points? 
 
 Answer — No, unless some of the defects are the result of 
 accidents or are such that are not transmissible through breeding. 
 
10 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Is there any way to remove white from the ear 
 lobes of Plymouth Rocks? 
 
 Answer — No, except by burning with acids, in which case 
 the lobes are scarred and badly disfigured. 
 
 Question — How much do judges cut for extra points or lack 
 of points on the comb? 
 
 Answer — One-half point each. 
 
 Question — If a fowl has lost an eye what will the defect be 
 cut in the show room? 
 
 Answer — If the eye shows permanent injury, but retains its 
 form, the cut is one-half to one point. If the eye is destroyed, 
 leaving only the socket, the cut would be one and one-half points. 
 
 Question — Can side sprigs be removed from combs without 
 leaving a scar? 
 
 Answer — No ; the texture of the comb will be smooth and 
 if the sprig is removed while the bird is quite young it will grow 
 out again to some extent. 
 
 Question — How long before a bird is to be exhibited can 
 r, sickle or other large feather be pulled and the new one grow 
 in? 
 
 Answer — From four to six weeks. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to straighten combs that have 
 lopped on account of confinement in the show room? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes the comb will assume its natural posi- 
 tion in time. There is no medicinal remedy. 
 
 Question — Is scaly leg hereditary? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Does confinement in a warm show room cause 
 the combs of fowls to grow larger and lop over? 
 Answer — Yes, sometimes. 
 
 Question — What do judges cut for side sprigs on comb? 
 Answer — The Standard requires judges to disqualify for this 
 defect. 
 
 Question — What is used by exhibitors in the show room to 
 brighten the combs and wattles of the birds? 
 
 Answer — A mixture of two parts alcohol and one part glycer- 
 ine is frequently rubbed on the parts. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 11 
 
 Question — Does absence of all main tail feathers disqualify 
 a bird in the show room? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Does white in the face of Leghorn cockerels and 
 pullets disqualify? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How much lopped must a comb be to disqualify 
 a bird? 
 
 Answer — It must fall over from an upright position to such 
 an extent that some portion of the top is on or below the level 
 of a horizontal line extending from the top of the head at the 
 base of the comb. 
 
 Question — What is considered a high score? 
 
 Answer — Barred Rocks and some other parti-colored varie- 
 ties seldom go above 93%. A good white bird may reach 95. 
 The birds that can honestly reach these scores are very scarce. 
 There is a tendency among judges to score too high. 
 
 Question — What do judges charge for visiting breeders' 
 yards and scoring fowls? 
 
 Answer — Prices differ. Some judges will do it cheaper than 
 others. Write to one near you. 
 
 Question — What are the objects of the so-called specialty 
 clubs devoted to various breeds ? 
 
 Answer — They are organized to make the breed they rep- 
 resent more popular and encourage large exhibits at the poultry 
 shows. 
 
 Question — If the wings of a bird are clipped, how would it 
 be discounted in the show room? 
 
 Answer — The bird would be disqualified. 
 
 Question — What is the highest score a chicken can receive 
 by a competent judge? 
 
 Answer — We have known them to reach 97 points in a few 
 isolated cases. 
 
 Question — Is purple barring a serious defect in black fowls? 
 Answer — It should be cut from one-half to two points in 
 each section where it is found. 
 
 Question — What is the score card system of judging? 
 Answer — The Standard of Perfection fixes a scale of 100 
 
12 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 points for a perfect bird. Each section of the bird is allotted a 
 specified number of points, as, for instance, comb 10 points, back 
 10 points, etc., the total of all sections being 100 points. (The 
 number allotted to any given section is not the same in all breeds, 
 but the total is 100). The judge has a card called the score card, 
 upon which is printed the name of each section of the bird and a 
 column of spaces for registering the amount of the defects. The 
 bird to be scored is critically examined in all sections and the 
 value of each section is determined by deducting from the num- 
 ber of points allotted to it, the number which represents the de- 
 gree of defect found. For instance, if 10 points are allotted to 
 comb and the comb of the bird being scored possesses three- 
 fourths the features of a perfect comb, the remaining one-fourth, 
 which represents the defects, is deducted from the full value of 
 10 points, which is %y 2 points, and this amount is registered 
 in the proper place on the card. These discounts are termed 
 cuts and after all cuts in the various sections are registered, the 
 total is deducted from 100, which is the score of a perfect bird, 
 and the amount remaining is the score of the bird. 
 
 Question — What are the rules under which poultry associ- 
 ations accept birds for exhibition? 
 
 Answer — They are numerous and differ greatly with in- 
 dividual associations. Intending exhibitors should write to the 
 secretary of the association at which he wishes to exhibit and 
 ask for a premium list, which will be mailed free of charge. 
 
 Question — What is the comparison system of judging 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — It is that method by which the merit of the birds 
 is determined, with the merits of others in the same class as 
 a basis of value. The usual manner of procedure is to casually 
 examine all the birds in a class and note those that are clearly 
 of a higher quality than the remainder. These best birds are 
 then examined critically and the one that is better than all the 
 others is awarded first prize. The next best bird is awarded 
 second, and this rule is followed as far as it is desired to award 
 prizes. 
 
 Question — The Leghorns have no standard weight. How 
 are they cut in the show room for being too small? 
 
 Answer — The Standard provides a section denoted "size,'' 
 which is valued at 10 points, and the judges cut them for size. 
 
 Question — Will the birds with crooked toes transmit the de- 
 fect to their offspring? 
 
 Answer — If the defect is caused by an injury, no. Some- 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 13 
 
 times this defect is a natural one, in which case a portion, of 
 the progeny will show it. 
 
 Question — Can parti-colored fowls be improved for exhi- 
 bition by washing them in the same manner as is practiced 
 with white ones? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What would be the score of a pen of birds in 
 the show room if each bird in the pen was perfect? 
 Answer — 200 points. 
 
 Question — Does punching the web of the foot of a fowl 
 count against it in the show room? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Will continued confinement on bare runs have 
 a tendency to bleach the legs of yellow-legged fowls ? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Would a fancier do best with a popular breed 
 or are there too many people breeding the favorites for one 
 to do a good business with them? 
 
 Answer — There is plenty of room for all varieties. The 
 beginner would do best to start with a popular breed. 
 
 Question — When is the best time in the year to buy young 
 Stock for exhibition? 
 
 Answer — Breeders sell cheaper from September to Novem- 
 ber. 
 
 Question — What are "thumb marks" on combs? 
 Answer — A disfiguring depression sometimes found on the 
 side of a comb near the front. 
 
 Question — What do judges cut for thumb marks in combs? 
 Answer — From one to two points. 
 
 Question — What is the cut when the rear of a single comb 
 turns around? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one point. 
 
 Question — What should a fowl be discounted for brassiness 
 in plumage? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion showing the defect. 
 
14 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is the cut for absence of spike in rose comb 
 varieties? 
 
 Answer — This defect is a disqualification. 
 
 Question — Is slate under color in Buff varieties objection- 
 able? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The cut is one-half to two points. 
 
 Question — What is meant by the term Symmetry? 
 
 Answer — Perfection of proportion, the harmony of all the 
 parts or sections of a fowl, viewed as a whole with regard to 
 the Standard type of the variety it represents. 
 
 Question — When is the plumage of a fowl said to be 
 mossy r 
 
 Answer — When irregular dark penciling appears in the cen- 
 ters of laced feathers, destroying the desirable contrast of color. 
 
 Question — What is meant by the term "condition" in the 
 show room? 
 
 Answer — The state of a fowl as regards health, cleanliness 
 and order of plumage. 
 
 Question — What is the crest? 
 
 Answer — A crown or tuft of feathers on the top of the head 
 of a fowl sometimes improperly called topknot. 
 
 Question — What portion of the fowl is the cushion? 
 
 Answer — The mass of feathers over the rear-back of a 
 fowl partly covering the tail. It is particularly noticeable in 
 Cochin females. 
 
 Question — What are the ear lobes? 
 
 Answer — The folds of bare skin just below the ears, some- 
 times called "deaf ears." They vary in color and size in dif- 
 ferent breeds. 
 
 Question — What is the shaft of the feather? 
 Answer — The stem or quill portion. 
 
 Question — What is meant by "faking" in the show room? 
 
 Answer — Removing, or attempting to remove, off-color in 
 the face or ear lobes ; removing one or more side sprigs or trim- 
 ming combs in any manner except the dubbing of games; arti- 
 ficial coloring of any feather ; splicing feathers ; plugging up 
 holes in smooth-leg varieties where stubs or feathers have been 
 removed; removing stubs or feathers from smooth-leg varieties; 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 15 
 
 staining the legs, and, in fact, any attempt to deceive the judge 
 and thereby obtain an unfair advantage in competition. 
 
 Question — What are the flight feathers? 
 
 Answer — The primary feathers of the wing use.i in flying, 
 but folded up out of sight, or nearly so, when the fowl is at 
 rest. 
 
 Question— What is the fluff? 
 
 Answer — The soft feathers about the thighs and posterior 
 part of the fowl ; also the soft downy under portion of a feather. 
 
 Question — What part of the comb is the blade? 
 
 Answer — The rear portion of a single comb, back of the last 
 well-defined conical point and usually extending beyond the 
 crown of the head. 
 
 Question — What is the cape? 
 
 Answer — The first short feathers on the back, underneath 
 the hackle, shaped like a cape. ^ 
 
 Question — What is a good tonic to feed the fowls on exhi- 
 bition in order to keep up their appetite and counteract the evil 
 effects of continued confinement? 
 
 Answer — One ounce each of carbonate of iron, pulverized 
 gentian root, black antimony, mandrake, ginger, flour of sulphur 
 and powdered charcoal, four ounces of bicarbonate of soda. Mix 
 thoroughly and place one teaspoonful in each quart of soft food. 
 This is an excellent condition powder and superior to those ad- 
 vertised under various names. 
 
 Question — When a judge visits a breeder's yards and scores 
 his fowls, are the score cards given as great consideration by 
 the public as are those obtained in competition in the show 
 room? 
 
 Answer — The cards in most cases are just as accurate as 
 show room cards, but the practice of private scoring has been 
 more or less abused and breeders do not have the confidence in 
 score cards given in private that they do in those given in the 
 show room. 
 
 Question — What amount of space do poultry journals call 
 an inch? 
 
 Answer — A space one inch deep across one column. 
 
 Question — Can fancy eggs for hatching be packed in any 
 way that will secure safe transportation by mail ? 
 
16 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Answer — They might reach their destination unbroken, but 
 they would be handled too roughly en route to insure a good 
 hatch. 
 
 Question — What are some of the first points of excellence 
 a breeder should consider when mating his breeding birds? 
 
 Answer — First of all, they should be healthy, vigorous and 
 of fair size. Pay particular attention to shape of back, tail and 
 breast, and color of wings and tail. 
 
 Question — Are the best birds in the show room always 
 the best for breeders? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Why is not a high-scoring prize-winning bird as 
 good for a breeder as its condition indicates? 
 
 Answer — It may be a chance good specimen from poor par- 
 ents, in which case it could not be depended upon to reproduce 
 its equal. 
 
 Question — What does it cost to advertise in the poultry 
 journals? 
 
 Answer — The price of advertising space is based upon the 
 amount of circulation and this varies greatly. In some poultry 
 journals space may be bought for 75 cents per inch for each in- 
 sertion and others charge as high as $4.20 per inch. 
 
 Question — Why do poultry journals want subscribers to say, 
 when answering advertisements, that the ad. was seen in the 
 journal? 
 
 Answer — Advertisers will not patronize a paper if it does 
 not bring them good returns, and the papers, therefore, want 
 the advertiser to know how much business they bring him. A 
 buyer confers a favor upon the advertiser also, when he tells 
 where he saw the ad. 
 
 Question — If one is defrauded or not treated fairly in pur- 
 chasing stock eggs, is there any way to have the matter ad- 
 justed ? 
 
 Answer — If the seller is an advertiser, any of the poultry 
 journals in which he advertises will investigate the matter if 
 there is evidence of downright fraud. Most Specialty Clubs are 
 also willing to take up complaints against members made by 
 other members. 
 
 Question — How is butter-color used in coloring the legs of 
 fowls for exhibition? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 17 
 
 Answer — Place three drops of the butter-color in a tea- 
 spoonful of sweet oil and apply it to the legs with a flannel 
 cloth. 
 
 Question — Would you advise poultrymen who are breeding 
 for the fancy to join a Specialty Club devoted to their breed? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — When speaking of fine fowls, which is proper, 
 thorough bred, pure bred or Standard bred? 
 
 Answer — The birds are bred to conform to the requirements 
 of the American Standard of Perfection, and they are, therefore, 
 properly termed Standard bred. 
 
 Question— In yellow legged fowls is there a tendency toward 
 the color fading with age? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What is the difference in shape between Ply- 
 mouth Rocks and Wyandottes? 
 
 Answer — The Plymouth Rock is larger in all sections, in- 
 cluding neck and legs. The Wyandotte is very round and short 
 and blocky. 
 
 Question — How much weight can be put on a show bird 
 that is matured? 
 
 Answer — From a pound to a pound and a half. 
 
 Question — How long before the show should one begin to 
 feed for extra weight? 
 
 Answer — Four to six weeks. 
 
 Question — Should birds being fed for extra weight be kept 
 in small pens or coops? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is it customary for women tc enter fowls for 
 competition at a poultry show? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What kind of food should be given to show birds 
 for adding a pound or two of weight quickly? 
 
 Answer — Boiled rice, boiled potatoes mixed with cornmeal, 
 sunflower seed, corn, beef tallow, plenty of hard grit and sweet- 
 ened water to drink. 
 
 Question — What is the principal drawback about taking up 
 new breeds? 
 
18 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Answer — They are always so hard to breed true. 
 
 Question — Why are poultry shows always held in the win- 
 ter? 
 
 Answer — Because it is the time when all fowls are in the 
 best condition to show, and especially as regards completeness 
 and beauty of plumage. 
 
 Question — Why is it that all poultrymen do not get equally 
 good prices for fancy stock? 
 
 Answer — Some of them do not advertise properly. 
 
 Question — Can rose combs be too large? 
 Answer — Yes- They should be medium size. 
 
 Question — Do good rose combs have a small hollow place in 
 the front on top? 
 
 Answer — No. This is a very common defect. 
 
 Question — What would be the cut in the show room for a 
 hollow place in the front of a rose comb? 
 Answer — One-half to two points. 
 
 Question — Are judges supposed to answer questions in the 
 show room? 
 
 Answer — Only as a matter of courtesy if the questions are 
 asked by visitors. Questions asked by exhibitors are supposed 
 to be answered fully if they pertain to the judges' awards, but 
 a judge is not compelled to answer a lot of miscellaneous ques- 
 tions upon poultry in general. Judges, as a rule, are very pleas- 
 ant and accommodating and will cheerfully do many things they 
 are not required to do. 
 
 Question — Are Barred Rock males inclined to grow lighter 
 in color with each succeeding moult? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — In advertising exhibition stock and eggs, is it bet- 
 ter to use a small space in, say, a half dozen journals, or use the 
 combined amount in one journal of equal circulation of the six? 
 
 Answer — In most cases it will pay better to have a large 
 card in the larger journal. 
 
 Question — How can a fowl be made to stand erect and show 
 to best advantage in the exhibition coops at shows? 
 
 Answer — They should be trained for some weeks before the 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 19 
 
 show by placing them in small coops similar to the exhibition 
 coops. Feed them in these coops and hold the food high so 
 that they will be compelled to reach for it. 
 
 Question — Is the new advertiser at a disadvantage as com- 
 pared with the old one, and if so, why? 
 
 Answer — Yes. An advertiser must establish a reputation, 
 and it takes time to do it. 
 
 Question — If the quills of the feathers on chickens of the 
 white breeds are yellow, will they get white when the chicks 
 mature ? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes they will, but not always. 
 
 Question — Is there any advantage in practicing double mat- 
 ing with the white varieties of fowls ? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Which is the most important point in selecting 
 breeding birds, shape or color? 
 
 Answer — Shape. If you have not the shape, you have not 
 the breed. 
 
 Question — Can any kind of stain be used on the legs of 
 yellow-legged fowls to intensify the color? 
 
 Answer — Light applications of iodine will have the desired 
 effect. 
 
 Question — Is there anything that will add luster to the 
 plumage o'i dark-colored fowls when preparing them for exhi- 
 bition? 
 
 Answer — Some very successful breeders and exhibitors have 
 claimed that they can produce this effect by placing in the 
 mash, three times a week, a teaspoonful of red carbonate of iron 
 for each twelve fowls. 
 
 Question — What is the best grain for fowls confined in the 
 show room? 
 
 Answer — Wheat. 
 
 Question — Is it wrong to remove off-colored feathers from 
 a fowl when preparing it for exhibition if the feathers would 
 disqualify the bird? 
 
 Answer — We believe that it is. It is taking an unfair ad- 
 vantage of a competitor whose birds show a natural absence of 
 such feathers. There are some honorable breeders, however, who 
 advocate removing these feathers to a reasonable limit. 
 
20 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — How can the legs of fowls be highly polished for 
 show purposes? 
 
 Answer — Use alcohol into which a little paraffin wax has 
 been dissolved. 
 
 Question — How can the legs of fowls be cleaned to best ad- 
 vantage without the use of drugs or chemicals? 
 
 Answer — Wash them thoroughly with soap and warm wa- 
 ter. Remove the dirt from beneath the scales with a wooden 
 toothpick and rub long and briskly with a piece of chamois 
 skin. 
 
 Question — How do fanciers wash the plumage of fowls in- 
 tended for exhibition? 
 
 Answer — Have three tubs of water, one quite warm, anoth- 
 er lukewarm and another with the chill taken off it. Place the 
 bird in the tub of warm water and have an assistant to hold it 
 on its sides. Open the fluff and other parts of the plumage con- 
 sisting of short, soft feathers, and gently work the water into 
 the plumage thoroughly. Press the long, stiff feathers in wings 
 and tail between the hands under the water until they are well 
 soaked through. After the entire plumage is well soaked, apply 
 Ivory soap or other good white soap and rub it well into the 
 feathers, rubbing only one way, and that the way the web of 
 feather runs. The soft feathers can be handled more carelessly 
 without injury. The plumage will stand much more rubbing 
 than one would imagine. After the fowl has been well washed 
 in the first tub, remove it and rinse well in the second tub of 
 lukewarm water, pressing as much of the soapy water out of 
 the feathers as possible. If the soap is not thoroughly removed 
 the feathers will split and cling together when dry. After the 
 soap has been rinsed out into the second tub of water, immerse 
 the fowl in the third tub, in which there should be dissolved, 
 beforehand, a small quantity of wash blue sufficient to blue the 
 water as required for clothes. After working the blue water well 
 into the plumage, hold the fowl above the tub and press as much 
 water as possible out of the feathers, then allow it to stand on 
 a clean table or other convenient place and dry with a towel, 
 rubbing the right way of the feathers. The bird should then be 
 placed in a coop deeply littered with clean straw and placed in 
 front of a fire, but not so close as to blister the comb or plum- 
 age. After the feathers are fairly dry on the outside and com- 
 mence to assume their natural position, remove the bird from the 
 front of the fire and confine it in a clean coop, where it can plume 
 itself and properly arrange the feathers as they dry. The oper- 
 ation is comparatively easy and one becomes very skillful after 
 a few attempts. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 21 
 
 Question — Is it not possible to get as good eggs from some 
 breeders for $3 per setting as can be gotten from others for $5 ? 
 Answer — Yes, but not as a general rule. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for irregular, indistinct, 
 crescentic or too heavy lacing in all laced varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each section 
 where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for crooked keel or 
 breastbone ? 
 
 Answer — One-half to two points. 
 
 Question — Are the advantages to be gained by washing 
 fowls worth the trouble required to do the work? 
 
 Answer — Yes, especially if the fowls are of the white va- 
 rieties and have been kept on a town lot. 
 
 Question — Are dark-colored fowls any better for the city 
 fancier than the white varieties? 
 
 Answer — No, except that fowls kept on city lots usually get 
 very dirty and a dark-colored fowl does not show the dirt as 
 much as a white one. 
 
 Question — Why does the specialty breeder gain greater suc- 
 cess, usually, than the breeder of many varieties? 
 
 Answer — He devotes all his time and talent to the one va- 
 riety, and he breeds better stock. 
 
 Question — Does the specialty breeder, as a rule, get bet- 
 ter prices for his stock and eggs than does the breeder of sev- 
 eral varieties? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is the color of the wings and tail of any special 
 importance more than other sections? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The deepest color is found in these sections, 
 and they should receive the greatest consideration when select- 
 ing the breeding birds. 
 
 Question — What is the best and cheapest way for one to 
 learn just how good his stock is? 
 
 Answer — Buy a copy of the Standard of Perfection, and 
 compare the fowls with the description in the book. Send them 
 to some near-by poultry show and enter them for competition. 
 
 Question — Will washing, if properly done, add to the ap- 
 pearance of any fowl? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
22 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Are exceedingly large combs desirable on Leg- 
 horns ? 
 
 Answer — No. There is a tendency toward too large combs 
 on this breed. The Standard calls for a medium-sized comb. 
 
 Question — Should the back of a Leghorn comb follow the 
 shape of the neck or extend out straight? 
 
 Answer — It should have a tendency to follow the shape of 
 the neck. 
 
 Question — What is a specialty breeder? 
 Answer — The term is applied to a breeder who handles on- 
 ly one variety of fowls. 
 
 Question — Should the shanks of Brown Leghorns be yellow? 
 Answer — The shanks should be a bright yellow, but the 
 Standard allows dusky yellow for toes. 
 
 Question — Should all varieties of Leghorns be the same size 
 and shape? 
 
 Answer — Yee. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to risk setting a pullet on high- 
 priced eggs? 
 
 Answer — No. They generally forsake the nest before the 
 eggs hatch. 
 
 Question — Are well-spread legs on Plymouth Rocks and 
 Wyandottes more desirable than those only fairly spread? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Should the rear of the comb and the spike curve 
 to conform to the shape of the head in Wyandottes? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is the head of a Wyandotte shorter and broad- 
 er than that of a Plymouth Rock? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What is meant by latent defects? 
 
 Answer — Defects which do not appear in a bird, but which 
 have been inherited from ancestors and will manifest them- 
 selves in the progeny. 
 
 Question — In Standard Barred Rocks, is a little dark strip- 
 ing permissible in the beaks of females? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 23 
 
 Question — Is it not possible for a fowl to show white in the 
 ear lobes temporarily? 
 
 Answer — Yes. There is a difference, however, in the white 
 resulting from sickness or poor condition and the enamel white 
 which, in some breeds, disqualifies. 
 
 Question — What is the difference in color of Silver Wy- 
 andottes and Golden Wyandottes? 
 
 Answer — The lacing is the same in form. The silvery white 
 centers in the Silver Wyandotte are a golden bay in the Golden 
 Wyandotte. 
 
 Question — Should Black Wyandottes and Black Minorcas 
 have yellow legs? 
 
 Answer — No. They are black or dark slate. 
 
 Question — What is a Pea Comb? 
 
 Answer — A triple comb, resembling three straight single 
 combs placed parallel with one another and joined at base and 
 rear, each having distinctly divided pea-like knobs, the knobs of 
 the two outer rows being lower and smaller than those of the 
 middle row, and those of each row being larger and somewhat 
 thicker midway of the comb than at front and rear. 
 
 Question — Is a dark stripe permissible in the upper man- 
 dible of the beak of the Light Brahma? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How many points should the Minorca have on 
 its comb? 
 
 Answer — Six. 
 
 Question — Is not an even shade of buff in all sections of a 
 bird more to be desired, even though it be a trifle light or dark, 
 than different shades in the same specimen in which the proper 
 shade predominates? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for coarse texture of 
 wattles ? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one point. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for each missing feather 
 in primaries or secondaries where foreign color disqualifies? 
 Answer — One and one-half points. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut where a feather is brok- 
 
24 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 en, but not detached, in primaries or secondaries, where for- 
 eign color disqualifies? 
 
 Answer — One-half point. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for each broken or 
 missing feather, in primaries or secondaries, of all buff or parti- 
 colored varieties, where foreign color does not disqualify? 
 
 Answer — One-half point. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for absence of sickles, 
 where foreign color disqualifies? 
 
 Answer — One and one-half points for each sickle. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for creaminess of plum- 
 age or quill of all white varieties, except Ducks? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — Are not the wing-bows on Buff Rock and Buff 
 Wyandotte males inclined toward red? 
 
 Answer — Yes. It is exceedingly difficult to get a buff wing- 
 bow on males. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for absence of sickles, 
 where foreign color does not disqualify? 
 Answer — One point for each sickle. 
 
 Question — What is the proper shade of buff as demanded 
 by the standard for buff fowls? 
 
 Answer — It is impossible to describe in words just what 
 this buff should be. The Standard calls for a rich golden buff, 
 and that means a medium between a lemon buff and a light 
 cinnamon buff. 
 
 Question — Is there any danger of fowls dying in the tub 
 while being washed? 
 
 Answer — Yes. They should not be immersed too suddenly. 
 
 The shock affects the heart and may result fatally, especially 
 if the bird is overfat. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for frosty edging in 
 any laced section of all-laced or spangled varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for irregular barring 
 in Barred Rocks? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 25 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for light-colored shaft- 
 ing in all buff varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — Do gray specks in a white fowl come under the 
 head of black, which disqualifies? 
 
 Answer — No. A judge should cut for them from one-half 
 to two points in each section where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for mealiness in plum- 
 age of Buff varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for mossy-centered 
 feathers in laced varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where found. 
 
 Question — What per cent of the winter poultry shows are 
 judged by the score card system? 
 Answer — About 95 per cent. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for irregular and de- 
 ficient penciling in penciled varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points in each sec- 
 tion where "found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for black or white in 
 buff varieties? 
 
 Answer — One-half to the full color limit in each section 
 where found. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for pinched or gamey 
 tails in Leghorn females? 
 
 Answer — One-half to one and one-half points. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut if tail feathers in any 
 variety show not to exceed three-fourths development? 
 Answer — One point. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut if the tail feathers in 
 any variety show not to exceed one-half development? 
 Answer — Two points. 
 
26 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What should be the cut if the tail in any vari- 
 ety shows not to exceed one-fourth development? 
 Answer — Three points. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for each crooked toe? 
 Answer — One-half to one point. 
 
 Question — Does the Standard demand the same shade of 
 color in all sections of a Barred Rock? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How can a fancier know the right price to charge 
 for his eggs for hatching? 
 
 Answer — Be governed by the price other breeders ask for 
 eggs from the same quality of stock. 
 
 Question — In comparison judging, does the color of a bird 
 largely influence the decision? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes it does, but in such, cases the judge 
 does not apply the Standard properly. 
 
 Question — What are the different varieties of combs found 
 on fowls? 
 
 Answer — Single, Rose, Pea, Leaf, Strawberry and V comb. 
 
 Question — When judging by comparison, does the judge 
 consider all disqualification clauses of the Standard? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What should be the cut for twisted feathers in 
 wing or tail? 
 
 Answer — One point for each feather. 
 
 Question — What causes twisted feathers in the wings and 
 •tails-? 
 
 Answer — It is a freak of nature. 
 
 Question — Are buff fowls harder to breed true to color than 
 white ones? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Are there not judges who are incompetent to 
 do the work? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Why are incompetent judges permitted to place 
 the awards at shows? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 27 
 
 Answer — Because they can find a few associations that are 
 willing to employ them. 
 
 Question — Are all the Standard-bred fowls of to-day the 
 descendants of one common ancestor? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Does it injure the legs of fowls to allow leg bands 
 to remain upon them constantly? 
 
 Answer — Not if the bands are of the proper size. 
 
 Question — Are there Standards for the different breeds that 
 can be purchased separately? 
 
 Answer — No. There is only one book and it covers all 
 breeds and varieties. 
 
 Question — How did the Barred Plymouth Rocks originate? 
 
 Answer — By various crosses, chief of which was the Black 
 Java and American Dominique, mingled with Dark Brahma, 
 Black Spanish, the old-time Light Brahma and the White Bir- 
 mingham. 
 
 Question — How did the White Plymouth Rocks originate? 
 
 Answer — They are sports from the Barred variety. Oc- 
 casionally a pure white chick will be found in the progeny of 
 Barred Rocks, but they are much scarcer now than during the 
 early days of the Barred Rock. 
 
 Question — How much profit can be made from fancy poul- 
 try the first year, with an investment of $100? 
 
 Answer — A man who knows how to manage it rightly ought 
 to clear $500. 
 
 Question — If a breeder thoroughly understands mating and 
 breeding, how long can he pursue a system of line breeding 
 without introducing new blood? 
 
 Answer — Ten to fifteen years. 
 
 Question — How were the Partridge Wyandottes originated? 
 Answer — By crossing Golden Laced Wyandottes, Golden 
 Penciled Hamburgs and Partridge Cochins. 
 
 Question — How were Silver Penciled Wyandottes origi- 
 nated ? 
 
 Answer — By crossing Silver Laced Wyandottes, Silver Pen- 
 ciled Hamburgs and Dark Brahmas. 
 
28 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — How was the Golden Wyandotte originated ? 
 
 Answer — By crosses of Silver Laced Wyandotte and an old 
 fowl called the Winnebago fowl, after which was introduced 
 the blood of the Partridge Cochin, Golden Hamburg and Brown 
 Leghorn. 
 
 Question — What is the most convenient manner of holding 
 a fowl for the purpose of examining the plumage, etc. ? 
 
 Answer — Grasp it with the left hand against the keel bone, 
 with right leg between the first and middle fingers, and the 
 left leg between the middle and third fingers. The bird will 
 then rest on the forearm, with the head toward you. It can 
 be handled with the right hand. 
 
 Question — Are prizes won at fall fairs considered as valua- 
 ble as those won at winter shows, as regards the quality of the 
 stock ? 
 
 Answer — No. Fowls are not in very good condition at fall 
 fairs and competition is never so strong. 
 
 Question — How did the Buff Plymouth Rocks originate? 
 Answer — They resulted from crosses of Buff Cochins, Light 
 Brahmas and Rhode Island Reds. 
 
 Question — How were the Silver Wyandottes originated? 
 Answer — By crosses of the Silver Spangled Hamburg, Dark 
 Brahma and Buff Cochin. 
 
 Question — How did the White Wyandotte originate? 
 Answer — By crosses of Silver Wyandottes, White Leg- 
 horns and White Plymouth Rocks. 
 
 Question — Is there any school where the judging of poultry 
 is taught? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Will constant exposure to the hot summer sun 
 deaden the color and gloss of plumage? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Does a breeder have to be a member of a poultry 
 association to exhibit at it? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What is the usual time when fanciers break up 
 their breeding pens for the season? 
 Answer — June 1st. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 29 
 
 Question — Will feeding cayenne pepper to buff fowls aid in 
 getting a rich, deep color to the plumage? 
 
 Answer — No. A species of cayenne is fed to canary birds to 
 deepen the color, but the scheme is not practicable with fowls. 
 
 Question — Is over-weight desirable in Standard-bred fowls? 
 Answer — No. With much over-weight comes defects in 
 shape, reduced egg production and decreased fertility. 
 
 Question — Is it customary, when weighing birds in the 
 show room, to give them the advantage of one-fourth or one-half 
 pound ? 
 
 Answer — It is sometimes done, but it is an injustice to the 
 exhibitors who have their birds up to weight, and the practice 
 is against the rules of the American Poultry Association. 
 
 Question — How were the Buff Wyandottes originated? 
 Answer — By inter-crossing of White Wyandottes, Golden 
 Wyandottes, Buff Cochins and Rhode Island Reds. 
 
 Question — In order to get the best color on exhibition fowls, 
 is it necessary to keep them from the hot sun during moulting? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Where can one purchase blank score cards to use 
 in making duplicates of regular judges' cards, in cases where 
 parties buying birds want copies of the regular card? 
 
 Answer — They can be obtained from most judges or from 
 Successful Poultry Journal, 537 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Question — In buff fowls, which is the most objectionable, 
 black or white? 
 
 Answer — The Standard of Perfection attaches the same im- 
 portance to each of these defects, but nearly all experienced 
 breeders consider white the most objectionable. 
 
 Question — Can judges disqualify a bird for unmistakable 
 evidence of an attempt to remove a disqualification? 
 Answer — The Standard requires them to do so. 
 
 Question — What breeds of fowls have Specialty Clubs de- 
 voted to the interests of breeders, and who are the Secretaries ? 
 
 Answer — Conditions are constantly changing. New clubs 
 are being formed and old ones disbanding or dropping out of the 
 field through inaction. New officers are also elected each season. 
 
30 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Write to some poultry journal for any information wanted in re- 
 gard to any particular club. 
 
 Question — What is meant by the term "sport" when applied 
 to a fowl? 
 
 Answer — Occasionally a chick will appear from a mating 
 that will be entirely different in color from either of the parent 
 birds, as, for instance, in breeding Barred Plymouth Rocks, a 
 solid white chick sometimes comes from a mating of high grade, 
 nicely barred birds. This does not happen as often with Barred 
 Rocks at the present time as it formerly did when the breed was 
 new. 
 
 Question — Where can one learn the name and the location 
 of each and every section of a fowl, such as flights, secondaries, 
 coverts, hackle, etc.? 
 
 Answer — The Standard of Perfection contains a picture of 
 a fowl with all sections designated and the name of each given. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 31 
 
 Eggs. 
 
 Question — How can eggs for hatching be safely packed for 
 shipment? 
 
 Answer — Use common splint baskets such as can be pur- 
 chased from the grocer at about 35 cents per dozen. Line the 
 bottom and sides with excelsior about an inch thick. Take a 
 small quantity and shape it about like a bird's nest and place an 
 egg in it, after which close the opening well over the egg, mak- 
 ing it round like a ball. Prepare each egg in this manner, pack 
 them in the basket, place a thick layer of excelsior on top, and 
 cover with a piece of muslin, sewing the edges down through the 
 sides of the basket with a heavy darning needle and twine. There 
 are other methods, but this one insures absolute safety if prop- 
 erly done. Egg boxes and patent carriers are less trouble, but 
 are much less protection to the eggs and are responsible for many 
 poor hatches. 
 
 Question — How long can eggs be kept by the water glass 
 method? 
 
 Answer — From nine to twelve months. 
 
 Question — What is the best method of preserving eggs? 
 
 Answer — Careful tests have been made with various com- 
 pounds, and Water Glass has in each case proven most satisfac- 
 tory. It is also called Soluble Glass. The chemical name is 
 silicate of sodium or silicate of potassium. It can be purchased 
 at any drug store, and costs about 50 cents per gallon, which is 
 sufficient to preserve 50 dozen eggs. To one quart of Water 
 Glass add ten quarts of water. It is best to use water that has 
 been boiled and is perfectly clean. The eggs, should be wiped 
 clean, but should not be washed. Earthenware jars are best for 
 storing the eggs, which should be entirely submerged in the 
 liquid. If wooden barrels or kegs are used, see that they are first 
 thoroughly scalded with boiling water. 
 
 Question — What is a fair price for eggs from the highest 
 grade of stock ? 
 
 Answer — Three dollars to five dollars per setting. The latter 
 price prevails among most breeders of national reputation. 
 
 Question — Will eggs with mottled shells hatch? 
 Answer — Very seldom. 
 
32 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What number of eggs is considered a setting 
 when buying them for hatching? 
 
 Answer — Some breeders give 13 and some 15. Probably a 
 fair adjustment of the matter would be 13 if the price is less than 
 $3 per setting, and 15 if the price is $3 or more per setting. 
 
 Question — How long after the male bird is separated from 
 the female will the eggs be fertile? 
 
 Answer — A definite time cannot be fixed. At least five or 
 six eggs in the process of formation, if the hen has that many in 
 her, are apt to be fertilized', and the time therefore depends upon 
 how soon she lays the eggs. 
 
 Question — If a sitting hen befouls her nest and the eggs are 
 covered with filth, will it injure them to wash them, or will they 
 hatch as well as though they were not cleaned? 
 
 Answer — Anything that fills the pores of the shell stops the 
 ingress of pure air, and consequently is detrimental. Eggs may 
 be washed lightly with clear, pure water only. The water should 
 be quite warm and the egg washed quickly and gently and im- 
 mediately returned to the nest. 
 
 Question — Why are eggs not as fertile in winter as in spring 
 and summer? 
 
 Answer — Winter is not the natural breeding season and con- 
 ditions are not as favorable for fertile eggs. If summer condi- 
 tions as regards temperature, green food, etc., can be supplied, 
 eggs will be reasonably fertile. 
 
 Question — How can fertile eggs be prevented from hatching? 
 
 Answer — Dip them in boiling water for a couple of seconds. 
 Prick the small end deeply with a fine needle. Sometimes shak- 
 ing them vigorously a half dozen times will answer. 
 
 Question — Does it injure eggs for hatching to wash them 
 before they are set? 
 
 Answer — Not if the water is lukewarm and the eggs allowed 
 to dry without being exposed to extreme cold. 
 
 Question — Of what value are nest eggs? 
 
 Answer — They are of doubtful value. If nest eggs are used 
 at all they should be the ordinary china eggs. Real eggs remain- 
 ing in the nest may be the means of starting the egg-eating habit ; 
 they may get broken and soil the nest, which is objectionable 
 for other reasons than filth, and they may, after becoming old, 
 be taken from the nest as fresh eggs and find their way to the 
 cook or the table. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 33 
 
 Question — What is the difference between incubator eggs 
 and other eggs? 
 
 Answer — The term "incubator eggs" is applied to eggs from 
 a medium grade of Standard bred birds. Large breeders of high- 
 grade stock usually have a number of breeding birds that are 
 not fine exhibition birds, but still are Standard bred stock, the 
 progeny of the best birds and just as suitable for those who do 
 not care particularly for a high standard of exhibition excellence. 
 These eggs are sold cheaper, usually from $5 to $10 per 100, and 
 ar.e called incubator eggs. 
 
 Question — What causes duck eggs to be green shelled occa- 
 sionally and are they good to eat and hatch? 
 
 Answer — It is an unaccountable freak of nature. They will 
 hatch when fertile and there is no noticeable difference in the 
 eating qualities of them. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to tell whether an egg is fertile 
 without incubating it? 
 
 Answer — No, not and preserve it. It can be broken and the 
 information obtained. 
 
 Question — What are the principal requirements that influ- 
 ence prices when shipping eggs for market purposes? 
 
 Answer — They should be perfectly clean, strictly fresh, and 
 as near the same size and color as possible. The latter feature 
 is more easily obtainable if the breeder has only one breed. 
 
 Question — How soon after mating the breeding birds will 
 the eggs prove fertile? 
 
 Answer — No definite time can be given. Usually the third 
 or fourth egg laid will be fertile, but if none is laid for several 
 days, the first one laid may be fertile. 
 
 Question — Will abnormally large or ill-shapen or double- 
 yolked eggs hatch? 
 Answer— No. 
 
 Question — Is it true that the unusually slender egg will pro- 
 duce male birds? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Why are the yolks of some eggs light yellow and 
 others dark yellow? 
 
 Answer — It is caused largely by food. An ample supply of 
 green food, particularly grass, gives the yolk a richer color. 
 
34 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Is it an indication of impurity of breeding for 
 brown-egg breeds to lay eggs of a lighter color? 
 
 Answer — Not always. Heavy and continuous laying often- 
 times results in light-colored eggs and it is very common for old 
 hens to produce eggs almost or quite white. 
 
 Question — What causes red spots resembling blood clots, in 
 eggs? 
 
 Answer — Oftentimes a hen for various reasons will be forced 
 to lay under a strain sufficient to burst one or more of the mi- 
 nute blood vessels in the egg organs or passages and the blood 
 thus liberated comes in contact with and adheres to the egg and 
 the shell is then formed over it. Eggs containing blood clots are 
 generally from over-fat hens. 
 
 Question — How long may eggs be kept for hatching? 
 
 Answer — Set them as soon after being laid as possible. They 
 may be kept from four to six weeks, and even longer, but from 
 two to three weeks should be the limit. They should be turned 
 daily. 
 
 Question — At what temperature should eggs for hatching be 
 kept? 
 
 Answer — Within certain limits a specific temperature is not 
 so important as a uniform one. Anywhere from 50 to 70 degrees 
 is suitable. 
 
 Question — Will thunder injuriously affect eggs in process of 
 incubation? 
 
 Answer — No. This is a more or less popular fallacy, having 
 no foundation in fact. 
 
 Question — How far may eggs be shipped without injuring 
 them for hatching? 
 
 Answer — With proper handling, the distance does not affect 
 the hatching quality of eggs aside from the time they may be on 
 the road. Under ordinary conditions they may be shipped three 
 thousand miles in safety. Rough handling may injure them as 
 will also exposure to zero weather, by express companies, or 
 storing them close to stoves or steam pipes in overheated express 
 cars. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to allow shipped eggs to stand 
 twenty-four hours before setting them? 
 
 Answer — No. This plan is sometimes advocated on the 
 ground that the eggs should remain quiet for that length of time 
 in order for the germ to assume it normal position. It will do 
 this almost instantly. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 35 
 
 Question — What percentage of eggs should prove fertile in 
 the fall season? 
 
 Answer — It all depends upon the feed and the condition of 
 the breeding stock. Under favorable conditions 75 to 90 per cent 
 of the eggs will be fertile. 
 
 Question — How soon after molting will eggs be fertile? 
 
 Answer — Molting in itself has nothing to do with the fer- 
 tility of the eggs. Eggs laid at any time will be fertile if the 
 females are mated and both sexes are in good health and vigor- 
 ous. 
 
 Question— How often should eggs be turned, that are being 
 kept for hatching? 
 
 Answer — It is best to turn them daily. 
 
 Question — What causes eggs to have a thick ridge in the 
 middle ? 
 
 Answer — Some derangement of the egg organs, generally the 
 result of the fowl being too fat. 
 
 Question — Will eggs from pullets hatch as well as those 
 from hens? 
 
 Answer — They will if the pullets are well matured and have 
 been laying a short time. The first twelve or fifteen eggs from a 
 pullet will, in most cases, prove a disappointment when incu- 
 bated. 
 
 Question — Which varieties of fowls lay white eggs and 
 which brown eggs? 
 
 Answer — White eggs are laid by all varieties of Leghorns, 
 Minorcas, Hamburgs, Houdans, Andalusians, Anconas, Polish 
 and White Faced Black Spanish. Brown eggs are laid by all 
 varieties of Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Cochins, Langshans, 
 Orpingtons, Indian Games and Rhode Island Reds. 
 
 Question — Which breed lays the largest egg and which the 
 smallest? 
 
 Answer — The eggs of Brahmas and Minorcas are the largest 
 and are practically the same size. The Leghorns and Andalu- 
 sians lay the smallest eggs. 
 
 Question — Will it injure eggs that are being kept for hatch- 
 ing if packed in bran or some such substance, with the small end 
 of the egg up? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The large end contains the air cell, and the 
 egg should rest on the small end or on the side. 
 
36 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is the difference in eating qualities be- 
 tween the brown egg and the white egg? 
 
 Answer — There is no difference whatever. It is sometimes 
 claimed by the uninformed that the brown egg has a richer 
 flavor, but this is an error. The Boston market demands a brown 
 egg, the New York market a white egg and the Chicago market 
 is as good for one as the other. The special demand for either 
 is simply a fad. 
 
 Question — What causes soft-shelled eggs? 
 
 Answer — They may be the result of diseased organs of re- 
 production and especially of the oviduct. Excessively fat hens 
 are liable to lay soft-shelled eggs when the layers of fat are so 
 abundant as to force the egg out before it can receive a sufficient 
 coating of shell. Heavy laying birds are also thus afflicted, by 
 reason of the egg passages being weakened by continual strain 
 and not being able to retain an egg after the shell begins to 
 harden. In exceptional cases it may be the lack of shell form- 
 ing elements in the food. 
 
 Question — Will eggs hatch that have had grease or coal oil 
 on them? 
 
 Answer — Very seldom. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to ascertain the age of eggs ? 
 
 Answer — Germans have a process by which they claim to 
 be able to determine the age of an egg to the day. The egg is 
 dropped in a solution of salt containing eight ounces to the pint. 
 If the egg is only one day old it sinks immediately to the bot- 
 tom; if three days old it sinks just below the surface only, and 
 from five days upward it floats. It is well known that the air 
 cavity at the blunt end of an egg enlarges as the age of the egg 
 increases. When the egg is placed in the salt solution it will 
 have a tendency to float with the long axis vertical. A scale of 
 angles is placed at the back of the vessel, and from the inclina- 
 tion of the egg to the horizontal, it is said, the age can be gauged 
 almost to the day. A new laid egg lies horizontally on the bot- 
 tom of the vessel. When three to five days old it raises itself so 
 that its long axis makes an angle of about 20 degrees with the 
 horizontal. At eight days the angle increases to about 4$ de- 
 grees; at 14 days it is 60 degrees; at about three weeks it is 
 about 75 degrees, while after four weeks it stands upright on the 
 pointed end. 
 
 Question — What is the cause of thin, watery eggs? 
 Answer — Poor food that is deficient in the elements com- 
 posing the egg. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 37 
 
 Question — How often should eggs be gathered in the cold- 
 est weather? 
 
 Answer — Three times per day. 
 
 Question — Will it injure eggs to keep them in a cellar if it 
 is damp? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can eggs that are old be distinguished from 
 strictly fresh eggs by the smooth, glossy shell? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How much ought it cost the average farmer to 
 produce eggs? 
 
 Answer — About 8 cents per dozen. 
 
 Question — Are brown shelled eggs any better for preserving 
 than the white shelled ones? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How many eggs equal in nutrient value a pound 
 of beef? 
 
 Answer — About six. 
 
 Question — Do certain foods affect the flavor of eggs? 
 
 Answer — The egg is affected by food in much the same way 
 as is milk from the cow. With the egg, the difference cannot be 
 detected except in special cases, but only clean, wholesome food 
 should be given to the hen. It has been demonstrated that wild 
 onions and other strong vegetables will affect the flavor of the 
 egg- 
 
 Question — What is meant by the term "mottled" when ap- 
 plied to the shell of an egg? 
 
 Answer — A splotchy appearance consisting of spots of 
 lighter or darker color than the main color of the shell. Also 
 small raised specks of shell material on the surface. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to tell whether an egg is fertile 
 or not, without incubating it? 
 
 Answer — Not without breaking the egg. All eggs, whether 
 fertile or not, contain a "germ spot" which, if the egg be broken, 
 may be seen adhering to the surface of the yolk and very slightly 
 embedded in it. It is mucous like in appearance and is larger or 
 plainer in some eggs than in others. In a fertile egg this "germ 
 spot" is covered with filmy skin like covering which can only be 
 seen with the aid of a microscope. 
 
38 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Feeding. 
 
 Question — Should the water for fowls be warmed in winter? 
 Answer — It need not be warmed, but if convenient the 
 breeder should manage to supply water with the chill off. 
 
 age? 
 
 old. 
 
 Question — Do meat meal and beef scraps deteriorate with 
 Answer — Yes. They should not be more than three months 
 
 Question — Is alfalfa as good for fowls as clover? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Are meat cracklings from the butcher good for 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — They are of very little value and pork cracklings 
 are not worth feeding. 
 
 Question — If fowls have skim milk constantly before them 
 will it take the place of water? 
 
 Answer — No. Water should always be within reach. 
 
 Question — At what age can whole corn be fed to chicks with 
 safety ? 
 
 Answer — No specific time can be stated. Give it to them as 
 soon as they are able to swallow it. 
 
 Question — Can too much green food be fed to chicks? 
 Answer — No, if they have access to a variety of other food. 
 
 Question — Are onions valuable as food for fowls? 
 Answer — They are if not fed in too large quantities. A 
 liberal feed or two will cure mild colds. 
 
 Question — Are hard-boiled eggs good for newly hatched 
 chicks? 
 
 Answer — In small quantities only. 
 
 Question — Of what value are egg shells as a food for fowls? 
 Answer — It is a mistaken idea that they are of any value at 
 all. Feeding them often teaches the egg-eating habit. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 39 
 
 Question — Is sulphur good for fowls? 
 
 Answer — Powdered sulphur may be fed in the soft food 
 twice a week for about two weeks as a blood purifier. If fed in 
 damp weather it has a tendency to encourage rheumatism. 
 
 Question — Can too much raw meat be fed to fowls? 
 Answer — Yes. Severe indigestion and worms are two of 
 the evils attributed to overfeeding of meat. 
 
 Question — Is millet seed an especially good feed for fowls? 
 
 Answer — An exclusive diet of it is very injurious, and espe- 
 cially in the case of chicks. Its value is largely as a grain to 
 scatter in the litter to encourage exercise by scratching. 
 
 Question — Will blood meal answer the purpose of all other 
 forms of animal food? 
 
 Answer — No. Ordinary blood meal is of little value, and in 
 most cases fowls must be forced to eat it. 
 
 Question — What is the "cramming" system of fattening? 
 
 Answer — This method of fattening is not practiced very ex- 
 tensively in this country. It is chiefly employed in France and 
 England. The fowl is confined in a coop just large enough for it 
 to stand comfortably, and at regular intervals a quantity of semi- 
 liquid food is forced into the crop through a tube inserted in 
 the throat and extending from a drum-like receptacle mounted 
 on three legs. The machine is operated by foot power and the 
 food consists of ground grains, mixed with milk, water, etc., to 
 the consistency of thin mash. 
 
 Question — When is the best time to give the mash food? 
 
 Answer — Give it as the first meal in the morning. It is 
 quickly digested and the fowl, after remaining upon the perch 
 for 12 hours or more, needs something to satisfy the hunger 
 quickly. It is claimed by a few successful breeders that the 
 mash should be given in the evening for the reason that if given 
 in the morning the fowls will have their hunger satisfied and will 
 not then take needed exercise in hunting for grain or other food. 
 This argument is based upon the assumption that the fowls are 
 overfed with the mash in the morning. This should be avoided. 
 Give only enough to partially satisfy the hunger and sharpen 
 the appetite for additional food. If the mash be given at night 
 it will be so quickly digested that the fowl will not have the de- 
 sired nourishment till morning. 
 
 Question — What is the best way to feed clover hay? 
 Answer — It should be cut into at least half inch lengths and 
 
40 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 mixed with the mash. Place it in a vessel at night and cover it 
 with boiling water. Cover the vessel tightly to retain all the 
 steam and moisture. Let it stand till morning and use both the 
 clover and the liquid in making the mash. 
 
 Question — What is the effect of overfeeding of green cut 
 bone? 
 
 Answer — A serious derangement of the digestive organs 
 which may lead to other diseases. 
 
 Question — Is clover meal better or in more desirable form 
 than clover hay? 
 
 Answer — Clover meal is the best form in which to feed 
 clover, but there is excellent chance for adulteration in preparing 
 it, and the purchaser should buy it where he is reasonably sure 
 of getting the genuine article. 
 
 Question— Should whole grain be fed in the feed troughs or 
 upon the ground? 
 
 Answer — Grain should always be fed in straw or some sort 
 of litter, where the fowls will be compelled to do more or less 
 scratching to obtain it. This serves to keep them busy and is 
 nearer the natural method of obtaining food on the range. 
 
 Question — How should the mash food be fed? 
 Answer — Mash and all other soft and wet foods should be 
 fed in troughs or other vessels. Never throw it on the ground, 
 as much of it will be wasted, and what is eaten will contain more 
 or less dirt and filth, and very probably germs of numerous dis- 
 eases. 
 
 Question — In what quantity and how often should green 
 bone be fed to fowls ? 
 
 Answer — Much depends upon the quantity of other meat or 
 animal food given. If the animal food consists of green bone 
 exclusively, give about an ounce each day to each fowl. Feed it 
 alone or mixed with the mash. 
 
 Question — Are table scraps good for fowls? 
 
 Answer — As a general rule they are too highly seasoned and 
 too concentrated to be fed in large quantities. They affect fowls 
 as a continued diet of very rich food affects people. The result 
 is indigestion and liver disease. Table scraps should be fed 
 sparingly and mixed with ground grain. 
 
 Question — Is pop corn of any value as a food for fowls? 
 Answer — Very little. If it can be procured very cheaply, it 
 may be fed in small quantities. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 41 
 
 Question — What food is best to grow fowls to extra large 
 size? 
 
 Answer — There is no special food that will produce unusual 
 size in fowls. Feed them a variety of good, wholesome food and 
 this with proper care will bring best results. 
 
 Question — What is the value of wheat screenings? 
 
 Answer — Wheat screenings are almost worthless. There is 
 of course a wide difference in them, but even the best are of little 
 value. The proportion of good sound grain in them is very small, 
 and a much greater bulk must be consumed by the fowl in order 
 to secure the same result. This excess of worthless matter is 
 not only injurious to the fowl but makes the cost of feeding 
 greater, because much more is required to sustain the fowl. 
 
 Question — How should vegetables be fed, raw or cooked ? 
 Answer — Principally raw, but potatoes and turnips are bet- 
 ter cooked and fed with the mash. Raw onions should also be 
 fed in that manner. 
 
 Question — Of what value is ground charcoal as a food for 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — It should not be fed regularly. It is chiefly valu- 
 able as an absorbent of gases and a corrective of mild bowel dis- 
 orders. It is especially serviceable in cases of sour crop, as it 
 stops fermentation and sweetens the contents. 
 
 Question — In what quantities should green cut bone be fed 
 to chicks? 
 
 Answer — Feed it to chicks about every three days, giving 
 them what they will eat up clean. 
 
 Question — How much grain should the average chicken have 
 at one time? 
 
 Answer — No fixed amount can be stated. The amount of 
 other food given influences the matter. Ordinarily a half pint 
 is sufficient. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to feed cut clover to chickens if 
 they have a range on green rye or other growing green food ? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What are clipped oats that are so often recom- 
 mended as preferable to ordinary oats? 
 
 Answer — They are the ordinary oats with the pointed ends 
 clipped off. They are very desirable, but cannot be procured in 
 some localities. 
 
42 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What advantage is there in feeding linseed meal, 
 oil meal, oil cake, and other like foods? 
 
 Answer — They are of an oily composition and are supposed 
 to aid in growing feathers, thus being especially valuable before 
 and during the molting period. They are also valuable as a mild 
 laxative. , 
 
 Question — Is there any danger of crop bound or injury to 
 the crop in feeding large quantities of oats ? 
 
 Answer — Only in exceptional cases does any injury result. 
 Oats are valuable as a food for fowls and should be fed in some 
 form. There are hulled, clipped and ground oats, either of which 
 are good. 
 
 Question — How can oats be fed so as to eliminate all chance 
 of the sharp points penetrating the crop? 
 
 Answer — Pour scalding water over them, which will soften 
 them. Allow them to cool and then feed them in troughs or other 
 receptacles. 
 
 Question — Can fowls be successfuly raised without any ani- 
 mal or meat food at all? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Does cooking increase the digestibility of vegeta- 
 bles and green food? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Ouestion — Should salt be regularly given to fowls in their 
 foodF 
 
 Answer — No. Salt, pepper and other like seasoning are not 
 necessary, and are generally harmful. 
 
 Question — What is a good chick food similar to the grain 
 mixtures on the market for young chicks? 
 
 Answer — Cracked wheat 25 parts, pinhead oatmeal 15 parts, 
 millet seed 10 parts, cracked corn 10 parts, granulated charcoal 
 5 parts, chick size grit 10 parts, buckwheat 5 parts, rape seed 5 
 parts, broken rice 5 parts, cracked peas 5 parts, and ground beef 
 scraps or other meat meal 5 parts. Some of these are not easily 
 obtainable in all sections and the mixture should be made with 
 the ingredients at hand and considering cost. 
 
 Question — Will fowls fatten quicker and better if confined in 
 small coops than if allowed to run in a large pen? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 43 
 
 Question — What is meant by "mash"? 
 
 Answer — The term is applied to food in a mealy or pow- 
 dered form, usually ground grains, to which is added liquids and 
 thoroughly mixed to a wet, crumbly consistency. 
 
 Question — What is a suitable mixture to use in a cramming 
 machine for fattening fowls? 
 
 Answer — Corn meal two parts, ground buckwheat two parts, 
 ground oats one part, mixed with skim milk to the consistency 
 of gruel. 
 
 Question — Is it profitable to feed condition powder to fowls 
 regularly ? 
 
 Answer — No. The less fed the better. 
 
 Question — What are the principal foods that are suitable, 
 and of value, for fowls? 
 
 Answer — The various grains, including wheat, oats, corn, 
 buckwheat, millet, barley, rye, etc., the two latter being not so 
 desirable as the four first mentioned. Millet is principally of 
 value in feeding young chicks. The numerous ground by- 
 products of the various grains are useful and are used in the 
 form of "mash." Green food is essential and may consist of any 
 of the ordinary vegetables in the form of roots, plants and vines. 
 Green or growing vegetation of most any kind is valuable, and 
 especially clover, alfalfa, rye, rape, cow peas, soy beans, etc. 
 Animal food is also necessary in the form of worms, bugs, in- 
 sects and such animal life as the fowl obtains when on range. 
 When kept in confinement, animal food should be supplied in the 
 form of fresh meat scraps or ground green bone. Milk in its 
 various forms is particularly valuable and should be used chiefly 
 in wetting the mash. Table scraps may be fed sparingly, mixed 
 in the mash. 
 
 Question — Of what value is oyster shell in feeding fowls? 
 
 Answer — Oyster shell is not so valuable as is generally sup- 
 posed. Its chemical constituents are similar to those of the egg 
 shell as regards lime compounds particularly, and the feeding of 
 oyster shell is supposed to aid in producing material in the hen 
 for forming the shell of the egg. Oyster or other similar shell is 
 not necessary when proper food is given. It is supposed to pre- 
 vent the laying of soft shelled eggs, but the laying of such eggs 
 is generally controlled by conditions over which the feeding of 
 oyster shell has no influence. 
 
 Question — When is the best time to sow alfalfa for green 
 food? 
 
 Answer — August 15th to September 15th. 
 
44 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is meant by "balanced ration?" 
 Answer — In this sense the word balanced means perfectly 
 proportioned as regards the value of the food in question, for 
 specific purposes, and ration means a supply of food. A balanced 
 ration is an allowance of food which is so mixed and proportioned 
 as to produce the maximum of food value and a minimum amount 
 of waste. 
 
 Question — What is the object in feeding a balanced ration? 
 
 Answer — A surplus of any food stuff, fed to a fowl over and 
 above the amount which is digestible and convertible to its needs 
 is a waste of food and an injury to the fowl. A balanced ration 
 is best from the standpoint of financial economy and for the pur- 
 pose of getting the best results as regards the quantity and qual- 
 ity of the product of the fowl. 
 
 Question — What is best for grit and what are its uses? 
 
 Answer — Good grit should consist of a hard, flinty sub- 
 stance in irregular shaped particles with sharp edges or corners. 
 For adult fowls the particles should be about the size of a pea 
 or a small bean. Round or smooth objects are worthless. 
 Crushed stone, gravel or broken chinaware is serviceable. Broken 
 glass is sometimes used, but is not suitable, chiefly on account 
 of possible injury from cutting the fowl internally. A plentiful 
 supply of good grit should always be within reach of fowls. It 
 is necessary in aiding the action of the gizzard in grinding the 
 food preparatory to digestion, and tlje lack of it is the foundation 
 of many fatal ailments. 
 
 Question — Which foods are the greatest fat producers? 
 
 Answer — Corn and its by-products are the chief fattening 
 foods in the grain list. Buckwheat may be included. Ground 
 or broken rice is fattening and potatoes and other starchy vegeta- 
 bles are useful for the purpose. Milk is more or less fattening, 
 and especially when sweetened. 
 
 Question — Are infertile eggs tested out of the incubators a 
 good food for chicks? 
 
 Answer — Eggs fed to chicks should be hard boiled and those 
 mentioned are as good as any. They should not be given as an 
 exclusive diet. 
 
 Question — Should fowls be fed every time they fly around 
 the keeper, giving unmistakable evidence that they want food ? 
 
 Answer — No. Fowls soon learn to do this and many peo- 
 ple keep their flocks constantly overfed on this account. Feed at 
 regular intervals and do not feed more than you know is proper. 
 A bird should be hungry enough to eat a little at all times. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 45 
 
 Question — How should sunflower seed be fed ? 
 
 Answer — About a pint each day to 15 fowls. It is chiefly of 
 use during the molting period. It is oily in composition and aids 
 in the dropping of the old plumage and the introduction of the 
 new. 
 
 Question — When is the proper time to cut clover hay for 
 curing for poultry food? 
 
 Answer — When about two-thirds of the heads have turned 
 brown. 
 
 Question — What is a good ration for laying hens and in what 
 quantities should it be fed ? 
 
 Answer — Use a mash mixture made as follows: Oats, 15 
 pounds ; corn meal, 5 pounds ; bran, 5 pounds ; shorts or wheat 
 middlings, 5 pounds ; clover meal, 10 pounds ; meat meal or cut 
 green bone, 10 pounds, making 50 pounds of a dry mixture. For 
 a flock of 25 hens give four pounds of this mixture each morn- 
 ing, made into a crumbling mash by wetting with water or skim 
 milk if obtainable. At noon give one quart of wheat and at night 
 one quart of corn. The noon and night feeds should be given in 
 deep litter and the grains can be alternated^ giving corn and 
 wheat one day and wheat and oats the next, or corn and oats, 
 the idea is to give a change. This ration is for fowls that do not 
 have access to a range, but are confined to houses and runs 
 practically free from vegetation. If free range can be given at a 
 season of the year when animal and green food can be obtained 
 by the fowls omit the noon meal and do not use the clover meal 
 and meat meal or green cut bone in the mash. 
 
 Question — What is the recipe for Johnny cake, so often rec- 
 ommended for feeding young chicks ? 
 
 Answer — One part ground oats, one part wheat bran, one 
 part corn meal. Mix with skim milk, sour milk or butter milk 
 and bake it. A little ground charcoal may be added and it may 
 also be slightly seasoned with salt. 
 
 Question — What is the difference between green bone and 
 raw ground bone? 
 
 Answer — By green bone is meant bone fresh from the butch- 
 er's which contains all the natural juices and has more or less 
 fresh meat adhering to it. Raw ground bone is made from these 
 same bones after they have become thoroughly dried out and 
 have lost a large portion if not practically all the valuable proper- 
 ties of fresh cut bone. 
 
46 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Is stale baker's bread a good food for poultry? 
 Answer — Yes, if not moldy. It sould be soaked in water, 
 pressed comparatively dry and then used as a part of the mash. 
 
 Question — Will it pay to save lawn clippings till winter for 
 winter green food? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is broom corn seed a good food for fowls? 
 Answer — It is fairly good if thoroughly ripened. It is of 
 about the same value as sorghum seed. 
 
 Question — Will mash food prove injurious to fowls if fed 
 after it has become sour? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question— Will heavy feeding of new corn have a bad effect 
 on fowls? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Feed it sparingly, or mix it with old grain. 
 
 Question — Of what advantage is beef tallow fed to exhibi- 
 tion birds? 
 
 Answer — It is supposed to assist in putting a gloss on the 
 plumage. 
 
 Question — Is it profitable to feed liberally of wheat if it costs 
 75 cents per bushel? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is blood from the butcher shop a good food for 
 fowls? If so how should it be prepared? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Place it in a sack and boil it. 
 
 Question — Are the prepared chick foods on the market, in 
 the shape of a mixture of various grains, worth the price asked 
 for them? 
 
 Answer — Most of them are. 
 
 Question — Is raw corn meal made into a mash good for 
 young chicks'? 
 
 Answer — In small quantities only. It is very easy to feed 
 too much of it, in which case serious bowel trouble is the result. 
 It is better left out of the bill of fare entirely. 
 
 Question — Will cinders from coal ashes answer for grit? 
 Answer — No, they are too soft. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 47 
 
 Question — Is charred corn of any special value as a food? 
 
 Answer — An occasional feed, say once a week, is very bene- 
 ficial. Take shelled corn and burn it till well charred on the out- 
 side. 
 
 Question — Is the dry feed method as good as the plan of 
 giving mashes occasionally? 
 
 Answer — One method is as good as the other, and neither 
 one can be said to be better than the other. It all depends upon 
 how the fowls are fed. 
 
 Question — If any one grain can be said to be a better egg 
 producing food than all the others, what is it? 
 Answer — Wheat. 
 
 Question — What is the objection to too much wet or sloppy 
 foods, such as mashes? 
 
 Answer — It is nature's plan for the fowl to grind the food 
 with grit in the gizzard and this activity is necessary for good 
 health. Too much mash food produces sluggishness of this 
 organ and disease results. 
 
 ing? 
 
 Question — What is the limit of age of sour milk for feed- 
 Answer — Do not feed it if it is more than three days old. 
 
 Question — Do a majority of the successful egg farmers feed 
 mash? 
 
 Answer — Yes, nearly all of them feed it once a day. 
 
 Question — Is oatmeal a good food for bantams ? 
 Answer — It is one of the best foods that can be given. 
 
 Question — Are sweet potatoes a good food for fowls? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will linseed meal or cottonseed meal take the 
 place of meat? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to feed green cut bone in winter, 
 even though the fowls have free range? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How long should the mash food be left before the 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — If they do not empty the troughs in fifteen min- 
 utes take the balance of the food from them. 
 
48 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Are potato parings good for fowls? 
 Answer — They do fairly well if boiled and chopped fine or 
 mixed in the mash. 
 
 Question — Will green bone answer for grit? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — When fowls have access to grapevines and eat 
 the green grapes will it retard laying? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Should meat foods be fed to chicks from the 
 start? 
 
 Answer — It is better to wait till they are about a week old. 
 
 Question — What effect does the feeding of sour or moldy 
 food have? 
 
 Answer — It causes serious bowel disorders. 
 
 Question — How soon in the morning should fowls receive 
 their first meal? 
 
 Answer — As soon as they leave the perches. 
 
 Question — What arrangement would you suggest for feed- 
 ing fowls the first feed of the day, if it is not possible for the 
 keeper to see them till very late every morning? 
 
 Answer — Scatter the proper quantity of grain in the litter at 
 night after the fowls have gone to roost. They will find it in 
 the morning when they leave the perches. 
 
 Question — What would you advise sowing in the yards for 
 green food in early spring? 
 Answer — Oats and rape. 
 
 Question — Will fowls fatten as well on an all dry food ration 
 ,as they will by feeding mash foods? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is it a good idea to bury the grain in spaded earth 
 and compel the fowls to scratch for it? 
 
 Answer — No. Feed it in clean straw or other litter. Much 
 of it is lost when buried in the earth. 
 
 Question — Does it pay to invest in a feed cooker if one has 
 as many as 500 fowls? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 49 
 
 Question — Will fowls do best if regular hours are observed 
 for feeding? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How can a small and cheap silo be erected for 
 keeping green food for fowls ? 
 
 Answer — Sink a vinegar or other tight barrel in the ground. 
 
 Question — How long after rape seed is sown will it be ready 
 for the fowls to pasture upon it ? 
 Answer — Six to eight weeks. 
 
 Question — How many crops of rape can be raised from one 
 seeding? 
 
 Answer — Three. 
 
 Question — Which is the best of the green foods? 
 Answer — Clover. 
 
 Question — Is it best to feed the mash warmed in winter? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Do old hens require as much food as pullets? 
 Answer — No. Generally what will be right for a growing 
 pullet will make an old hen too fat. 
 
 Question — What is a good method of feeding cabbage to the 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — Tie a string to the stalk and suspend it from the 
 ceiling of the house, letting it come to within twelve to eighteen 
 inches of the floor. The idea is to compel the fowls to jump a 
 little for each piece they get, thereby giving them exercise. 
 
 Question — How can beets, turnips and other like vegetables 
 be fed raw with the least waste and to best advantage ? 
 
 Answer — Take a piece of board, preferably one inch thick, 
 five inches wide, and of any convenient length, three feet being 
 a good size. Drive wire spikes into it six inches long, and have 
 them about six inches apart. Place the vegetables upon these 
 spikes, forcing them down till they rest on the board. Set the 
 board in a convenient place and allow the fowls to eat at will. 
 To prevent the spikes from falling out, another board of the 
 same size may be nailed over the first one, covering the heads 
 of the spikes. 
 
50 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Chicks. 
 
 Question — When killing lice on chicks, with grease, is there 
 any danger of injuring the chick? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Too much should not be used, and especially 
 on the body. ' 
 
 Question — How soon can the chicks be taken from the 
 mother hen ? 
 
 Answer — It is best to leave them with her till she neglects 
 them. 
 
 Question — Are the advertised liquid lice killers too strong 
 for use in nest boxes and coops for very young chicks? 
 Answer — Yes. The fumes are fatal in most cases. 
 
 Question— Is there any 'great disadvantage in allowing 
 chicks of different ages to run together? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The larger and stronger ones will invariably 
 annoy and fight the weaker ones and prevent them from getting 
 as much food as they need. 
 
 Question — Will February and March hatched chicks moult 
 in the late summer time? 
 
 Answer — Yes, in most cases. 
 
 Question — At what age is a chick a broiler? 
 Answer — From six to twelve weeks. The weight should be 
 V/2. to 3 pounds. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to train the chicks to roost on the 
 perches ? 
 
 Answer — No. Have the perches low so that the chicks can 
 reach them, and they may be depended upon to take to the roost 
 at the proper time. 
 
 Question — How can young chicks be protected from hawks ? 
 
 Answer — The only sure way is a good gun, and someone 
 who can shoot it. A scare crow is more or less effective, and in 
 localities where martins are found it will pay to put up boxes for 
 them on tall poles, as they are a great help in keeping hawks 
 away. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SI 
 
 Question — Are chicks when first hatched the same color as 
 the adult fowls? 
 
 Answer — No. Some varieties are very different. Most chicks 
 of black breeds will show a yellow or creamy color in some places, 
 and chicks of the white breeds may be smutty or have dark 
 patches in the down. The parti-colored breeds produce chicks 
 irregular in color. The true color begins to appear when the 
 first feathers begin to show and after the first downy covering of 
 the chick has disappeared. 
 
 Question — Are chicks properly incubated and in good condi- 
 tion when they hatch on the 20th day? 
 
 Answer — Yes ; 21 days is the time which is accepted as the 
 correct period of incubation, but strongly fertilized eggs from 
 healthy, vigorous stock will begin to hatch on the 20th day, and 
 some of the eggs in any particular lot may begin to pip on the 
 19th day. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to determine the sex of the 
 chick during the period of incubation or before the egg is set? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How often should chicks be fed during the first 
 ten days? 
 
 Answer — Do not feed them at all till they are 48 hours' old. 
 Then feed them five times per day till they are ten days old. 
 
 Question — In punching the webs of the feet of chicks, when 
 is the best time to do it? 
 
 Answer — It may be done any time, and it is best to do it 
 when the chicks are taken from the nest or the incubator. 
 
 Question — How can very small chicks best be resuscitated, 
 that have been caught out of the brooder in a heavy rain and are 
 wet and chilled to the point where they are apparently dead ? 
 
 Answer — Heat the brooder or incubator to 103 degrees and 
 place the chicks in it for an hour or two, after they have first been 
 revived by applications of water to their bodies which has been 
 heated to about 103 to 105 degrees. The better plan is to satu- 
 rate a flannel cloth with the warmed water and wrap the chick in 
 it for a moment, after which place it in the incubator or brooder. 
 
 Question— How can the sex of very young chicks be ascer- 
 tained ? 
 
 Answer — The male is a little larger and coarser, his comb is 
 also larger and the tail feathers more developed. 
 
52 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Can chicks be hatched profitably every month in 
 the year? 
 
 Answer — No, unless they are produced as broilers from 
 October to February, and incubators and brooders are empolyed 
 with special brooder houses. 
 
 Question — Is it wise to attempt to raise late hatched chick- 
 ens? 
 
 Answer — Chicks may be hatched in June and July if one is 
 prepared to give the extra care needed to keep them growing by 1 
 extra attention to feeding and watering and protection from the 
 hot sun. 
 
 Question — What causes leg weakness in chicks? 
 
 Answer — Board floors will cause it by creating a stiffness in 
 the legs and feet. Exposure to cold and wet will cause it by 
 bringing on an attack of rheumatism. Overfeeding induces it 
 by adding weight to the body before the legs can gain equal 
 strength. 
 
 Question — What can be done with chicks when the long 
 feathers of the wings attain such enormous length as to extend 
 past the tail and seemingly have a depressing effect on the chick? 
 
 Answer — Stop the growth by clipping the feathers close to 
 the base. 
 
 Question — Will incubator chicks be absolutely free from lice 
 if the machine is not infected, and if they are not allowed to come 
 in contact with hens or other fowls or buildings where lice are? 
 
 Answer — Yes. That is one of the valuable features of the 
 incubator. 
 
 Question — Will chicks thrive better on earth floor than on 
 a board one? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Why is it necessary to keep the young chicks in 
 the brooder in the morning till the dew is off the grass? 
 
 Answer — It is not necessary. It is often advocated, but a 
 good healthy strong chick will thrive better if not shut up. 
 
 Question — Will all cats eat young chicks? 
 Answer — It is not safe to trust any of them where young 
 chicks are. 
 
 Question — Are brooder raised chicks as strong and healthy 
 as those raised by hens? 
 
 Answer — There is no difference if they are properly brooded. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 53 
 
 Question — Is it generally profitable to buy chicks that have 
 just been taken from the incubator? 
 
 Answer — There is some trade in that branch of the busi- 
 ness, but in most cases it is unsatisfactory. Chicks need con- 
 stant brooder care and ample food for the first few weeks, and 
 they usually get a setback when shipped. 
 
 Question — What is a fair number of chicks to expect from 
 a setting of shipped eggs? 
 
 Answer — Ten chicks from fifteen eggs. 
 
 Question — If not more than eight chicks hatch from a set- 
 ting of fifteen eggs, ought the seller duplicate order at half price? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How many chicks should be allowed in a coop 
 together after weaning from the mother hen ? 
 Answer — Twenty-five. 
 
 Question. — What could cause bowel trouble in chicks that 
 are from one to two weeks old, when they are free from lice and 
 are properly fed and brooded? 
 
 Answer — There is large mortality among young chicks re- 
 sulting from inherited weakness or abnormal development of 
 some of the organs of digestion) or the same effect may be pro- 
 duced by improper incubation. The chicks may seem all right 
 in every way till bowel trouble sets in and results in death. The 
 only method of discovering the trouble is a post-mortem exam- 
 ination. Just before the chick breaks the shell, it takes into the 
 proper cavity the balance of the yolk of the egg. This yolk is 
 gradually fed into the intestine, until at the end of four or five 
 days it should be entirely absorbed. If on account of weakness 
 or abnormal development, as mentioned above, this yolk is not 
 normally digested and absorbed, it finally decomposes and 
 poisons the chick and fatal bowel trouble is the result. There is 
 of course no cure for it. 
 
 Question — If young chicks are allowed to roost too soon on 
 very narrow perches, will it cause them to have crooked breast 
 bones? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How long should a baby fowl be called a chick? 
 
 Answer — Chick is a term applied to the newly hatched fowl 
 till the sex can be distinguished, and the term to be used then is 
 cockerel or pullet. 
 
54 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What causes the crops of very young chicks to 
 become distended and very hard, causing death ? 
 
 Answer — Chicks sometimes get crop bound the same as do 
 old fowls. It may be caused by taking something into the crop 
 too large to pass through, or continued overfeeding may cause 
 it by repeated distentions of the crop till the muscles are para- 
 lyzed and the organ refuses to act. 
 
 Question — Can very young chicks drink enough cold water 
 to give them bowel trouble? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is lettuce good for young chicks? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will lice affect chicks in the same way as gapes, 
 as regards the movement of the head? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Oftentimes chicks die from the ravages of 
 lice and the owner attributes the trouble to gapes. 
 
 Question — Will coarse, sharp sand do for grift for very 
 young chicks? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — If chicks are allowed to run with a hen that has 
 scaly legs, will they, too, become affected? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How large should a closed run be made to ac- 
 commodate a hen and her newly hatched brood? 
 
 Answer — About 4 feet wide, 8 feet long and 2 feet high, 
 sides, ends and top covered with 1-inch mesh wire. 
 
 Question — Will a wild mother hen make the chicks wild? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 55 
 
 Houses. 
 
 Question — Is paint better than whitewash for the inside of 
 a poultry house? 
 
 Answer — No. Not as good. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to have an outside run with 
 scratching shed houses? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is there any objection to a brick poultry house? 
 Answer — Fowls will not thrive well in one. 
 
 Question — How can rats be kept out of the poultry house? 
 
 Answer — Tack two feet wid.e wire netting all around the 
 sills of the house, letting it extend straight into the ground for 
 18 inches and then turn it outward 6 inches. It should be one- 
 inch mesh. 
 
 Question — How high should the base-board be in the fences 
 between the runs, and are they really necessary at all? 
 
 Answer — They should extend from the ground up two feet. 
 They prevent fowls from fighting through the fence and serve 
 as a windbreak. They are very desirable. 
 
 Question — How high should fences be to prevent fowls 
 from flying over them? 
 
 Answer — Some fowls are easily confined, and others not. 
 Make the fences six feet high, using a single wire at the top to 
 stretch it, instead of tacking to a board. If necessary, stretch a 
 single wire across the top of the entire fence six inches above 
 the top. The fowls, in attempting to fly over, will strike this 
 wire and fall back. 
 
 Question — In covering the sides and ends of the poultry 
 house with tarred paper, should it be placed upon the inside or 
 outside ? 
 
 Answer — It will be most advantageous to cover the inside 
 walls. By so doing the paper will be protected from the weather, 
 will last longer and will aid in keeping the house free from 
 vermin. 
 
56 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is the objection to board floors? 
 Answer — They get full of cracks, thereby causing the loss 
 of much grain, and they form a harbor for rats under the house. 
 
 Question— What should be the dimensions of the pens in 
 the poultry house for best results? 
 
 Answer — 10 x 12 feet or 12 x 12 feet make very desirable 
 pens. It is better to divide a large house into this size pens 
 rather than attempt to keep large numbers of hens together in 
 one pen. 
 
 Question — Can a poultry house be maintained in a perfectly 
 sanitary condition and free from any disagreeable odor? 
 
 Answer — There is no more necessity for filthy and ill-smell- 
 ing poultry houses than is the case in any other branch of live 
 stock breeding. All that is required is to use ordinary diligence 
 in keeping the house clean. 
 
 Question — What is the best location for the poultry house? 
 
 Answer — An ideal location would be on the edge of an or- 
 chard, with the house facing toward the south or southeast. The 
 land should slope away from the house to prevent water drain- 
 ing toward it and causing dampness. 
 
 Question — What is the best floor for a poultry house? 
 
 Answer — Much depends upon the location. The most com- 
 mon are board, cement, brick and earth. Earth is best if it can 
 be kept dry. 
 
 Question — What are the objections to cement or brick 
 floors? 
 
 Answer — They are too hard and are unyielding to the 
 scratching of the fowls. They cause disease of the foot, and par- 
 ticularly bumble foot, which is similar to stone bruise. 
 
 Question — How high from the ground should the perches 
 be? 
 
 Answer — Two feet is about right. 
 
 Question — How high should the perch be from the drop- 
 ping board? 
 
 Answer — About 10 inches for medium-sized breeds and 12 
 inches for Asiatics. 
 
 Question — What kind of perch is best? 
 Answer — The surface upon which the fowl rests should be 
 two inches wide, with the edges slightly rounded. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 57 
 
 Question — When there are two or more perches together, is 
 it better to have each succeeding one higher than the other, or 
 should they be upon a level? 
 
 Answer — It is best to have them upon a level, and then there 
 will be no fighting for the higher places. 
 
 Question — What is the best size for nest boxes? 
 Answer — 12x15 inches, and 8 inches deep. 
 
 Question — What is the best location for + .he nests? 
 
 Answer — Under the dropping board, with the entrance to- 
 ward the wall, making the entire back into a hinged door to 
 drop down and afford easy access for removing eggs. 
 
 Question — Are two-story houses a success when the idea is 
 to keep fowls on the second floor? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How can dampness be kept out of the ordinary 
 cheap single-wall poultry house? 
 
 Answer — Put in cross pieces from side to side at the eaves 
 and fill the space above with hay or straw. It will absorb the 
 moisture. 
 
 Question — How wide should the dropping boards be? 
 Answer — Twenty inches for each perch. 
 
 Question — What location in the poultry house is best for 
 the perches? 
 
 Answer — In the darkest and most secluded portion and away 
 from the windows or other means of draughts. 
 
 Question — Is it a good plan to provide artificial heat for 
 poultry houses? 
 
 Answer — No. The fowls will thrive better without it. All 
 that is needed is as tight a house as good lumber can make it, 
 but double walls are advisable in very cold climates. 
 
 Question — Is it a good idea to dig out about two feet of 
 ground for the poultry house and have the floor that much be- 
 low the outside earth in order to keep the fowls warmer? 
 
 Answer — No. Such a house would nearly always be too 
 damp. The floor of the poultry house should be higher than the 
 surrounding earth outside. 
 
 Question — What is the best nesting material ? 
 Answer — Hay or straw. 
 
58 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is the best method of ventilation? 
 Answer — The doors and windows. Specially made ventila- 
 tors in the roof, etc., are not satisfactory. 
 
 Question — Should the dropping boards be set on a level or 
 slanting somewhat in order to make them easy to clean? 
 
 Answer — They should be on a level, so that birds falling on 
 them from the perches will be able to stand upon them and not 
 slide down in the droppings, thereby soiling the plumage. 
 
 Question— What disadvantages are there, if any, in having 
 a large number of windows in the poultry house? 
 
 Answer — It makgs the house too cold at night during the 
 winter. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to have glass skylights in the poul- 
 try house? 
 
 Answer — No. Good ones would be too expensive and or- 
 dinary sash lights cannot be prevented from leaking in rainy 
 weather. 
 
 Question — Is the scratching shed plan of house the best? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How much room on the perches should be 
 allowed for each bird? 
 
 Answer — In constructing perches alow 10 inches for the 
 smaller breeds and 13 inches for the larger ones. 
 
 Question — How much window space should be provided in 
 a house 12 x 12? 
 
 Answer — Two windows three feet square or the equivalent. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to have a nest for each hen? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How many square feet of floor space in the poul- 
 try house should be given each hen? 
 
 Answer — The old rule of ten square feet is about right. 
 
 Question — How much yard room is required for fowls? 
 Answer — Provide 100 square feet for each fowl and give 
 as much more as possible. 
 
 Question — What is the scratching shed plan of poultry 
 house? 
 
 Answer — Each enclosed room or pen in the house con- 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 59 
 
 nects with a shed, usually single walled and with the front en- 
 tirely open. Its purpose is to counteract the effects of confine- 
 ment in a closed house and at the. same time provide protec- 
 tion from the weather. 
 
 Question — Which is the better for the interior of the poultry 
 house, tarred paper or common building paper? 
 Answer — Tarred paper. 
 
 Question — How long will tarred paper last on the roof of a 
 poultry house? 
 
 Answer — Three years if it is painted or tarred each season 
 and properly cared for. 
 
 Question — Is a tin roof a good one for the poultry house? 
 Answer — No. It makes the house too hot in summer. 
 
 Question — What sort of a cheap arrangement could be made 
 to temporarily protect fowls on the perches at night in a freezing 
 temperature ? 
 
 Answer — Make a curtain of burlap or sacking suspended 
 from the ceiling of the house, and lower it around the perches at 
 night. 
 
 Question — How cold can the poultry house be in winter 
 without injury to the fowls? 
 
 Answer — Thirty degrees above zero is not too low. 
 
 Question — How far apart should colony houses be located? 
 Answer — About ten rods. 
 
 Question — What size should the colony houses be? 
 Answer — Large enough to hold about 25 old fowls or 50 
 chicks. 
 
 Question — How large should a poultry house be for 50 
 adult fowls? 
 
 Answer — A good size would be 16x40 feet, divided into 
 four pens. 
 
 Question — Is it best to have a hall or passageway in the 
 poultry house? 
 
 Answer — Yes, except in colony houses. 
 
 Question — Are double wall poultry houses necessary in the 
 average climate? 
 Answer — No. 
 
60 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Where can one purchase a book giving plans and 
 description of all kinds of poultry houses? 
 
 Answer — Successful Poultry Journal Publishing Co., 537 So. 
 Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. The price of the book is 50 cents. 
 
 Question — Do common store or dry goods boxes make suit- 
 able houses for bantams? 
 
 Answer — Yes. \ 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to cover the box houses for ban- 
 tams with tar paper or building paper? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — When is the best time to build the poultry house? 
 Answer — In the spring or fall. 
 
 Question — What is the average cost of constructing scratch- 
 ing shed houses? 
 
 Answer — About $2 per running foot of house. 
 
 Question — What size scratching shed house would answer 
 for 12 fowls? 
 
 Answer — Roosting room 7x6 feet and scratching shed 10x7 
 feet. 
 
 Question — How are movable poultry houses built? 
 
 Answer — Just like any other, except that the sills are heavy 
 and act as runners. A horse is hitched to the house and it can 
 be moved any reasonable distance without injury. 
 
 Question — How large should the holes in the poultry house 
 be for allowing the fowls to pass in and out from the pens to 
 the runs? 
 
 Answer — Twelve inches wide and 14 inches high. 
 
 Question — In building the poultry house, where posts must 
 be sunk in the ground for sills to rest upon, what kind of posts 
 are best and will last longest? 
 
 Answer — Cedar. 
 
 Question — What is the best way to ventilate the poultry 
 house? 
 
 Answer — By leaving the doors and windows open the re- 
 quired length of time during the day. 
 
 Question — Is it best to have the nests, perches, dropping 
 boards, etc., made of planed lumber? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 61 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 for lice. 
 
 It does not afford so much of a hiding place 
 
 Question — What should be the pitch of a shingle roof? 
 Answer — Nine inches to the foot. 
 
 Question — What should be the pitch to a tar and gravel 
 roof? 
 
 Answer — One-half inch to the foot. 
 
 Question — How can a dust box be provided at the least 
 expense ? 
 
 Answer — Procure two pieces of board, three feet long and 
 twelve inches wide. Select the most convenient corner of the 
 house inside and nail one of the boards to the side of the house 
 three feet from the corner, allowing it to extend straight out into 
 the pen. Nail the other in the same manner to the end wall 
 three feet from the corner, allowing it to extend straight out and 
 meet the first one. Then nail the two ends, and the box is 
 formed. It requires no bottom if the pen has an earth floor. 
 
 Question — Is a long, narrow run preferable to a square one, 
 if they both contain the same number of square feet? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
62 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Diseases. 
 
 Question — Will colds ever disappear without treatment? 
 Answer — Sometimes slight ones will. 
 
 Question — What is the condition of a fowl's excrement when 
 in perfect health? 
 
 Answer — It is voided in cylindrical masses and is dark 
 green in color tipped with white. 
 
 Question — What causes chicks to droop and stand around 
 with their heads drawn in and eyes shut? They finally die. 
 
 Answer — Most chicks thus affected are infested with lice, 
 which are principally found on the head and throat. It is difficult 
 to revive very young chicks after they reach the stage described. 
 One of the very best remedies for lice on young chicks is to 
 grease the head and throat lightly with ordinary lard or vaseline. 
 
 Question — How can medicine in powdered form be best ad- 
 ministered to fowls? 
 
 Answer — Put it in capsules or mix it with water, make it 
 into pellets and force the fowl to swallow it. 
 
 Question — Do fowls ever have tumors? 
 
 Answer — Yes. They are readily distinguishable by their 
 appearance. Treatment requires too much time, and not one 
 time in a hundred is successful. The birds should be killed and 
 buried. 
 
 Question — What is Douglas Mixture? 
 
 Answer — It is a very strong medicine supposed to be effica- 
 cious in cholera and similar diseases. It is made of sulphuric 
 acid one-half ounce and copperas one-half pound in a half gal- 
 lon of water. It is administered by placing a tablespoonful in the 
 water for a dozen hens daily. 
 
 Question — What causes the plumage of the head and neck 
 to disappear and the parts assume a scab-like condition? 
 
 Answer — It is caused by a parasite called the depluming 
 mite. Anoint the parts with lard and flowers of sulphur, two 
 tablespoonfuls of the former to a teaspoonful of the latter. Car- 
 bolated vaseline is also good. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 63 
 
 Question — What is the trouble with a fowl when its comb 
 turns very dark for a day or two and then assumes its normal 
 color again? 
 
 Answer — Indigestion or other ailment which causes a slug- 
 gish movement of the blood. 
 
 Question — Does it pay to doctor sick fowls? 
 Answer — Not unless the bird is an extremely valuable one 
 and the keeper has the time and inclination to treat it. 
 
 Question — What causes the skin of chicks to puff up in 
 places and fill with air, and how should the trouble be treated ? 
 
 Answer — The exact cause has never been discovered, or at 
 least a satisfactory explanation has never been given. Air accu- 
 mulates under the skin and at times will produce a "wind 
 tumor" the size of a small walnut. The remedy is to prick the 
 skin with a pin and allow the air to escape. If it again accumu- 
 lates, cut out a small diamond-shaped piece of the skin with a 
 pair of sharp scissors and anoint it with vaseline. 
 
 Question — What causes diarrhoea in young chicks? The 
 discharge is thin and white, the down on the posterior portion 
 of the body becomes matted and the vent clogged. The chick 
 stands drawn in and will occasionally waver and start convul- 
 sively in an effort to evacuate the bowels. The efforts are 
 apparently painful and are sometimes accompanied by a cry. 
 They refuse to eat and they die in a short time. 
 
 Answer — A fatal diarrhoea such as described may be caused 
 by different things. Lice are responsible for perhaps a majority 
 of cases. Some of the other causes are the feeding of pepper 
 and condiments, condition powders and other improper food, 
 wet, raw and sloppy food and mashes, feeding too soon, a lack 
 of grit, confinement in close quarters where the air is foul and 
 vitiated, eating food which has been thrown down in their own 
 filth, a chill resulting from exposure to cold or a .00 low tem- 
 perature in the brooder, and improper incubation before they 
 are hatched. The remedy is to first find the cause and remove 
 it if possible. Place the chicks in a good warm brooder and 
 feed them properly. Some good remedies for checking diarrhoea 
 are as follows: Boiled rice upon which has been sprinkled a 
 little cinnamon lime water to drink, boiled milk, and dry bran. 
 Medicinal remedies are a half teaspoonful of tannic acid in a 
 tablespoonful of powdered charcoal and mixed with sufficient 
 soft food for about 30 chicks, dried cracker or bread crumbs 
 upon which has been sprinkled a little powdered chalk, a tea- 
 spoonful of tincture of iron in a quart of drinking water, one- 
 
64 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 eighth grain of. powdered opium and two grains of subnitrate 
 of bismuth every four hours in the most severe cases. 
 
 Question — What is pip and the cure for it? 
 
 Answer — Pip is a dry, hardened condition of the tip end of 
 the tongue and is caused by the fowl being compelled to breathe 
 continuously through the mouth by reason of the cold, roup or 
 other disease which closes the nostrils. The remedy is to remove 
 the cause by curing the diseased condition of the nostrils. The 
 hard crust upon the end of the tongue should never be removed, 
 as it is a part of the tongue. Apply vaseline lightly to it. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms of worms and what is 
 the treatment for them? 
 
 Answer — The fowl becomes dejected and emaciated. It 
 walks with difficulty and may have convulsions. The appetite 
 is abnormal and great quantities of food will be eaten with no 
 benefit to the fowl. Feed the bird sparingly for a day or two 
 and then give it corn, wheat or other grain which has been 
 soaked for from twelve to twenty-four hours in turpentine. Give 
 no other feed for a day and administer a liberal dose of Epsom 
 salts or castor oil. If the fowl refuses to eat the grain, force a 
 small quantity of sugar down the throat upon which has been 
 placed two or three drops of turpentine. A piece of asafcetida 
 the size of a grain of corn is also beneficial. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms of diphtheria and the 
 cure for it? 
 
 Answer — The exterior symptoms are generally a weakened 
 and prostrated condition. The fowls stand drawn into a ball- 
 like shape and the plun.age is more or less ruffled. The mouth 
 and throat are affected with false membranes of a yellow or 
 whitish yellow color. The eyes and nasal passages may also be 
 affected. Sometimes there is a loss of voice, and the air passages 
 in the throat may become entirely obstructed, causing death. 
 These accumulations should be removed even to the extent of 
 causing bleeding, after which follow the treatment suggested for 
 roup on another page. 
 
 Question — What is chicken pox? 
 
 Answer — Chicken pox, sometimes called "sore head," be- 
 comes manifest in the form of scabby excrescences on the comb, 
 lobes, face and the unfeathered portions of the head. The sores 
 are wart-like in appearance and may become so numerous and 
 serious as to result in death. The disease is contagious and 
 afflicted birds should be immediately separated from the flock 
 and treated. The trouble generally makes its appearance in wet 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 65 
 
 weather during the summer. Damp, filthy poultry houses in- 
 crease the tendency toward the disease, and jn any event is 
 favorable to its development. The prime cause of it is often 
 mosquito or flea bites upon a fowl whose system is not able to 
 throw off the poison. 
 
 Question — What is a good remedy for chicken pox? 
 
 Answer — Anoint the affected parts frequently with carbo- 
 lated vaseline, removing the crusts as they soften and yield to 
 gentle rubbing. 
 
 Question — Do fowls have epileptic fits? 
 
 Answer — Yes, occasionally. The effects and symptoms are 
 the same as in people. They may be caused by tumors on the 
 brain and in some cases intestinal worms. Treatment is 
 unsatisfactory, but in mild cases 3 grains of bromide of potash 
 given twice a day is sometimes beneficial. 
 
 Question — What causes a hen to "bag down behind" and 
 what is the cure? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes hens become so fat that the posterior 
 portion of the body almost drags the ground, wjiich condition 
 is commonly termed "bagging down behind." The flesh becomes 
 diseased and is red and inflamed. In chronic cases the roots 
 of the feathers are affected and the plumage drops off, leaving 
 the bird in a most unsightly condition. When the trouble has 
 not reached the incurable stage the remedy is to feed sparingly, 
 giving mostly green food and compelling the bird to scratch 
 for all the grain given it. In addition to this apply vaseline daily 
 to the exposed portion of the body. 
 
 Question — What is the cause of little chicks becoming 
 clogged up behind? 
 
 Answer — It is caused by bowel trouble, which may be the 
 result of errors in feeding or lice or improper brooding, in which 
 case it is generally lack of sufficient heat. Examine them for 
 lice and feed them boiled rice with a little lime water to drink. 
 
 Question — What is the best remedy for a frostbitten comb ? 
 
 Answer — There is no remedy which will restore the comb 
 to its normal condition if treatment is delayed till the comb 
 turns black. The best that can be done is to anoint it frequently 
 with carbolated vaseline or other like ointment. 
 
 Question — What causes swollen eyes in fowls, and what will 
 cure them ? 
 
 Answer — Roup in some of its stages is generally the cause. 
 
66 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 A slight cold may at times settle in the eye and cause it to swell. 
 This is especially true if a fowl roosts near a crack in the wall 
 of the roosting quarters where the wind blowing through will 
 strike the head and eye. Bathe the eye with equal parts of warm 
 water and vinegar and anoint it with carbolated vaseline. See 
 question relative to roup. ; 
 
 Question— What is Scaly Leg? 
 
 Answer — Scaly Leg is that roughened condition of the legs 
 caused by a minute parasite burrowing beneath the scales, forc- 
 ing them out from the leg by an accumulation of a white, crusty 
 substance beneath them. The color of the leg is destroyed and 
 in cases of long standing the legs and scales are entirely covered 
 with the growth. 
 
 Question — What is the cause of grain passing through fowls* 
 whole? 
 
 Answer — A weakness of the digestive organs usually super- 
 induced by a lack of grit. 
 
 Question — What is a good remedy for Scaly Leg? 
 
 Answer — A mixture of equal parts of lard and common 
 kerosene or coal oil should be applied to the legs daily until all 
 the accumulated crusty formation has been removed. Then ap- 
 ply carbolated vaseline once every two or three days till the 
 new scales begin to grow. 
 
 Question — What is roup and the cure for it? 
 
 Answer — Roup is one of the most contagious and destruc- 
 tive diseases among fowls. It is a germ disease, and while 
 contagion is generally the medium by which it is spread, it 
 oftentimes develops from aggravated colds which have been al- 
 lowed to reach the stage where they are properly termed con- 
 tagious catarrh. The symptoms of roup in its early stages are 
 very similar to those of catarrh. There is a watery discharge 
 from the nostrils and breathing is difficult. Later the dis- 
 charge becomes thicker, the nostrils are almost or entirely ob- 
 structed and the breathing is almost wholly through the mouth. 
 There is frequent sneezing and shaking of the head in attempt- 
 ing to clear the nostrils. The plumage is roughened, the comb 
 turns very dark, there is much fever and loss of appetite. The 
 fowl stands around listlessly, with head drawn in or carried hid- 
 den under the front portion of the wing. After the disease is 
 thoroughly developed there is a very offensive odor present, and 
 this is a never-failing distinguishing feature of roup. The wa- 
 tery secretion previously referred to becomes thick, yellowish 
 and profuse. It not only obstructs the nasal passage, but ac- 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 67 
 
 cumulates in the throat and in the space or cavity in the head 
 surrounding the eyes. It thus causes great swelling and the 
 eyes are sometimes swollen entirely shut, forcing the eyeball 
 out of the socket and destroying the sight. The fowl becomes 
 emaciated, weak and exhausted, and finally dies unconscious. 
 Roup in the most advanced stages is difficult t© cure. Unless 
 the bird is very valuable and the attendant has ample time to 
 work with it, the best course is to kill and bury it. The dis- 
 ease should be prevented by good strengthening food, plenty 
 of exercise and clean, well-ventilated houses, free from draughts. 
 The afflicted birds should be given an internal remedy of a 
 stimulating and tonic nature. A good one is as follows: Car- 
 bonate of Iron, 2 drams ; Gentian Root, 4 drams ; Cayenne pep- 
 per, 1 dram ; Flour of Sulphur, 2 drams ; Hyposulphite of So- 
 dium, 1 dram; Salicylate of Sodium, 1 dram. These should be 
 well pulverized and thoroughly mixed. Four grains should be 
 given for a dose once a day. Wet it and make into pellets or 
 place it in capsules and force the fowl to swallow them. It 
 may be mixed with the mash if the fowl will eat. The mouth 
 and nostrils should be washed once or twice a day with a solu- 
 tion of Boric Acid, 15 grains to an ounce of water. If the eyes 
 are closed, or to clear them of the sticky fluid generally present, 
 bathe them with salt water, a half teaspoonful of salt in a pint 
 of water. Sometimes it becomes necessary to open the swell- 
 ings on the head and remove the pus which has accumulated. 
 This should be done with a very sharp instrument, and the 
 wounds kept filled and treated with antiseptic powder, such as 
 iodoform. The throat, nostrils and cleft in the roof of the mouth 
 connecting with the nostrils should be treated two or three times 
 daily by injecting antiseptic solutions into them. Many remedies 
 have been found efficacious and cures have been effected with 
 common coal oil or kerosene, but it is better to dilute it with 
 half sweet oil. Peroxide of Hydrogen is perhaps the best. It is 
 cheap and of undoubted merit. Whatever is used should be 
 forced well to the affected parts with a syringe, medicine drop- 
 per, or even a small oil can such as used on ordinary sewing 
 machines. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms of cholera and a cure 
 for it? 
 
 Answer — Genuine fowl cholera is not often found. It is 
 often confounded with some forms of indigestion that produce 
 somewhat the same symptoms, and are generally fatal. Cholera 
 proves fatal in about 3 or 4 days and treatment is useless. As 
 good a remedy as any, or one that will be as apt to produce re- 
 sults, is one dram of hydrochloric acid in a quart of water. Give 
 a teaspoonful twice a day. One of the symptoms is loss of ap- 
 petite, but in exceptional cases it has been observed that the 
 
68 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 fowl will eat nearly to the time it dies. One of the first symp- 
 toms noted is the yellow coloration of that part of the excre- 
 ment voided by the kidneys, which in a healthy fowl is white, 
 but this is present in other diseases, and in itself is not an in- 
 fallible indication of cholera. The droppings are constant and 
 are thin and watery, changing from yellow to green. The bird 
 droops and falls into a drowsy condition, from which it is with 
 difficulty aroused. The crop is sometimes distended and has 
 the appearance of being paralyzed. There is great weakness and 
 loss of flesh, and the bird falls over at the slightest touch. The 
 diarrhoea is severe from the start, and the comb turns pale and 
 seemingly bloodless. In some cases the bird dies in convulsions. 
 A postmortem examination shows the gall bladder distended 
 and the liver greatly enlarged and dark green in color. Cholera 
 is a germ disease and is generally communicated by afflicted 
 birds contaminating the ground with their droppings and those 
 coming in contact with food or grit taken by other birds. The 
 wisest course to pursue in case of cholera is to isolate all af- 
 flicted birds, kill and bury them and thoroughly clean and disin- 
 fect the houses and runs. As a disinfectant use one pound of 
 carbolic acid in 10 quarts of warm water. Use a sprinkling can 
 such as is used in sprinkling flowers and apply liberal quantities 
 of the solution once a day for at least a week. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms, the cause and the cure 
 for Bumble Foot? 
 
 Answer — Bumble Foot is a form of stone bruise. It is gen- 
 erally caused by constant confinement upon hard floors or runs, 
 or may be caused by the fowl jumping on a hard surface from 
 the perch or other high place; extremely narrow perches will 
 also cause it. In mild cases the bottom of the foot is swollen and 
 is inflamed and noticeably painful. The foot should be held in 
 warm water for fifteen or twenty minutes, keeping the water as 
 warm as the hand will bear, after which apply boric acid oint- 
 ment, which is made by adding one part boric acid to five parts 
 vaseline. Repeat this once each day for three days and keep the 
 bird confined on soft earth or in a coop with some sort of soft 
 bedding. In aggravated cases, abscesses form and the swelling 
 must be opened. Soak the foot in warm water as above de- 
 scribed, then with a very sharp knife make an X-shaped inci- 
 sion and clean the wound thoroughly with luke-warm water. 
 Dust it with iodoform and apply the boric acid ointment. Band- 
 age the foot with cotton and dress it daily as above, keeping the 
 fowl confined till the wound has healed. 
 
 Question — What causes white crusts to form on the comb, 
 and what is the cure? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 69 
 
 Answer — This condition of the comb is known as white 
 comb, and if not checked will cause the comb to crack and fall 
 to one side, destroying a portion of it in the same manner as a 
 cancer. It may also spread to the skin of the head and other 
 parts of the fowl. The growth is of a fungus nature and may 
 be communicated by contact. As much of the crust as can be 
 scraped off without causing bleeding should be removed. Apply 
 tincture of iodine daily, also an ointment made of 1 part of red 
 oxide of mercury to 8 parts of vaseline. If the case is too severe 
 to yield to this treatment apply an ointment made of 3 grains 
 of nitrate of silver thoroughly mixed with a half ounce of vase- 
 line. 
 
 Question — What causes leg weakness in young birds? 
 
 Answer — Improper heating of the brooder and too much 
 bottom heat will cause it. Birds that grow too fast are often 
 temporarily afflicted. Heavy feeding for forced growth will also 
 produce it. 
 
 Question — What is the cure for leg weakness? 
 
 Answer — The main point is to remove the cause. Feed 
 plenty of green food and such grains as rice and barley. Avoid 
 condiments and stimulating food. Give 10 grains of baking 
 soda in a pint of water. 
 
 Question — What is the trouble with fowls when they be- 
 come lame from no apparent cause? 
 
 Answer — That trouble is generally of a rheumatic nature. 
 Fowls are very susceptible to rheumatism when exposed to cold 
 and dampness, and especially when these conditions prevail in 
 addition to filthy houses and poor ventilation. Give 25 grains 
 of Epsom salts and place 35 grains of baking soda in each quart 
 of drinking water. Give 2 grains of salicylic acid twice a day 
 and apply carbolated vaseline or some good liniment to the af- 
 fected joints. 
 
 Question — What is the cause, prevention and cure of gapes? 
 
 Answer — The best thing to do is to adopt preventive meas- 
 ures, by confining all the affected chicks where they cannot min- 
 gle with the remainder of the flock. This disease is scattered by 
 the fowls coming in contact with the worms that have been 
 coughed up by the afflicted chicks and that have found lodgment 
 in feeding and drinking vessels or on the ground itself. The 
 primary cause is often the eating of angle worms, although in 
 some localities these worms do not affect the chicks. The runs 
 and houses in which the chicks have been confined should be 
 well cleaned and disinfected with a 5 per cent solution of car- 
 bolic "acid. For treatment of the afflicted birds take a feather, 
 strip off the web to within an inch of the end, and moisten it 
 
70 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 well with oil of turpentine. Hold the chick firmly in the hand, 
 force the mouth open and when the wind-pipe is open for breath- 
 ing insert the feather, giving it a quick turn and removing it 
 promptly. Two or three applications of this will bring the chicks 
 around all right. A good internal treatment is two or three 
 feeds of garlic mixed with soft feed in a proportion of one good- 
 sized bulb of garlic to about ten chicks. Camphor in the form of 
 pills is also a good remedy, a dose being one-half to one grain 
 twice a day. 
 
 Question — How can a lopped comb be straightened? 
 Answer — There is no remedy for it. 
 
 Question — What is the matter with a bird having the fol- 
 lowing symptoms : There is an appearance of giddiness and the 
 head is thrown up and back or the neck may be thrown to one ' 
 side. The walk is unsteady and the bird may go backward or 
 sideways or in a circle. In some cases it falls to the ground 
 fluttering and makes convulsive movements? 
 
 Answer — The trouble is congestion of the brain. It may 
 be caused by overfat condition or as the result of fright or indi- 
 gestion. Sometimes worms in the intestines will cause it. Male 
 birds, during the breeding season, are especially subject to at- 
 tack. It may be the result of blows upon the head, or a com- 
 plication of infectious diseases or exposure to the hot rays of the 
 sun. The treatment for the trouble is to apply cold water to the 
 head till it is thoroughly cool, confine the bird in a cool, shady 
 place, and if a breeding male, take it out of the breeding pen for 
 a week. Give a dose of two teaspoonfuls of castor oil and let 
 the food consist principally of green foods. Give three grains of 
 Bromide of Potassium three times a day, dissolved in a tea- 
 spoonful of water. 
 
 Question — What is wrong with a fowl when it shakes or 
 jerks the head violently and is seemingly unable to swallow any 
 food at all? 
 
 Answer — In rare cases a grain of corn or other such article 
 may become fastened in the upper part of the digestive tract 
 and if the above symptoms are the only ones noticeable that 
 is probably the trouble. Raise the tongue and if the obstruc- 
 tion is found remove it. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms of vent gleet and the 
 cure? 
 
 Answer — There is a frequent passage of droppings in small 
 quantities and the parts are dry and swollen with fever. The 
 discharge is at first watery, but soon becomes white and very 
 offensive. It collects upon the feathers and irritates the skin 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 71 
 
 and destroys the plumage. The inflamed skin around the vent 
 may become ulcerous. For treatment procure a sufficient quan- 
 tity of quite warm water to immerse the lower part of the body 
 and dissolve a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in each quart 
 of water. Hold the bird in this water for a half hour each day, 
 and after removing it dry the parts and inject a tablespoonful 
 of the following mixture — glycerine, two ounces ; boric acid, one 
 and one-half drams; morphia sulphate, one grain; and water, a 
 half pint. A small piece of cotton may be saturated with the 
 remedy and inserted into the vent twice a day, allowing it to 
 remain there till the bird expels it. If sores or ulcers form upon 
 the skin outside keep them dusted well with iodoform. The 
 disease is contagious and an afflicted bird should be at once 
 isolated from the remainder of the flock. 
 
 Question — What could cause apparently healthy birds to 
 die suddenly without any ascertainable cause? 
 
 Answer — It is usually apoplexy. It is the result of a rup- 
 ture of one of the blood vessels of the brain, and may be caused 
 by over-feeding, or too stimulating food, or injuries. It may al- 
 so result from violent exertion or straining in laying eggs. Hens 
 are often found dead in the nest or under the perches from this 
 cause. There is no remedy, as the bird dies before the trouble 
 is discovered. 
 
 Question — What disease is indicated by the following symp- 
 toms : Rapid and extreme emaciation till the bird is almost a 
 living skeleton? The comb and wattles are so pale that they 
 are almost white. The appetite is generally voracious, and in 
 the latter stages the bird is quite dull and sleepy. 
 
 Answer — The disease is termed "going light" and is really 
 consumption. There is no cure for it. It is sometimes con- 
 tagious, and as soon as a bird is discovered in this condition it 
 should be killed and buried. 
 
 Question — What are the symptoms of "egg bound" and the 
 remedy for it? 
 
 ' Answer — The fowl makes repeated unsuccessful attempts 
 to pass the egg and becomes listless with roughened plumage. 
 A hard lump may be felt in the posterior portion of the body. 
 Inject a small quantity of sweet oil and endeavor to remove the 
 egg by pressure. Sometimes it can only be removed by prick- 
 ing the shell and allowing the contents to escape, after which 
 remove the shell with the fingers. In aggravated cases the egg 
 may break through the weakened tissue and escape into the ab- 
 dominal cavity, in which case the bird should be killed. 
 
72 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Can a hen be seriously sick and continue to lay? 
 Answer — Yes, for a while. 
 
 Question — What causes a bird to throw the head and neck 
 forward and upward? The action seems to be an unsuccessful 
 effort to swallow something. 
 
 Answer — If no other symptoms of disease are apparent, it 
 is very probable that something too large for the bird to swal- 
 low has become lodged in the throat. This sometimes happens 
 and the remedy is to remove the obstruction by gentle pressure 
 and rubbing, forcing it either out of the mouth or into the crop, 
 the latter if there is reason to believe that the object is in the 
 nature of food that can be properly taken care of by the crop, 
 and the former if the obstruction appears to be bones or other 
 hard and indigestible matter of extraordinary size. 
 
 Question — What is the cause, the symptoms, and the cure 
 for bronchitis? 
 
 Answer — The primary cause is generally a cold, but it may 
 be the result of inhaling irritating vapors or dust. In severe 
 cases there is loss of appetite and the bird presents a generally 
 dull appearance. The breathing is somewhat faster than nor- 
 mal and there is a whistling, wheezing sound, which develops 
 into a rattling or gurgling noise by reason of the air passing 
 through the mucus. Treatment is not very successful. Give 
 three drops of syrup of ipecac twice a day and force the bird to 
 inhale the steam from boiling water in which has been placed 
 a teaspoonful of carbolic acid to a gallon of water. 
 
 Question — What is the cause, the cure and symptoms of 
 catarrh of the crop? 
 
 Answer — There are several causes, among which are the 
 taking into the crop of irritating, indigestible substances, over- 
 loading the crop, eating decomposed meat or other putrid ar- 
 ticles and the presence of paristic worms in the crop, especially 
 maggots. The organ becomes practically paralyzed and much 
 distended. The contents decompose and ferment and an of- 
 fensive liquid and gas accumulates as will be indicated by feel- 
 ing the crop and the belching of the bird. The crop should be 
 emptied by holding the bird by the legs, head downward, and 
 gently kneading the organ, thereby forcing the contents out 
 through the mouth. Keep the bird without food for twelve 
 to eighteen hours, and then feed lightly of easily digested foods. 
 As soon as the crop is emptied give one grain of bicarbonate 
 of soda and one and one-half grains of subnitrate of bismuth 
 in a dessertspoonful of water and repeat the dose once a day 
 for three days. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 73 
 
 Question — Are fowls subject to diseases of the liver; if so, 
 what are the symptoms and cure? 
 
 Answer — There are several forms of liver disease. They 
 originate principally from lack of exercise, incorrect methods of 
 feeding and a continued diet of grain, especially corn and other 
 fat-forming foods. The disease can seldom be detected till too 
 late to cure it. Treatment is not profitable. The usual symp- 
 toms are loss of appetite, sluggishness and a yellowish color in 
 the face. 
 
 Question — Do fowls have Dropsy? 
 
 Answer — Yes, the symptoms are very pale comb, a gener- 
 ally enfeebled condition and diminished appetite. The most 
 prominent indication is the enlargement of the abdomen, which 
 is distended till it nearly reaches the ground and is soft and 
 yielding to the touch as though it were a fleshy bag filled with 
 liquid. There is no remedy for the disease. Birds affected 
 should be killed as soon as the nature of the disease is sus- 
 pected. 
 
 Question — What is the proper treatment for "Crop Bound?" 
 Answer — Mild cases can be cured by giving a tablespoon- 
 ful of sweet oil and one or two tablespoonfuls of quite warm 
 water, after which knead the crop gently and force the contents 
 out of the mouth, holding the bird head downward. If the crop 
 is hard and much distended and the above treatment fails to 
 give relief, an operation is necessary to remove the obstruction. 
 Make an incision in the outer skin with a very sharp knife. It 
 should be near the top and should be up and down, not more 
 than two inches in length. Force the crop to one side before 
 making an incision in it, so> that when the wounds are sewed 
 up the one in the crop proper will not be opposite the one in 
 the outer skin, but will be entirely covered by the skin. After 
 making the second incision remove the contents of the crop, 
 after which cleanse it thoroughly with warm water in which 
 has been placed a small quantity of any good antiseptic solu- 
 tion, four drops of carbolic acid to an ounce of water will an- 
 swer the purpose. Stitch the cuts with silk thread, being par- 
 ticular not to fasten the crop to the outer skin. The wounds 
 should heal in five or six days. Give no food at all for about 
 twelve hours, and then begin feeding by giving milk for a day 
 in small quantities at a time, then allowing soft food, principally 
 mashes, and in four or five days' whole grain and the regular diet 
 may be given. 
 
 Question — What is a good remedy to apply to frozen combs 
 
74 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 or other parts of the fowl where the object is to reduce inflam- 
 mation? 
 
 Answer — Li sterine. 
 
 Question — What is Black Head in turkeys? 
 
 Answer — Black Head is a disease of the digestive organs 
 and the liver in which one of the most prominent symptoms 
 is a deep discoloration of the head. Treatment is unsuccessful 
 except in the early stages of the disease. Give the following three 
 times a day: Hyposulphite of sodium, 3 grains; sulphate of 
 iron, 1 grain ; sulphur, 10 grains, and sulphate of quinine, 1 grain. 
 Among the symptoms are loss of appetite, weakness, emaciation 
 and severe diarrhoea. This disease is caused by a micro-parasite 
 and is contagious through the droppings coming in contact with 
 food or water. Sick birds should be immediately isolated and 
 the yards and houses disinfected with a five per cent solution of 
 carbolic acid. 
 
 Question — What is the cause and cure of Limber Neck? 
 
 Answer — It is caused by the action of maggots in the crop. 
 They are usually taken into the crop by eating the decaying car- 
 cass of animals or birds. Give drinking water, into which has 
 been placed a teaspoonful of Hyposulphite of Soda to a quart 
 of water. Give also a piece of Asafoetida the size of a pea. 
 
 Question — Can a frozen comb be saved if it is affected so 
 bad that it is very black? 
 
 Answer — Only in exceptional cases. Treatment should be 
 given, however, to relieve soreness of the live parts. 
 
 Question — What is Prolapsus of the Oviduct? 
 
 Answer — This trouble is found principally in old hens. It 
 may be the result of over-feeding, too stimulating food, the ex- 
 cessive feeding of egg foods and condition powder, inflammation 
 of the oviduct, constipation or straining to expel large eggs. A 
 large red-colored mass protrudes from the vent, becomes in- 
 flamed and gangrene may result. The treatment should com- 
 mence in the early stages of the disease. An examination should 
 be made with a view to ascertaining if an egg has become fast- 
 ened in the passage, in which case treat as recommended on 
 another page for Egg Bound. Give 4 drops of fluid extract of 
 ergot. Apply lard or vaseline to the parts and return them by 
 gentle pressure. 
 
 Question — How can excessive fat cause the death of a fowl? 
 
 Answer — The fat extends to the liver and destroys the cells 
 
 therein. The organ is much weakened and unable to confine 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 75 
 
 the blood in it and perform its natural functions. The result 
 is the bursting of it and the release of a large amount of blood, 
 and the fowl, which might be apparently in perfect health, dies 
 in a few moments, usually with a few convulsive movements. 
 
 Question — Is the condition of the comb a reliable indica- 
 tion of the health of the fowl? 
 
 Answer — Yes. If the comb is not its natural color, there 
 is something wrong with the bird. 
 
 Question — What is a good remedy for constipation in 
 fowls? 
 
 Answer — Ten drops of sulphate of magnesia in a pint of 
 drinking water. 
 
 Question — Will the various drugs and medicines affect fowls 
 in the same manner as human beings? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The dose should be smaller. 
 
 Question — Will pools of stagnant water around the poultry 
 yard spread disease? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — In what quantities should quinine be given to 
 fowls for colds? 
 
 Answer — A one-grain capsule each day. 
 
 Question — Are diseases of various kinds common in the 
 poultry yard even when good care is taken of the fowls? 
 
 Answer — No. Disease is practically unknown except where 
 there is neglect, improper feeding and filth. 
 
 Question — What causes the edges of the comb and wattles 
 to turn purplish red? 
 
 Answer — Indigestion. 
 
 Question — What causes young chicks to go around with 
 their wings drooping and seemingly exhausted? 
 Answer — Heat and lice. 
 
 Question — What is the best plan to detect colds and roup 
 in the very earliest stages? 
 
 Answer — Go into the poultry house at night after the fowls 
 have all gone to roost and listen for wheezing and sniffling 
 sounds. All birds thus noted should be removed from the flock 
 and immediately treated. 
 
76 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Incubators and Brooders. 
 
 NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION AND BROODING 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to buy an incubator when one is 
 breeding on a small scale? 
 
 Answer — An incubator is a desirable addition to the poul- 
 try man's plant whether he has many or few fowls. Machines 
 of small capacity may be purchased cheaply and they are al- 
 ways ready for service. With them eggs may be hatched at 
 any season of the year; one does not have to depend upon sit- 
 ting hens, and eggs hatched in an incubator do not produce 
 chicks covered with lice as is the case when hatched by hens. 
 
 Question — Which is the best — hot air or hot water incuba- 
 tors? 
 
 Answer — It is very generally acknowledged that hot air 
 machines are the best, and while both kinds have produced good 
 results, nearly all high-grade machines are heated by hot air 
 and the preponderance of evidence is in their favor. 
 
 Question — What is the effect of too high and too low tem- 
 perature for long periods? 
 
 Answer — If it runs most of the time below 103 the hatch 
 will be delayed and the chicks will come out about the 22d day. 
 If it runs too high the chicks will come out sooner than they 
 should. Chicks hatched under these conditions are handicapped 
 greatly and require much special care and special attention to 
 mature them properly. 
 
 Question — Is it not necessary to provide moisture in incu- 
 bators in exceptionally dry climates, even though the machine 
 is supposed to be a non-moisture one ; and if so, what is the best 
 method of applying it? 
 
 Answer — There are times when moisture is beneficial, no 
 matter what machine is used. It may be supplied by placing a 
 wet sponge in the machine, or the eggs may be liberally sprinkled 
 with water. In either case the water should be warm. 
 
 Question — Which is the best incubator on the market? 
 
 Answer — No one incubator can be said to be better in all 
 respects than any other. Any of the high-grade machines on 
 the market will do the work claimed for them and will give sat- 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 77 
 
 isfaction. There is no more a best incubator than there is a 
 best breed. 
 
 Question — Is it really necessary to remove the unfertile eggs 
 from the incubator, or may they be allowed to remain during 
 the hatch? 
 
 Answer — Unfertile eggs and those containing dead germs 
 should be tested out frequently. A fertile egg generates heat; 
 an unfertile egg does not generate heat and absorbs the heat 
 from the fertile eggs surrounding it. These latter do not, there- 
 fore, get as much heat as do the fertile eggs surrounded by fer- 
 tile eggs, and while the thermometer may show the right tem- 
 perature, some of the eggs may be warmer than others. 
 
 Question — Can the incubator be started with, say, half its 
 capacity of eggs and the others added later? 
 
 Answer — It can be done, but very poor results will be ob- 
 tained. 
 
 Question — What is the time during incubation when the 
 germ in the egg is more susceptible to injury and death by ex- 
 posure to cold or too much heat? 
 
 Answer — From the eighth to the twelfth days, inclusive. 
 
 Question — Does it injure the germ in the egg under set- 
 ting hens to dust the hen with insect powder? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Does it do any good to help hatching chicks out 
 of the shell? 
 
 Answer — Not in one case out of a hundred. Chicks that 
 must be helped out of the shell are too weak in constitution to 
 ever develop properly. There are, of course, exceptional cases, 
 but in the end nothing is gained by the method. 
 
 Question — How can a broody hen be prevented from sit- 
 ting? 
 
 Answer — Confine her in a small pen or coop with a vig- 
 orous male bird for a day or two. Place her in a coop with 
 slatted bottom and raised off the ground, feeding largely green 
 food and giving an ample supply of cool, fresh water to drink. 
 If the coop can be arranged to swing back and forth a few min- 
 utes occasionally, it would be better. 
 
 Question — Is it better to allow a broody hen to sit than to 
 try to break her up? 
 
 Answer — Yes. It is nature's plan to give her a rest, and 
 she will have better health, will be better as a breeder and will 
 
78 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 lay more eggs and begin to lay sooner. Harsh means, such as 
 ducking in water, etc., should never be used. 
 
 Question — How soon will a healthy chick emerge from the 
 shell after it is pipped? 
 
 Answer — In six to ten hours. 
 
 Question — Can a sitting hen be moved to another location 
 without causing her to forsake the nest? 
 
 Answer — Yes, if she is really broody and has been sitting a 
 few days. 
 
 Question — How long should the hen be left on the nest 
 with her newly hatched chicks? 
 
 Answer — About 48 hours if the hen is to raise them. It is 
 best to have the nest close to the ground or floor of the house 
 and allow her to take them out when she chooses. If they are 
 to be raised in a brooder, remove them from the nest as soon as 
 they are thoroughly dry. 
 
 Question — What is the best month for hatching? 
 
 Answer — March and April for the Asiatic breeds, April and 
 May for American breeds, and May and June for the Mediter- 
 ranean breeds. 
 
 Question — Will moth balls placed under sitting hens to kill 
 the lice, injure the eggs also? 
 
 Answer — Yes ; any strong fumes are injurious to eggs dur- 
 ing incubation. Pure air is a necessity. 
 
 Question — How can hens be induced to become broody? 
 
 Answer — Very little, if anything, can be done to influence 
 them. Keep them away from the male and feed them well with 
 fattening foods. 
 
 Question — What is considered a good hatch from an incu- 
 bator? 
 
 Answer — Eighty per cent of the fertile eggs. 
 
 Question — Can duck eggs and hen eggs both be put in the 
 incubator at the same time? 
 
 Answer — Not for best results. 
 
 Question — Does it make any difference whether the eggs 
 are evenly distributed over the egg trays, or may they be left 
 as they are after the unfertile eggs are tested out? 
 
 Answer — They should be spread out over the trays in about 
 the same relative position to each other in order to facilitate the 
 maintenance of an even temperature for all. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 79 
 
 Question — Can an incubator be made to maintain a temper- 
 ature for day at a time that will not vary more than one-half 
 degree either way from the desired amount? 
 
 Answer — Yes. A perfect regulator on a good machine in 
 the hands of an expert operator can be made to keep the tem- 
 perature at any given point during the entire hatch, but cases 
 of this kind are exceedingly rare. 
 
 Question — Could an incubator be considered a good one if 
 the temperature could be controlled within a range of l l / 2 de- 
 grees during the hatch? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can the temperature in the incubator go as low 
 as 101 and as high as 105 and a good hatch still secured? 
 
 Answer — Yes, if the extremes are not held too long at a 
 time, say more than 24 hours. 
 
 Question — Are the very small incubators as reliable as those 
 of larger capacity? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — At what temperature should the incubator room 
 or cellar be kept? 
 
 Answer — The object should be to maintain as even a tem- 
 perature as possible somewhere within a maximum of 70 de- 
 grees and a minimum of 60 degrees, which are the safest limits. 
 
 Question — What is the greatest heat the tgg can stand in 
 the incubator without the germ being killed? 
 
 Answer — A fixed degree that will apply in all cases cannot 
 be stated; 109 degrees before the eleventh day and 112 degrees 
 after that period. 
 
 Question — How often should the eggs be turned in the in- 
 cubator? 
 
 Answer — Up to the 19th day turn them at least once a day. 
 Twice a day will generally be advantageous. 
 
 Question — How large should the air cell in the end of the 
 egg be on the 5th, the 10th and 15th days of incubation ? 
 
 Answer — In the average-sized egg, about the size of a 25- 
 cent piece on the fifth, nearly as large as a half dollar on the 
 tenth and a trifle larger than a half dollar on the fifteenth, or 
 about seven-eighths of an inch, one and one-eighth inches and 
 one and one-quarter inches. 
 
80 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — How soon after an egg has been placed in the 
 incubator or under the hen can the development of the germ be 
 noticed? 
 
 Answer — In a clear white shelled egg a spider-like forma- 
 tion may be noticed on the third day. 
 
 Question — What are the best days to test eggs during in- 
 cubation ? 
 
 Answer — At the end of the 5th, 10th and 15th days. 
 
 Question — How often and for how long at a time may a set- 
 ting hen leave the nest without injuring the eggs? 
 
 Answer — It all depends upon the location of the nest as 
 affected by the weather. In moderately cool weather ten to 
 twenty minutes each day is sufficient for both hen and eggs. In 
 real warm weather a half hour occasionally will do no harm. 
 
 Question — What time is required to hatch duck eggs? 
 
 Answer — Four weeks, except the eggs of Muscovy ducks, 
 which require five weeks. The ducklings pip the shell from 24 to 
 36 hours before they emerge from it. 
 
 Question — What change takes place in an unfertile egg after 
 having been incubated five days? 
 
 Answer — The air cell is a trifle larger than a fresh egg. 
 
 Question — If the air cell in the eggs grows too rapidly, how 
 may it be checked; and if too slowly, may it be increased? 
 
 Answer — If too rapidly, decrease the supply of air to the 
 egg chamber or increase the supply of moisture. If the growth 
 is too slow, increase the supply of air or decrease the moisture. 
 
 Question — Can identically the same rules in all particulars 
 be applied to the operating of incubators of all makes? 
 
 Answer— No. Follow explicitly the directions furnished by 
 the maker of the machine in question. 
 
 Question — What size incubator is best to buy if the busi- 
 ness is to be conducted on a large scale? 
 
 Answer — Two hundred eggs. Better buy this size and get 
 more of them than to buy the very large machines. 
 
 Question — At what temperature will the germ in an egg 
 commence to develop? 
 
 Answer — Slight changes will take place at a temperature of 
 80 degrees. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 81 
 
 Question — Can incubators be run with gas for heat instead 
 of oil? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Gas furnishes a more steady, even heat and 
 is preferable. Most any machine can be easily changed to allow 
 heating by gas. 
 
 Question — If the temperature in the incubator is just right 
 before the eggs are placed in the machine, will it drop after the 
 eggs are put in? 
 
 Answer — Yes. If the machine is in good running order the 
 temperature will rise again in due time without any additional 
 regulating. 
 
 Question — What causes chicks to die in the shell just at the 
 time they are ready to come out? 
 
 Answer — Oftentimes it is because the chick comes from 
 weak and debilitated parent stock, or from a weakly fertilized 
 egg, and it has not sufficient strength to break the shell and 
 survive the effort. The trouble may also be the result of too 
 much heat in the incubator during the last few days of the hatch, 
 or too little moisture at the time of hatching. Either of these 
 conditions may cause, the skin of the shell to dry too quickly and 
 harden on the chick, which binds it too strongly for it to escape. 
 
 Question — If an unhatched egg is decayed after incubation, 
 is it an indication of unquestioned fertility? 
 
 Answer — Yes. An unfertile egg will remain clear, and, while 
 somewhat stale, it may be used as food. 
 
 Question — Is there any reason why eggs of different breeds 
 should not be placed together under the hen or in the incu- 
 bator? 
 
 Answer — It may be done more or less satisfactorily if there 
 is no way to avoid it, but better results will be obtained if some 
 attention is paid to the selection of eggs having shells of about 
 the same thickness. For instance, the eggs of all the American 
 breeds are about the same, but in the Mediterranean and Asiatic 
 breeds there is a wide 'difference in the thickness of the shells. 
 The shell of the Leghorn egg is thinner than that of the Brahma 
 egg, and there will be a difference of several hours usually in 
 the period of incubation of the eggs from these two breeds. The 
 best results will be secured by selecting eggs of one breed and 
 of uniform size. 
 
 Question — Should the incubator be heated to the proper 
 temperature before putting in the eggs? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
82 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Are brooders preferable to hens in raising chicks? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — When fertile eggs die in the incubator, will they 
 injure the others if not taken out? 
 
 Answer — Yes. One of the absolutely essential require- 
 ments for success in artificial incubation is a constant circulation 
 of pure air in the incubator. The foul gases arising from de- 
 cayed eggs destroy this condition to a greater or less extent 
 and consequently lessen the chances of a good hatch. 
 
 Question — Are home-made brooders successful? 
 
 Answer — They are if they are properly constructed. One 
 who is handy with tools and understands the principles of 
 brooder construction can succeed in making a reliable brooder. 
 
 Question — Ought a good outdoor brooder maintain a tem- 
 perature of 90 degrees during several days of zero weather? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — At what temperature should the brooder be kept 
 during the first week that the chicks are in it ? 
 
 Answer — Ninety degrees will be right for the first week. 
 The brooder should, of course, have a nursery or runway much 
 cooler than this where the chicks can scratch and exercise when 
 they desire to do so. They will not need a temperature of 90 
 degrees continuously, but should have it to go to when wanted. 
 
 Question — Which is the better method of heating the brood- 
 er, top heat or bottom heat? 
 
 Answer — Top heat is the only successful plan. Bottom heat 
 is unnatural and has long been abandoned by practical poultry- 
 men who depend upon brooders to raise their chicks. 
 
 Question — What is the most suitable bedding for the 
 brooder? 
 
 Answer — A couple of inches of dry sand, and upon this may 
 be scattered enough clover chaff or scrapings from the hay loft 
 to well cover it. 
 
 Question — How much brooder room is required for 100 
 chicks until they are six weeks old? 
 
 Answer — A brooder about 3x4 feet placed in a run about 
 4x10 feet. These measurements are the lowest limits. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 83 
 
 Question — What is the matter with a brooder in which the 
 temperature rises 5 to 10 degrees when the chicks hover in it at 
 night ? 
 
 Answer — Such an increase will occur in any brooder. It is 
 caused by the heat from the bodies of the chicks and is the 
 natural result of crowding. 
 
 Question — What is the largest number of chicks that should 
 be kept in one brooder? 
 
 Answer — Never more than 100; 50 is better. 
 
 Question — If the temperature of the brooder is 90 degrees 
 at the start, what should it be at the end of each succeeding 
 week? 
 
 Answer — The heat should be reduced about 5 degrees even- 
 seven days until it reaches about 70 degrees. This temperature 
 should be maintained as long as the chicks are in the brooder. 
 
 Question — Is it not a fact that most brooders are overrated 
 as to capacity? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Manufacturers almost without exception 
 claim a capacity for twice as many chicks as their brooders will 
 accommodate. 
 
 Question — Is air slacked lime suitable for the floor of the 
 brooder? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Can fertile eggs during incubation be distin- 
 guished by a rattling sound when shaken close to the ear? 
 
 Answer — No, such handling will injure a fertile egg and 
 may kill the germ. 
 
 Question — Should a hen be set that has scaly legs? 
 Answer — No. The chicks will also become affected. 
 
 Question — Is it better to set a hen so that she has her 
 liberty to wander around at her pleasure, or should she be closely 
 confined? 
 
 Answer — It is better to set her in a comparatively roomy 
 place, where she has access to food and will not be annoyed by 
 other hens. 
 
 Question — In turning eggs in the incubator should they be 
 turned end over end or rolled over sideways? 
 
 Answer — Either method will do. It is more convenient to 
 roll them over. 
 
84 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — If eggs do not hatch at the end of the 21st day is 
 it worth while to keep them longer? 
 Answer — .No. 
 
 Question — Will a very slightly cracked egg hatch? 
 Answer — Sometimes they will. 
 
 Question — What causes the temperature in the incubator 
 to fall one to two degrees when the chicks are hatching, and 
 should the lamp be turned up at that time to increase the heat? 
 
 Answer — This condition is usually found in machines where 
 the wet chicks come in contact with the bulb of the thermome- 
 ter and the natural result is a difference in the register. It is 
 desirable to maintain 103 degrees in the machine at this time 
 and there really is that amount of heat. Under the circum- 
 stances, the lamp should not be changed. 
 
 Question — Is there any one incubator better than another 
 for a beginner to start with ? 
 
 Answer — No incubator possesses that distinctive feature. If 
 it could be better for the novice it would be better for the ex- 
 pert. 
 
 Question — Does it do any good to pip the shell for the chick 
 and thereby help it to break through? 
 
 Answer — No. If the chick is not strong enough to pip the 
 shell it should never come out. 
 
 Question — If an incubator is being run in a cellar which on 
 account of heavy rains becomes filled with water nearly to the 
 bottom of the lamp, is it worth while to continue the hatch? 
 Will not so much dampness injure the hatch? 
 
 Answer — Good hatches have been brought off under these 
 conditions and in such cases the machine should not be neg- 
 lected? 
 
 Question — What are addled eggs? 
 
 Answer — Those in which the germ has died during incuba- 
 tion before the embryo is well formed. 
 
 Question — Do incubator chicks have to be taught to eat? 
 
 Answer — Only by placing the food before them at the proper 
 time. 
 
 Question — Is there any danger from fire in running an in- 
 cubator in the dwelling. 
 
 Answer — No more than there would be in having an ordi- 
 nary house lamp burning ar -4 *- *»■««=♦■ -«« nnt as mnrh. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 85 
 
 Question — Does it pay to buy second-hand incubators? 
 Answer — No. By all means get a new one. 
 
 Question — When cooling eggs in the incubator what should 
 the limit of the temperature be? 
 
 Answer — Do not let them go lower than 80 degrees. 
 
 Question — Why is it necessary to keep the door of the 
 incubator closed while the chicks are hatching? 
 
 Answer — The drafts of air coming in upon the chicks at that 
 time will seriously affect them. 
 
 Question — About how much weight will a properly incu- 
 bated egg lose during incubation? 
 
 Answer — About one-eighth of its original weight. 
 
 Question — When cooling incubator eggs, is it best to leave 
 them in the machine and open the door, or should they be taken 
 out and the door kept closed? 
 
 Answer — Take them out of the machine and keep it closed. 
 
 Question — How often should the wick of the incubator lamp 
 be trimmed? 
 
 Answer — Once a day. 
 
 Question — Is there any method by which the liability of the 
 incubator lamp to smoke may be reduced? 
 
 Answer — It is claimed that wicks soaked in vinegar and 
 dried before putting in the lamp, will prevent smoking to some 
 extent. 
 
 Question — How many eggs can a medium-sized hen prop- 
 erly cover? 
 
 Answer — Thirteen in early spring and fifteen in summer. 
 
 Question — In keeping eggs for hatching, does it make any 
 difference whether they are kept in the dark or not? 
 
 Answer — A test made at the Maine State Agricultural Ex- 
 periment Station showed that the chances were slightly in favor 
 of eggs kept in a dark place. 
 
 Question — Will smoking in the incubator room (pipe or 
 cigar) injure the germ in the egg? 
 Answer — Yes, if persisted in. 
 
 upon? 
 
 Question — Can an incubator with single walls be relied 
 
 l? 
 
 No. 
 
86 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question— Can the heat in the brooder be kept near enough 
 to the right point without a thermometer? 
 
 Answer — No. Guess-work will give poor results. 
 
 Question — What system of heating is best for a large 
 brooder house? 
 
 Answer — The hot-water system. 
 
 Question — Can a brooder house be heated with stoves and 
 kept at the right temperature? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The stoves need constant attention, and 
 good indoor brooders should be used also. 
 
 Question — Where can one purchase a hot-water heating 
 plant for a brooder house? 
 
 Answer — Write to any Incubator Co. 
 
 Question — Is there any reason why a kitchen is not a suita- 
 ble place for an incubator? 
 
 Answer — Yes. In most kitchens there is much moving 
 around and incubators should be placed where they are subject 
 to as little jar as possible. The heat in the kitchen is not suf- 
 ficiently uniform and the fumes from the various foods cooking 
 will injure the eggs, which should at all times have a constantly 
 changing supply of pure, fresh air. 
 
 Question — Will the same instructions in all details apply to 
 all machines? 
 
 Answer — No. In some things it is best to follow explicitly 
 the instructions of the maker. 
 
 Question — How can the incubator operator always know 
 that his thermometer is reliable and is registering correctly? 
 
 Answer — Procure a reliable physician's thermometer to test 
 with. Place both in water warmed to 103 degrees and keep the 
 water agitated. 
 
 Question — How often should the lamp burner on the incu- 
 bator be cleaned? 
 
 Answer — Clean it thoroughly after each hatch. Boil it in 
 borax water. 
 
 Question — What is the largest number of eggs that should 
 be set under a hen in summer? 
 
 Answer — Fifteen. Sometimes a larger number are set, with 
 good results, but a hen cannot properly cover more than fifteen. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 87 
 
 Question — What is the rule for testing the moisture in in- 
 cubator eggs by placing them in water? 
 
 Answer — After the egg has been in the machine for two 
 weeks, place it in warm water. If it floats, there is not sufficient 
 moisture. If it sinks, there is too much moisture, and if it floats 
 with a space above the water that can be covered by a twenty- 
 five cent piece, the moisture is about right. 
 
 Question — Are hygrometers or moisture gauges of any value 
 in the incubator? 
 
 Answer — Very little. 
 
 Question — Will it injure the eggs in the incubator to remove 
 the trays for convenience when testing the eggs? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Should the eggs be turned in the incubator after, 
 they commence to pip? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Do the Asiatic breeds make good mothers? 
 Answer — Not as a rule. They are clumsy and trample the 
 chicks in the nest. 
 
 Question — Can a very large poultry plant be operated prof- 
 itably without the use of incubators? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Should chicks of different ages ever be put into 
 the brooder together? 
 Answer — No. 
 
88 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Turkeys, Ducks and Geese. 
 
 Question — Which is the largest breed of turkeys? 
 Answer — The Bronze. The standard weight for cocks is 
 36 pounds and for hens 20 pounds. 
 
 Question — Can geese be kept in confinement? 
 Answer — No. They need a large grassy range. 
 
 Question — How can the sexes in geese be distinguished? 
 Answer — The voice of the female is coarse and the male has 
 a thicker neck and a generally masculine appearance. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to have a pond or stream of water 
 for geese? 
 
 Answer — They will do much better if it is provided. 
 
 Question — How old should geese be before they will pro- 
 duce eggs that will hatch strong, healthy goslings? 
 Answer — Two years old. 
 
 Question — How can the sexes be distinguished in ducks? 
 
 Answer — The first noticeable feature in young birds is the 
 drake's longer bill, neck and body and a more upright carriage. 
 When about two months old the duck can be distinguished by 
 her coarse voice. The drake has a finer voice, and with age the 
 curled feathers appear in the tail. 
 
 Question — How many eggs ought a Pekin duck lay in a 
 year? 
 
 Answer — About 135. 
 
 Question — At what age do ducks cease to be profitable as 
 layers and breeders? 
 
 Answer — From three to four years. 
 
 Question — To be successful with ducks, is it recessary to 
 have a pond for them to swim in? 
 
 Answer — No. A plentiful supply of clean water in deep 
 drinking vessels so that they can immerse their head frequently, 
 is all that is needed. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 89 
 
 Question — How many geese should be mated to a gander? 
 
 Answer — One gander will sometimes do for two or three 
 geese, but geese generally mate in pairs, and better results will 
 be obtained in that way. 
 
 Question — How many ducks should be mated to one drake ? 
 Answer — About five. 
 
 Question — What is the average weight of Toulouse goslings 
 at the age of one month? 
 Answer — About 4y 2 lbs. 
 
 Question — Do turkeys have worms? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Treatment is the same as for chickens. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to keep the turkey torn with the 
 turkey hens during the entire breeding season? 
 
 Answer — No. It would be a good idea to allow the male to 
 run with the females at least two or three weeks. One union 
 of the sexes is sufficient to fertilize all the eggs the hen will lay 
 in two or three months. Turkeys differ from chickens in this 
 respect. 
 
 Question — What is a poult? 
 Answer — A newly hatched turkey. 
 
 Question — Which breed of ducks is the best layer? 
 Answer — The Indian Runner. 
 
 Question — How soon will ducks begin to fly? 
 Answer — At about eight months. 
 
 Question — Can geese be kept successfully in confinement? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What are the two principal varieties of geese? 
 Answer — The Toulouse and the Embden. 
 
 Question — Which is the heaviest breed of geese? 
 
 Answer — The Toulouse and the Embden both weigh the 
 same, except the young goose, which the standard fixes at one. 
 pound heavier in the Embden variety. Adult ganders weigh 20 
 pounds and adult geese 18 pounds. 
 
 Question — How can one tell when the feathers on geese are 
 ripe for picking? 
 
 Answer — When they can be pulled out clean without a 
 Moody liquid adhering to the quill. 
 
90 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — How long does it require for goose eggs to 
 hatch ? 
 
 Answer — Thirty days. 
 
 Question — How many goose eggs can be safely entrusted 
 to a hen for hatching? 
 
 Answer — Five or six. Smaller hens should not be used. 
 
 Question — What is the best green stuff to raise in the pond 
 for geese? 
 
 Answer — Water grass and wild rice. 
 
 Question — Do geese make good mothers? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Will a very rough shed answer for roosting quar- 
 ters for turkeys in coldest winter weather? 
 
 Answer — Yes; all they require is protection from driving 
 snow, sleet and rain. They will do better roosting out in the 
 open air most of the time. 
 
 Question — How long can geese be kept profitably as breed- 
 ers? 
 
 Answer — From five to eight years. 
 
 Question — What are green ducks? 
 
 Answer — Green ducks is a term applied to young ducks of 
 from 8 to 12 weeks of age. 
 
 year? 
 
 Question — How many eggs will the Bronze turkey lay in a 
 
 ? 
 
 Answer — From twenty to forty. 
 
 Question — What are the small fleshy protuberances on the 
 head of a turkey called? 
 Answer — Caruncles. 
 
 Question — What is the bean of a duck? 
 Answer — It is the hard bean-shaped protuberance growing 
 at the tip of the upper mandible of the bill. 
 
 Question — Will very young ducklings be injured by being 
 out in a hard rain? 
 
 Answer — Yes. They may drown. It is a mistaken idea 
 that ducks must be in a pond all the time and that they cannot 
 get too much water. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to try to raise late hatched geese? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 91 
 
 Question — Is it very easy to overfeed geese with grain? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How many goslings does one generally raise 
 from one goose? 
 
 Answer — An average of twelve is good. 
 
 Question — How high a fence is required to confine geese? 
 Answer — Three feet will usually answer. 
 
 Question — Can unfeathered goslings stand much rain? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Are ducks subject to the ravages of lice to the 
 same extent that chickens are? 
 
 Answer — No. The plumage of a duck seems to be too 
 thick and close for lice. 
 
 Question — What does it cost to keep a duck a year? 
 Answer — About $2, under favorable conditions. 
 
 Question — What should be the income from the sale of 
 feathers during the year, from a pair of geese? 
 Answer — Two dollars. 
 
 Question — When does the season for duck laying close? 
 Answer — About August 1st. 
 
 Question — At what age may young turkeys be said to have 
 passed the danger point of turkey ills? 
 Answer — Eight weeks. 
 
 Question — What is the most popular breed of ducks? 
 Answer — The Pekin. 
 
92 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Miscellaneous. 
 
 Question — Are cross bred birds better in any way than the 
 pure bred ones? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Are the Standard bred fowls as hardy and 
 healthy as the ordinary mongrels? 
 
 Answer — Yes, all things considered, they are more so. 
 
 Question — What will it cost to feed a broiler till it reaches 
 a pound in weight? 
 
 Answer — About five cents. 
 
 Question — If a hen has been forced for heavy laying all 
 winter will it affect her as a breeder in the spring? 
 
 Answer — Yes. She will not lay quite as many eggs and 
 there will be a tendency toward a lower vitality in much of the 
 offspring. 
 
 Question — Is there any danger in breeding from a bird that 
 has had roup? 
 
 Answer — Genuine roup is similar to consumption in people, 
 and is considered hereditary. It is classed as a blood disease, 
 and even though a bird has seemingly been cured it is very 
 liable to prove a disappointment as a breeder, and the chances 
 are that the progeny will fall an easy prey to disease and be 
 especially susceptible to roup. It is not advisable to use such 
 fowls in the breeding pen. 
 
 Question — When reference is made to the utility value of a 
 breed what is the idea conveyed? 
 
 Answer — By utility is usually meant that the fowl has been 
 developed along the line of greatest value from a market stand- 
 point, which is based upon the number of eggs it will lay and 
 the quality and quantity of meat it will produce. 
 
 Question — What are "fancy" fowls or exhibition slock? 
 
 Answer — The term "fancy" as applied to Standard bred 
 poultry means fowls that are bred with a view to developing the 
 perfection of certain external characteristics embodied in vari- 
 ous shapes of the different sections and colors of the plumage. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 93 
 
 Question — Can utility and fancy points be bred in the same 
 bird? 
 
 Answer — An ideal fowl should have combined in its make- 
 up both fancy and utility points. This can be accomplished, 
 although there may be found supposedly well-informed breeders 
 who emphatically declare that it cannot. There is no law of 
 nature which makes fine plumage and shape antagonistic to 
 heavy egg production or the development of table fowls. The 
 most pleasure and profit lies in the production of Standard bred 
 fowls in which there is a combination of both fancy and utility 
 points. 
 
 Question — Why are there not more guineas raised? 
 
 Answer — They lay a very small egg, the flesh is very dark 
 and not relished by many people, and their incessant unearthly 
 noise makes them a nuisance. 
 
 Question — Is it possible to have fowls so tame that the 
 keeper can go among them without them fleeing from him? 
 
 Answer — Yes. If fowls are properly cared for they will eat 
 from the hand of their keeper. 
 
 Question — When is the best time to hatch bantams ? 
 Answer — July and August. 
 
 Question — How can the age of fowls be told? 
 Answer — There is no absolutely sure way after they are 
 more than one year old. 
 
 Question — Which is the heaviest breed of chickens? 
 Answer — Light Brahmas. The cocks weigh 12 lbs., hens 
 9>4 lbs., cockerels 10 lbs., and pullets 8 lbs. 
 
 Question — Can fowls be kept in confinement as well as on 
 free range? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Some of the finest exhibition birds are raised 
 on city lots. 
 
 Question — In treating fowls for lice by putting coal oil on 
 the plumage, is there any danger of injuring the fowls? 
 
 Answer — Too much oil applied to the plumage will make a 
 bird ill, and if it is not in good condition may kill it. 
 
 Queston — Is the yellow-skinned fowl a better one for table 
 purposes than the white-skinned one? 
 
 Answer — It is no better, but more people prefer it, and it 
 can be sold much easier and generally at a better price. 
 
94 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Are white fowls as hardy as the colored ones? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — At what age do hens commence to decrease in 
 egg production? 
 
 Answer — When entering the third laying season. 
 
 Question — How often is it necessary to remove the drop- 
 pings from the dropping boards? 
 
 Answer — It should be done daily. Twice a week might 
 answer, and never under any circumstances should they be neg- 
 lected longer than a week. 
 
 Question — What is a slip as applied to caponizing? 
 
 Answer — It is a bird upon which the operation has not been 
 properly performed, the testicles not having been entirely re- 
 moved. Such birds are of no value as capons, and they cannot 
 be used as breeders. 
 
 Question — How long should the incision be in the side of 
 the bird when caponizing? 
 Answer — About an inch. 
 
 Queston — Will the hens in a flock lay more eggs if there is 
 a male bird with them? 
 
 Answer — No. The presence of the male cannot influence the 
 number of eggs laid. 
 
 Question — What special preparation, if any, is necessary 
 with the bird before caponizing? 
 
 Answer — None beyond the details of the operation, except 
 that food should be withheld for 24 hours. 
 
 Question — What are the noticeable effects of caponizing? 
 
 Answer — The bird is of an extremely quiet disposition. It 
 never craves a fight and the comb practically ceases to grow. 
 It responds quickly to heavy feeding and takes on flesh rapidly. 
 
 Question — What is capon? 
 
 Answer — A capon is a male bird with the organs of repro- 
 duction removed. 
 
 Question — Does caponizing require any special skill in the 
 operator? 
 
 Answer — None that the average person cannot acquire with 
 a little practice. A steady hand is the main requirement. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 95 
 
 Question — What is the object in caponizing? 
 Answer — The birds grow larger, the flesh is remarkably- 
 tender and wonderfully improved in flavor. 
 
 Question — What age is best for caponizing? 
 Answer — About three months. 
 
 Question — What are the best breeds for caponizing? 
 Answer — The medium-sized ones, such as Plymouth Rocks 
 and Wyandottes. 
 
 Question — What is the percentage of loss by death when 
 caponizing when the operator is an expert? 
 Answer — Not more than five per cent. 
 
 Question — What does a good set of caponizing instruments 
 cost? 
 
 Answer— About $2.50. 
 
 Question — At what age are capons ready for market? 
 Answer — From 10 to 12 months. 
 
 Question — What causes hens to lay their eggs while on the 
 perches at night? 
 
 Answer — It may happen naturally occasionally, but it is 
 generally an indication of weak egg organs. 
 
 Question — How many cockerels should be kept with 200 
 hens on free range? 
 
 Answer — About ten male birds would be right, under the 
 conditions mentioned. 
 
 Question — What kind of drinking fountains are best? 
 Answer — Earthenware. They should be thoroughly cleaned 
 and scalded often. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable for a beginner to commence with 
 common stock? 
 
 Answer — It is not best for one to begin with scrub or mongrel 
 fowls, although it is not necessary to have the very highest 
 grade of Standard bred stock. Culls from some good flock will 
 answer the purpose. 
 
 Question — How many fowls can be kept on an acre of 
 ground? 
 
 Answer — About 250 ordinarily. 
 
96 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question-^-What is the best method of preventing lice? 
 
 Answer — Keep the house and all interior fixtures such as 
 roosts, nests, etc., scrupulously clean, and use a good lice pow- 
 der on the fowls regularly. 
 
 Question — What is the best breed for a city lot? 
 
 Answer — No one breed can be said to be unquestionably 
 better than another, but the Asiatic or American breeds are 
 generally preferable to the Mediterranean breeds, for the reason 
 that the latter are usually high fliers and more or less restless 
 when confined. 
 
 Question^Is it advisable to breed more than one variety of 
 fowls ? 
 
 Answer — Most people will succeed better with one variety 
 only, although an experienced breeder with ample room may get 
 good results from two or more varieties. 
 
 Question — Do Wyandottes forage as much as Plymouth 
 Rocks? 
 
 Answer — There is practically no difference. 
 
 Question — What is the best breed? 
 
 Answer — This question is perhaps asked oftener than any 
 ®ther. It is generally among the very first inquiries from begin- 
 ners. The truth is that no breed can be said to be better than all 
 the others. Pages and volumes have been written in argument 
 of the matter, and it is still unsettled to the satisfaction of all. 
 One person will succeed with a breed with which another has 
 failed. Much depends upon the particular strain of any breed. 
 For instance, a strain of Leghorns which have been systematic- 
 ally selected and line bred, for heavy egg production, will lay 
 more eggs than will Leghorns not so bred. Consequently there 
 is a wide difference in families of the same variety or breed as 
 well as in different varieties and breeds. The poultryman should 
 select the breed which suits him best in color and shape, for the 
 reason that he will be more interested in it and will give it better 
 attention, which means greater success. The fowls that are the 
 best general or all-purpose ones are the several varieties of Ply- 
 mouth Rocks and Wyandottes. The varieties which are most 
 popular and most extensively bred for fancy, for market pur- 
 poses and egg production, are Barred Plymouth Rocks, White 
 Plymouth Rocks and White Wyandottes. 
 
 Question — What is line breeding? 
 
 Answer — By line breeding is meant the system of producing 
 fowls through the mating of birds related to each other and de- 
 scended from common ancestors, confining breeding operations to 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 97 
 
 the members of one family, but avoiding injurious inbreeding. 
 To practice line breeding profitably and without dire results re- 
 qures skill and a somewhat thorough knowledge of the laws of 
 mating. 
 
 Question — What is inbreeding? 
 
 Answer — Inbreeding as usually referred to is an exaggerated 
 form of line breeding. Breeding from birds that are closely re- 
 lated is inbreeding, and it should not be practiced to the extent 
 of mating sisters and brothers, or following too closely the line 
 of descent from a sire to his daughters or a dam to her sons. 
 
 Question — What kind of land is best adapted to poultry rais- 
 es ? 
 
 Answer — Poultry will thrive in any location where vegeta- 
 tion of any kind will grow. A sandy or loamy soil is preferable, 
 as it absorbs offal easily, is quickly drained after heavy rains and 
 is generally dry. Land sloping slightly with the houses at the 
 highest point is more desirable. 
 
 Question — How can the heavy laying fowls in the flock be 
 distinguished from the poorer ones? 
 
 Answer — The only absolutely sure way is to ascertain the 
 number of eggs laid by each individual hen, and perhaps the 
 only method which combines certainty and practicability is a re- 
 liable trap nest. There is a theory somewhat commonly accepted 
 that the best layers of any breed possess a body described as 
 slightly wedge-shaped, by which is meant that the body when 
 viewed from the side widens from breast to tail. They are also 
 generally active and alert, with a certain expression of the eye 
 which can be best discerned by one who has had experience with 
 fowls of this character. This, however, is to a great extent 
 theory only. 
 
 Question— What will it cost to rear a fowl from the time it 
 is hatched till a year old? 
 
 Answer — To the average breeder the cost will be about one 
 dollar. ; 
 
 Question — How many eggs will a good layer produce in a 
 year? 
 
 Answer — One hundred and fifty eggs per year is a good 
 record under favorable conditions. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to prevent fowls from molting? 
 
 Answer — Molting is a natural process which cannot be 
 avoided, even though it were desirable to prevent it. The exam- 
 ination of the plumage of a fowl after it has been worn for a 
 year will reveal the desirability, and in fact necessity, for a new 
 feathering. 
 
98 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What does it cost to keep a hen a year? 
 
 Answer — No fixed price can be stated, If one is on a farm 
 or small plot of ground where a part of the grain and green food 
 can be raised the cost will of course be less than if all food must 
 be purchased. On the average farm the cost per hen should not 
 be more than 60 to 75 cents per year. If all food is bought the 
 cost would be a dollar to a dollar and a quarter. 
 
 Question — What variety of Clover is best to, sow to be used 
 as food for fowls? 
 
 Answer — The ordinary crimson variety. Use the second 
 crop, which will be freer of long, tough stems and will be more 
 tender and succulent. 
 
 Question — What amount of profit should a poultryman 
 make on each hen? 
 
 Answer — It depends entirely upon the feed, care and gen- 
 eral management of the flock. A poultryman who manages 
 rightly can make each fowl pay him a profit of at least $2 per 
 year. 
 
 Question — What month in the year is the best for starting 
 in the poultry business? 
 
 Answer — If on a small scale as a fancier, one month is as 
 good as another, except that if the start be made with eggs they 
 should be purchased and set in March, April or May. Stock 
 can be purchased any time. A market poultry plant should be 
 stocked in the Spring or Fall. 
 
 Question — What is the greatest' egg yield that can be ex- 
 pected from a single hen? 
 
 Answer — There have been individual birds that have laid a 
 few more than 200 eggs in a year, but they are exceptional cases, 
 and are far above the average that may be expected. 
 
 Question — What is the best litter for the scratching pen or 
 shed? 
 
 Answer — Clean dry straw is perhaps the best. Dry leaves 
 are also excellent. Shavings and sawdust are sometimes used, 
 but are very undesirable. Among the disadvantages of the two 
 latter is the tendency to produce crop bound. 
 
 Question — How soon should pullets begin to lay? 
 
 Answer — It depends to some extent upon the breed, and 
 very largely upon the care and feeding from hatching time till 
 maturity. Under the most favorable conditions pullets should 
 begin to lay at about 8 months of age. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 99 
 
 Question — Will oyster shells serve the purpose of grit? 
 
 Answer — It is a very poor substitute. The hard, flinty shell 
 sometimes found does fairly well, but the average shell is too 
 soft. 
 
 Question — What is the best tree to plant in the poultry 
 yard? 
 
 Answer — Plum trees are considered the best. They are of 
 quick growth, and conditions, in the poultry yard seem to be 
 favorable to them. 
 
 Question — How deep should the litter be in the scratching 
 quarters ? 
 
 Answer — About 6 inches when first put in. 
 
 Question — Are ashes suitable for the dust box for fowls? 
 
 Answer — Clean, loamy road dust is the best. Coal ashes 
 are not good and wood ashes are positively harmful. They be- 
 come damp and form a sort of lye. 
 
 Question — How can the egg-eating habit in hens be cured? 
 
 Answer — Fowls that have contracted this habit should be 
 removed from the remainder of the flock. There are numerous 
 so-called cures, but only one that is reasonably sure. Catch the 
 guilty bird and pare the end of the upper beak with a sharp 
 knife until it shows signs of bleeding. Release it and place one 
 or more china eggs where it can be within constant reach of 
 them. The beak will be very tender, and striking at the eggs 
 will cause great pain. Generally the habit is broken before the 
 beak grows out again. If not, pare it the second time. Feed 
 grain. and mash food from a trough while the beak is tender. 
 
 Question — Which is the most profitable — supplying eggb 
 for market or raising chickens for market? 
 
 Answer — In choosing one or the other branch most peo- 
 ple would do well to supply the egg trade, but both branches 
 should be combined with the greatest attention given to egg 
 farming. Even on an exclusive egg farm there are always sur- 
 plus cockerels for sale, as broilers, and a certain proportion of 
 the laying hens are replaced each season by the pullets. The 
 amount of stock necessary to be disposed of may be increased 
 considerably with little extra effort, and will add greatly to the 
 profit. 
 
 Question — When starting in the poultry business is it bet- 
 ter to purchase fowls, or should one buy eggs ? 
 
 Answer — Buy fowls if your capital will permit it. By so 
 doing a year's time will be saved. In purchasing eggs one is 
 compelled to wait an entire season for the young stock to ma- 
 ture and serve as breeding birds for a foundation. In purchas- 
 
100 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 ing stock one can commence breeding at once and can know 
 just what kind of birds are producing the eggs and what the 
 young stock will probably be. This cannot be told in the case 
 of purchased eggs. Buying eggs is the cheaper method, and is 
 all right if the beginner cannot afford the outlay for stock and 
 is willing to wait a little longer for his start 
 
 Question — How many Standard breeds and varieties of 
 fowls are there? 
 
 Answer — Twenty-nine breeds of chickens (not including 
 bantams) divided into seventy-nine varieties. Nine breeds of 
 bantams divided into twenty-six varieties. Six breeds of tur- 
 keys divided into six varieties. Ten breeds of ducks divided into 
 eleven varieties. Six breeds of geese dvided into seven varie- 
 ties, making a total of sixty breeds, embodying one hundred and 
 twenty-nine distinct species. 
 
 Question — What is the meaning of the "breed" as applied 
 to fowls? 
 
 Answer — A breed of fowls is a race or family of fowls that 
 retain distinctive shape characteristics and sometimes color mark- 
 ing as well. For instance, the Blue Andalusian possesses both 
 shape and color markings which make it distinctively different 
 from other breeds or races. Most breeds, however, are chiefly 
 distinguishable in shape, and the varieties of the breed are dis- 
 tinguished by their color. 
 
 Question — What is the difference between a variety of fowls 
 and a breed of fowls? 
 
 Answer — A variety is a subdivision of a breed, as, for in- 
 stance, the Plymouth Rock is a breed and is made up oil the 
 Barred, White and Buff varieties. The varieties of any breed 
 differ from each other only in color and shape of comb or both, 
 as in the case of the Leghorns, which are a breed, but which 
 are divided into several varieties, among which are Single Comb 
 Brown, Single Comb White, Rose Comb Brown, Rose Comb 
 White, etc. 
 
 Question — Does forcing hens for heavy egg production af- 
 fect the eggs for hatching purposes? 
 
 Answer — Yes. After continuous and heavy laying for five 
 or six months the germ in the egg will not possess as strong 
 vitality and the chicks hatched from such eggs will not come out 
 so strong nor grow so rapidly and develop so fully. 
 
 Question — What is the Standard of Perfection? 
 Answer — It is a book published and copyrighted by the 
 American Poultry Association, and it contains the description of 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 101 
 
 all Standard varieties of fowls. It is the recognized guide to 
 proper breeding and is the acknowledged authority of judges 
 and breeders. The price of it is $2.00, and it can be procured 
 from any poultry journal. 
 
 Question — Does lack of exercise affect fowls injuriously? 
 
 Answer — Yes. They learn feather pulling, egg-eating and 
 other bad habits in addition to the physical ailments resulting 
 froir. inaction. 
 
 Question — How can fowls be prevented from fighting 
 through a wire netting fence when there is no baseboard? 
 
 Answer — Stretch a wire the length of the fence on both sides 
 about eight inches from the fence and about six inches above 
 the ground. It can be fastened to stakes driven in the ground. 
 
 Question — Is there more money in breeding fancy poultry 
 than in producing eggs and meat for the market? 
 
 Answer — There is if the business is rightly managed and 
 properly advertised. Market eggs sell for 15 cents to 50 cents 
 per dozen and table fowls for 25 cents to $1 each. Eggs from 
 high-grade exhibition' birds sell for $2 to $5 per setting, and 
 the birds themselves for $3 to $100 each. 
 
 Question — What is meant by "dubbing" fowls? 
 Answer — Cutting off the combs or both comb and wattles. 
 It is seldom practiced except with game fowls. 
 
 Question — If hens of one breed are crossed with a male of 
 another will the two always thereafter be contaminated and 
 unfit for producing pure birds of their respective breed if mated 
 to their kind? 
 
 Answer — No. The male is not affected at all. To be ab- 
 solutely sure, the female should lay from ten to twenty eggs 
 after removal from the male. 
 
 Question — When the male bird in the breeding pen seems to 
 allow the hens to eat more than their share of the food, should 
 he be fed separately? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Male birds quite frequently allow the hens 
 to eat all the food, and whether it is noticed or not, the breeder 
 will do well to give the male bird at least an occasional meal by 
 himself, in order to be assured of getting well fertilized and 
 hatchable eggs. 
 
 Question — How would you rid a poultry house of mites? 
 Answer — Remove from the house all movable fixtures, such 
 as nests, roosts, etc., saturate them with kerosene and set fire 
 
102 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 to them, extinguishing it before they are injured, after which 
 return them to the house and give everything inside and out- 
 side a liberal coat of whitewash. 
 
 Question — Can good results be obtained from mating cock- 
 erels and pullets? 
 
 Answer — Yes* if they are not too young. Birds between 
 10 and 12 months of age will reproduce with good results. 
 
 Question — What is the most desirable mating? 
 Answer — A yearling cockerel to one-year-old and two-year- 
 old hens, or a two-year-old cock to yearling hens. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to starve bantams and stunt them 
 in that way to get the small Standard weight birds? 
 
 Answer — No. Breeders who practice such methods work 
 against themselves, as the birds when placed in the breeding pen, 
 will prove a disappointment. The eggs will not be so fertile and 
 the chicks that hatch will not be so healthy or mature properly. 
 The secret is to feed well and select the smallest birds as breed- 
 ers, and especially the females. 
 
 Question — Will scalding water thrown all over the inside of 
 the poultry house destroy the mites? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Are any of the Standard breeds naturally weaker 
 in constitution and, harder to breed than others? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Does it injure the male bird as a breeder to cut 
 off his spurs? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How many acres of ground should one have in 
 order to establish a poultry plant with a view to making a liv- 
 ing from it? 
 
 Answer — Not less than ten acres. 
 
 Question — In starting a poultry plant for market eggs and 
 meat is it better to have one breed for eggs and another for 
 meat? 
 
 Answer — No. Take one of the general purpose breeds suit- 
 able for both. 
 
 Question — Does a fowl moult each year? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 103 
 
 Question — In clipping the wings of fowls to prevent flying, 
 how can it be done so as to not detract from the looks of the 
 bird? / 
 
 Answer — Clip only the flight or primary feathers of one 
 wing. By so doing the bird is not evenly balanced when it at- 
 tempts to fly and it falls sideways. When the wings are closed 
 the clipped portion of the wing cannot be seen. 
 
 Question — Will clipping the wings of a fowl injure it as a 
 breeder or layer? 
 
 Answer — No; not in the least. 
 
 Question — When buying stock to establish a strain, is it 
 better to buy from one breeder or to mix various strains? 
 
 Answer — Get all the birds from one breeder. They will 
 breed more uniformly. 
 
 Question — What is the best method of preserving the drop- 
 pings for fertilizer? 
 
 Answer — Mix them with land plaster or dry earth. Never 
 use lime on them. 
 
 Question — Can one man do all the work on a plant where 
 1,000 fowls are kept and everything as conveniently arranged 
 as possible? 
 
 Answer — Yes, but he would have his time fully occupied. 
 
 Question — At what age is a male bird considered in his 
 prime as a breeder? 
 
 Answer — Two years old. 
 
 Question- — At what age does a male bird become valueless 
 as a breeder? 
 
 Answer — It all depends upon the individual specimen. Some 
 birds are of no value at three years of age and others are all 
 right at five. 
 
 Question — What could cause severe bleeding sores on the 
 backs of hens in the breeding pen? 
 
 Answer — Oftentimes the continued attention of the male 
 bird with sharp claws will cause this trouble. The hens should 
 be removed from the pen till the wounds heal. 
 
 Question — Do different species of lice require different ex- 
 terminators ? 
 
 Answer — No. What will kill one variety will kill another. 
 
104 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Can lice infest fowls to such an extent as to in- 
 jure the plumage? 
 
 Answer — Yes ; especially on the head and neck, which some- 
 times are made bare. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to assist fowls in moulting by pull- 
 ing the plumage? 
 
 Answer — No. Let the birds drop the plumage naturally. 
 
 Question^-When shipping fowls is it necessary to arrange 
 for water in the coop if the journey is not more than 24 hours? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What is the recipe for the whitewash used by 
 the U. S. government for lighthouses, etc.? 
 
 Answer — Slake in boiling water one-half bushel of lime. 
 Strain so as to remove all sediment. Add two pounds of sulphate 
 of zinc, one pound of common salt and one-half pound whiting, 
 thoroughly dissolved. Mix to proper consistency with skim 
 milk, if possible, and if not use hot water. Stir in thoroughly 
 a half pint of liquid glue and apply the wash while hot. It may 
 be colored if desired by using yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, 
 lamp black, etc. It will compare favorably both in appearance 
 and durability with a good quality of paint. 
 
 Question — Will the ordinary yellow dalmatian insect pow- 
 der for sale at drug stores kill lice on fowls? 
 Answer — Not unless it is very fresh. 
 
 Question — Should the comb and wattles of capons be cut 
 off? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is tarred paper in the poultry house any advan- 
 tage in keeping down lice? 
 
 Answer — It is some protection against the red mite until 
 the odor is practically gone. 
 
 Question — How can fowls be forced to molt early and 
 quickly? 
 
 Answer — Feed them one meal a day for two weeks. Then 
 pen them and feed them heavily of a variety of food, and espe- 
 cially of a fattening nature. 
 
 Question — If one has enough females for two or more males, 
 can they all be allowed to run together with good results? 
 
 Answer — It will be better to divide the females and confine 
 each lot with a male unless the entire flock has very wide range. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 105 
 
 Question — Are breeding birds influenced by environment, 
 as, for instance, if Brown Leghorn females are kept in a breed- 
 ing pen of Barred Rocks, will their presence have any effect 
 upon the offspring of the Barred Rocks as far as influencing 
 color is concerned? 
 
 Answer — It will have no effect whatever. 
 
 Question — Is there any crossbred bird that will make a bet- 
 ter broiler than the Plymouth Rock or Wyandotte? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Are there any better birds than Leghorns for an 
 exclusive egg farm ? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How many hen eggs can a bantam cover and 
 hatch ? 
 
 Answer — Five or six, sometimes seven small ones in warm 
 weather. 
 
 Question — Why do some Barred Plymouth Rocks lay more 
 eggs than others? 
 
 Answer — This is true with all the breeds and varieties. It 
 may be the result of right methods of feeding for egg produc- 
 tion, or it may be that the birds have been bred from heavy 
 layers, and by selection of the best layers for breeding each 
 season a strain has been established with good laying as one of 
 its characteristics. 
 
 Question — Does it really pay a busy poultryman to take the 
 time required to keep an egg record? 
 
 Answer — A poultryman who is in the business for profit 
 cannot afford to do otherwise. It enables him to weed out the 
 non-layers. 
 
 Question — Is there one time in the year when birds can be 
 bought cheaper than another? 
 
 Answer — Breeders of exhibition stock usually make a spe- 
 cial price in June and July on breeding birds that they do not 
 care to carry over another season, and often stock can be pur- 
 chased under these conditions at less than its real value. 
 
 Question — Is there any liquid lice killer that fowls may be 
 dipped in to kill the lice? 
 Answer — No. 
 
106 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What are the two most important items in suc- 
 cessful poultry raising? 
 
 Answer — Cleanliness and proper feeding - . 
 
 Question — Is it customary for prospective buyers to en- 
 close stamp for reply when writing to breeders relative to the 
 purchase of stock or eggs? 
 
 Answer — Some breeders ask it. It is not customary. 
 
 Question — What can be done with a male bird that is con- 
 stantly picking at most of the females in the breeding pen? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes a male bird of a particularly pug- 
 nacious disposition will fight the females and it is necessary to 
 removed him from the pen. Occasionally he may be conquered 
 by placing in the pen another bird that can keep him in subjec- 
 tion. A fight or two in which he gets the worst of it will gen- 
 erally answer. 
 
 Question — Is there anything that can be placed in the drink- 
 ing water that will give continued immunity from disease as 
 long as it is used? 
 
 Answer — No. The practice of putting medicines in the 
 drinkng water for well fowls has injured the health of many a 
 flock. 
 
 Question — Are moth balls in the nest a preventive of lice 
 on the hens? 
 
 Answer — They will help, if the hens are on the nest often 
 enough, but other remedies and precautionary measures are 
 necessary. 
 
 Question — Are the Cornish Indian Games a fighting fowl? 
 
 Answer — No. This is a good layer and a good table fowl 
 of a peaceful and quiet disposition that is handicapped by the 
 name Game. 
 
 Question — Will clipping some of the fluff from the breeding 
 birds sometimes aid in getting fertile eggs ? 
 
 Answer — Oftentimes the fluff is so abundant on Asiatic 
 varieties that the made bird cannot fertilize all the eggs, and in 
 cases of this kind it is an advantage to clip a small amount of 
 fluff around the vent. 
 
 Question — If a poultryman subscribes for one good poul- 
 try journal, is it not sufficient for him to become well informed 
 upon poultry topics? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 107 
 
 Answer — He will do well with one, but half a dozen would 
 be better. No one publication covers the entire field each month. 
 
 Question — How can the dropping boards be kept dry and 
 be most easily cleaned? 
 
 Answer — After each cleaning sprinkle them with sand, fine 
 earth or air slaked lime. 
 
 Question — What are the standard weights of Plymouth 
 Rocks? 
 
 Answer — Cock, 9J^ pounds; hen, ty 2 pounds; cockerel, 8 
 pounds; pullet, 6 pounds. 
 
 Question — Are all varieties of Plymouth Rocks the same 
 in size, shape and all other characteristics except color? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What are the standard weights of Wyandottes? 
 Answer — Cock, 8J4 pounds; hen &y 2 pounds; cockerel, ty 2 
 pounds; pullet, §y 2 pounds. 
 
 Question — Is early laying an indication that a pullet will 
 prove a heavy layer through life? 
 Answer — No, not always. 
 
 Question — As a general rule, are feathered legged fowls 
 healthier than others? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What is a parti-colored fowl? 
 Answer — All varieties having two or more colors of plu- 
 mage are termed parti-colored. 
 
 Question — When the poultry runs have been used for a 
 long time and the earth becomes saturated with droppings and 
 disease germs, how can it be disinfected and purified? 
 
 Answer — Saturate it with a five per cent solution of carbolic 
 acid and apply a liberal coating of lime. After a few days plow 
 or spade it up and then level it. 
 
 Question — Are dusty earth floors injurious to fowls when 
 the dust almost constantly fills the air? 
 
 Answer — Yes, the inhalation of irritating dust containing 
 impurities oftentimes causes bronchitis. 
 
108 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — If the male bird in a pen of eight females is 
 taken out every other day, will the eggs be as fertile as though 
 he was in the pen constantly? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What are the standard weights for Leghorns? 
 
 Answer — There are no standard weights for Leghorns, but 
 females should weigh four or five pounds and males five and one- 
 half to six and one-half pounds. 
 
 Question — Is it profitable to conduct a broiler plant and 
 depend upon buying eggs for hatching? 
 
 Answer — No ; the laying stock should be kept on the place. 
 
 Question — Is it injurious to fowls to feed them medicinal 
 foods for the purpose of increasing the fertility of eggs? , 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is there any kind of poison that can be placed 
 around the poultry house for rats that will not kill the fowls too? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Can a hen be set twice in succession; that is, as 
 soon as she has hatched a brood of chicks, take them from her 
 and put more eggs under her? 
 
 Answer — If can be done successfully, but it is "cruelty to 
 animals" and should not be practiced. 
 
 Question — Are fowls subject in any way to climatic changes, 
 as, for instance, when shipped from one climate to another much 
 different one? 
 
 Answer — Yes, in many cases. Sometimes they are affected 
 favorably and sometimes unfavorably, but they soon become ac- 
 customed to the change. 
 
 Question — What causes the hens to pick the combs of the 
 male birds till they bleed and in some cases severely disfigure 
 them? How can it be stopped? 
 
 Answer — It is usually started by the comb becoming injured 
 in a way to cause bleeding. The only remedy is to keep the bird 
 away from the flock till the comb has healed and in the mean- 
 time feed them plentifully of raw meat. 
 
 Question — What causes a deep red color sometimes down 
 the sides of the legs of the yellow-legged fowls, and what does 
 it signify? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 109 
 
 Answer — It is one of nature's unexplainable acts. By some 
 it is considered an indication of unusual vitality and evidence 
 that the fowl is especially prepotent in the production of progeny 
 with yellow legs. Neither of these theories is never failing. 
 
 Question — If the weather is such that the large comb of a 
 male bird is apt to freeze at night, are there any preventive meas- 
 ures that can be adopted? 
 
 Answer — Aside from providing warmer quarters a liberal 
 application of vaseline to the comb and wattles will be a slight 
 protection. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to build up a flock of pure bred 
 fowls with mongrel females and a pure bred male? 
 
 Answer — Mate the male to the females and save for use next 
 season the pullets of the progeny which most nearly resemble 
 the breed to which the pure bred male belongs. Procure a new 
 male bird each year and follow the same plan of selecting the 
 females. In five or six years you will have a fairly good flock. 
 
 Question — Will lice that are found on poultry live and thrive 
 on human beings? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — When purchasing hens for layers is it safe to al- 
 ways depend upon those with bright red combs aa laying or 
 about to lay? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to mate the breeding birds so 
 as to produce more pullets than cockerels? 
 
 Answer — There is no rule that can be absolutely depended 
 upon. There is a theory sometimes advanced that the mating of 
 young male birds to old hens will produce the desired result, 
 but in practice it will not always do it. 
 
 Question — What is the best breed of dogs for the poultry- 
 man for the purpose of keeping down rats? 
 Answer — The fox terrier. 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to combine pigeon raising with 
 poultry ? 
 
 Answer — No. __^____^ 
 
 Question — When is the best time to cull the flock? 
 
 Answer — The culling process is always timely. Culls should 
 be disposed of as fast as they develop. Begin culling when the 
 chicks are four weeks old. 
 
110 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Are guineas any protection to the chickens from 
 hawks ? 
 
 Answer — A little. If the hawk is seen approaching, a guinea 
 will oftentimes frighten it away by its shrill noise. 
 
 Question — Why is it that excessive fat in hens prevents 
 them from laying fertile eggs? 
 
 Answer — The germ can seldom reach the egg at the proper 
 stage of development. 
 
 Question — Who is supposed to be responsible for loss or 
 damage when stock or eggs are shipped, the buyer or the seller? 
 
 Answer — The seller is supposed to properly crate and pack 
 stock and eggs and take all due precaution that the shipment 
 reaches the customer in perfect condition. The buyer is then 
 supposed to stand any loss or damage, but if any is sustained 
 through carelessness of the express company the buyer has re- 
 course on them. 
 
 Question — Is it customary for the purchaser to pay the ex- 
 press charges on stock and eggs? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What is meant by a top cross of White Rock on 
 White Leghorns? 
 
 Answer — The using of a White Rock male and White Leg- 
 horn females. 
 
 Question — Does the United States issue any pamphlets or 
 bulletins for free distribution giving information in regard to 
 poultry ? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Write to the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 
 Chief of the Division of Publications, Washington, D. C, for a 
 list, which will be sent free. 
 
 Question — Will a frozen comb injure a male bird as a breed- 
 er? 
 
 Answer — It will to some extent by impairing the vitality. 
 The bird will be just as valuable as before, when he has recov- 
 ered. 
 
 Question — Is there any breed of poultry that has naturally 
 five toes on each toot? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The Dorkings and Houdans have five toes. 
 
 Question — Is there any public record of prize-winning fowls 
 where the pedigree of each bird is given? 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 111 
 
 Answer — There is no system of registration with poultry as 
 with some other kinds of live stock. Sometimes breeders refer 
 to their birds as pedigreed, but in all such cases the pedigree and 
 record is a private one and is entirely under the supervision of 
 the breeder. 
 
 Question — Is it an injury to pullets to mate them before they 
 begin to lay? \ 
 
 Answer — Not if they are near maturity. 
 
 Question — Do Leghorns ever sit and hatch a brood of 
 chicks? 
 
 Answer — Sometimes they do, but they cannot be relied upon 
 at all. 
 
 Question — Is there always a demand for fancy stock and 
 eggs at good prices? 
 
 Answer — Yes, if one advertises properly. 
 
 Question — What does it cost to have half-tone cuts made of 
 fowls? 
 
 Answer — The usual rate is 17 cents per square inch with a 
 minimum charge of $1.50. Photographs must be furnished the 
 engravers. 
 
 Question — When will hens begin to lay, that moult in De- 
 cember? 
 
 Answer — Generally not till early spring. 
 
 Question — When fumigating a poultry house with sulphur, 
 how much and in what manner should it be used? 
 
 Answer — Burn about a pound of sulphur for every 100 
 square feet of floor space there is in the house. Place the sul- 
 phur in an iron pan or kettle, or some sort of a metal vessel, 
 and set it in sand or earth to prevent setting fire to the house. 
 Start a fire with small pieces of wood saturated with kerosene 
 and sprinkle the sulphur upon it. Close the house very tight 
 and allow it to remain closed for four or five hours. 
 
 Question — When is it proper to use the words beak and bill 
 with reference to fowls? 
 
 Answer — Beak is used when referring to chickens and bill 
 when referring to water fowl. They are the projecting mouth 
 parts consisting of the upper and lower mandibles. 
 
 Question — Which is proper, "crop" or "craw"? 
 Answer — Crop is correct. It is a receptacle in which a fowl's 
 food is received before passing into the gizzard. 
 
112 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Do fowls take on fat more rapidly as they grow 
 
 old? 
 
 Answer — Yes 
 
 Question — How large should shipping coops be? 
 
 Answer — 20 inches deep and 24 inches high. Have them 14 
 inches long for. single birds, 18 inches for pairs, 20 inches for 
 trios, and 24 to 30 inches for pen?. 
 
 Question — What is the meaning of the terms Cock, Hen, 
 Cockerel and Pullet? 
 
 Answer — A Cock is a male fowl one year old or more: A Hen 
 is a female fowl one year old or more. A Cockerel is a mafe fowl 
 less than one year old, and a Pullet is a female fowl less than one 
 year old. 
 
 Question — If one is raising poultry and eggs for market, is 
 it best to be near a very large city in order to get best prices for 
 the product? 
 
 Answer — One may be three hundred miles from the market 
 if necessary. Express rates are not high and a twelve-hour trip 
 is not too great. 
 
 Question — Is there always a demand in the larger cities for 
 poultry and eggs at fair prices? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What is a fair price for laying pullets from a 
 good laying strain of fowls? 
 
 Answer — Two dollars each and more if they are high-grade 
 Standard bred stock. 
 
 Question — What is the recipe for kerosene emulsion for 
 spraying the interior of the poultry house for mites and lice? 
 
 Answer — Shave a half pound of strong soap into enough 
 boiling water to dissolve it and while the mixture is hot, add two 
 gallons of kerosene slowly. Do this away from the fire. The 
 mixture should then be violently churned until it is of the con- 
 sistency of cream, after which add ten gallons of water. 
 
 Question — What is the most popular breed of fowls? 
 Answer — There are probably more Barred Plymouth Rocks 
 bred than any other variety. 
 
 Question — Are the smaller breeds of fowls as good winter 
 layers as the American breeds? 
 Answer — No. Not as a rule. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 113 
 
 Question — Do women, as a rule, make a success with poul- 
 try? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How does poultry raising on the farm compare 
 with other farm work as regards profit derived from it? 
 
 Answer — Under equally favorable conditions, poultry can be 
 made the most profitable branch of live stock on the farm. 
 
 Question — Does it cost any more, in any way, to keep Stand- 
 ard bred fowls than common stock? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is the Standard of Perfection worth the price or 
 is it necessary for a breeder to have one? 
 
 Answer — One cannot breed fowls intelligently unless he is 
 familiar with Standard requirements. No breeder who pretends 
 to have good stock should be without a copy of the book. 
 
 Question — Are the numerous published egg records thor- 
 oughly reliable in judging of the laying ability of the breeds? 
 
 Answer — No. They are of no value except as considered in 
 connection with birds that made them. 
 
 Question — Is it not a fact that the popularity of some breeds 
 is in the nature of a fad? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Why are there so many Barred Plymouth Rocks 
 bred? 
 
 Answer — The Barred Rocks have for several years been the 
 most popular breed of fowls and at the time of their introduction 
 they were the best general purpose fowl. There are not so many 
 of them bred as conditions seem to indicate. The power to trans- 
 mit color is so strong in Barred Rocks that if a good male bird 
 be mated to mongrel stock of all colors a large majority of the 
 chicks will be barred and have the appearance of low grade 
 Barred Rocks when in fact they are little better than scrub stock. 
 On this account, the observer comes to the conclusion that there 
 are more Barred Rocks than there really are. 
 
 Question — Should the fowls be confined to the house when 
 the ground is covered with snow? 
 
 Answer — There should be a small exit open everv day in 
 the year regardless of the condition of the weather. The fowls 
 can be trusted to decide whether or not it is best for them to 
 venture out. 
 
114 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Where can one obtain correct pictures of the 
 various breeds of fowls? 
 
 Answer — Profile views of perfect birds can be found in the 
 Standard of Perfection. 
 
 Question — What ought poultry manure be worth for fer- 
 tilizer? 
 
 Answer — From four to six dollars per ton. 
 
 Question — What is the advantage of sending fowls to a poul- 
 try show? 
 
 Answer — To find out how good your stock is, to win some 
 of the prizes if your stock is good enough, and to place you in 
 touch with people who wish to buy eggs and stock. 
 
 Question — Which is the best breed for beginners to start 
 with? 
 
 Answer — The one which best suits their fancy. 
 
 Question — Can poultry be raised successfully in the South? 
 Answer — Yes, as much so as anywhere else and better than 
 some other places. 
 
 Question — Will fowls deteriorate after a few years of arti- 
 ficial incubating and brooding? 
 
 Answer — No. The condition existing on all large plants 
 disproves this theory. 
 
 Question — Has the East any advantage over the West in 
 successful and profitable poultry raising? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How can the beginner best acquire a knowledge 
 of the appearance of the various breeds? 
 Answer — Visit a large poultry show. 
 
 Question — Is there more, both fancy and market plants, in 
 the East than in the West? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — If one has a natural fondness for pets and is inter- 
 ested in fowls from that standpoint, is he apt to have greater suc- 
 cess than someone not so inclined? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 115 
 
 Question — Why is there more poultry raised in the East than 
 in the West? 
 
 Answer — Thoroughbred fowls were first introduced in the 
 East and the business naturally has the best start there. 
 
 Question — Is September a good month in which to hatch 
 bantams ? 
 
 Answer — It is a trifle late, but they will do all right with 
 proper care and protection from cold weather. 
 
 Question — Where can caponizing instruments be purchased? 
 Answer — Geo. P. Pilling & Son, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Question — Do the red mites live on the fowls during the day? 
 Answer — No. They are always found on the underside of 
 the perch or in the cracks of the house or dropping boards. 
 
 Question — What is the recipe for a good liquid lice killer? 
 
 Answer — Put one pound of Naphthaline flakes into a gallon 
 of kerosene. See that the flakes are thoroughy dissolved before 
 using. 
 
 Question — Are bantam fowls as hardy as the larger breeds ? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Are Buff Cochin bantams just the same in every 
 respect, except size, as the large Cochins? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to supply artificial heat for ban- 
 tams? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — How large a house would be required for a pen of 
 ten bantams? 
 
 Answer — House and yard can be made to occupy a place 10 
 feet square. ■ 
 
 Question — Are bantam eggs as good for table purposes as 
 those from large fowls? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Do the same general methods apply to the feed- 
 ing of bantams as to the large fowls ? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will bantams hatch their own eggs? 
 Answer — Yes. They get broody and sit like other fowls. 
 
116 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — If pullets are too fat, will they be longer in start- 
 ing to lay? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will bantams succumb to lice quicker than will 
 larger fowls? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Do bantams become so tame as to allow children 
 to handle them and make pets of them? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can children raise and care for bantams without 
 aid from the older folks? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is there any special way to get extreme small size 
 in bantams? 
 
 Answer — Only by selecting the smallest to breed from. 
 
 Question — What does the term "Booted" signify when ap- 
 plied to bantams? 
 
 Answer — Booted bantams have profuse feathering on their 
 legs and feet like a Cochin. 
 
 Question — Are bantams subject to the same diseases as the 
 larger fowls? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — How clo yearling hens compare with pullets as re- 
 gards laying? 
 
 Answer — They lay better. 
 
 Question — What is the average cost of keeping growing 
 stock on the farm? 
 
 Answer — Five cents per head per month. 
 
 Question — Is it worth while to buy a root cutter for cutting 
 turnips, potatoes, apples, etc., if one has 100 fowls? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can the poultryman depend upon getting good 
 prices for fancy stock of any of the popular breeds if he raises 
 the best and advertises it? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The demand for good birds is always greater 
 than the supply. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 117 
 
 Question — Are Houdans good layers? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Should hens that finish the moult in September 
 begin to lay as early as November. 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — When is the best time to dispose of capons? 
 Answer — January, February and March. 
 
 Question — What months are the highest prices secured for 
 broilers ? 
 
 Answer — From December to June. 
 
 Question — Can broilers be dressed easier than by dry pick- 
 ing? 
 
 Answer — Yes. Slit the skin along the back and both skin 
 and feathers can be removed in a moment. 
 
 Question — Are white fowls that show a brassy tinge on the 
 plumage any hardier or healthier than those that are pure white? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Can broody hens be broken up oy confining them 
 for two or three days without food or water? 
 
 Answer — No. This is one of the most cruel practices and it 
 should never be done. 
 
 Question — Is 15 eggs per month a good record for fowls in 
 winter? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — From how far west are eggs shipped that in the 
 New York market reports are termed "Western Eggs"? 
 Answer — As far west as Iowa. 
 
 Question — What wages can be secured on poultry plants by 
 experienced managers? 
 
 Answer — From $40 to $100 per month. It depends upon the 
 man, his ability and the size of the plant. 
 
 Question — Do fowls ever get the roup if they have dry 
 houses free from drafts? 
 
 Answer — Very seldom, except by contagion. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary for best results to give fresh wa- 
 ter daily in summer? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
118 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Why does not the average farmer make a reason- 
 able profit from poultry? 
 
 Answer — Because he does not provide suitable quarters for 
 fowls and feed regularly and in sufficient quantity. 
 
 Question — In order to save money in starting a poultry plant 
 for eggs, would it not be advisable to buy hens from commission 
 houses and hucksters who obtain them from farmers? 
 
 Answer — No. The hens they procure have been discarded 
 by farmers because they were too old to lay or for other reasons 
 have outlived their period of usefulness. 
 
 Question — Is it necessary to have litter in the scratching 
 shed in summer as well as in winter? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will young stock grow faster and do better if the 
 cockerels are separated from the pullets at about four months of 
 
 age? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is the meat of fowls having free range as tender 
 as that of fowls that are confined? 
 
 Answer^ — No. The constant activity and exertion on free 
 range hardens the flesh and toughens the muscles. 
 
 Question — Are not the rose comb varieties much better for 
 cold climates, for the reason that the comb will not freeze? 
 
 Answer — .No. If a poultry house is so cold that single combs 
 will freeze, it is too cold for the comfort of rose comb fowls. 
 
 Question — Why is it that some people can be successful with 
 a few fowls, but fail when they greatly increase the number? 
 
 Answer — It is because they cease giving proper attention to 
 the small details, and they usually overcrowd the birds. 
 
 Question — Will a radical immediate change of bill of fare 
 have tendency to temporarily check egg production? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can chickens and ducks be kept together success- 
 fully in the same houses and runs? 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Is carrying fowls with the head downward liable 
 to result in injury? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 119 
 
 Question — Is it advisable to keep the old hens and the pullets 
 in separate pens? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is it easy to learn the poultry business, if one 
 takes the proper interest in it? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is there a demand for competent managers of 
 poultry plants? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Will darkened nests sometimes break up the 
 egg-eating habit? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Can as large a percentage of fertile eggs be ex- 
 pected in January and February as in April and May, if the very 
 best care and feed are given? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Can the age of a male be told by the length of the 
 spur? 
 
 Answer — Not after they are a year old. 
 
 Question — Are there any two varieties of fowls that can be 
 allowed to run together without them interbreeding or crossing? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — What are the objections to allowing the drop- 
 pings to accumulate under the perches? 
 
 Answer — They encourage the breeding of lice and the odor 
 arising from them is breathed by the fowls all night, and the 
 poisoned gases cause disease and death. 
 
 Question — Is pounded glass suitable grit for poultry? 
 
 Answer — No. It is sometimes mentioned in poultry jour~ 
 nals as being good, but it should never be fed at all. It is often 
 the cause of mysterious (?) deaths. 
 
 Question — Will overfeeding of soft food or mash cause 
 roup? 
 
 Answer — No. That is a mistaken idea. 
 
 Question — What is red albumen and will it make hens lay? 
 
 Answer — Red albumen is a fraud. The name was at one 
 time given to numerous different compounds the feeding of 
 which was supposed to phenomenally increase the egg yield. 
 
120 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — Will confinement in hot, close houses in summer 
 check egg production the same as cold houses in winter? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — If one has read a large number of books and poul- 
 try journals and studied them well, can he not start poultry rais- 
 ing on a large scale and make a success from the start, without 
 actual experience? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Can poultry raising and market gardening be 
 combined profitably? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is there more profit in poultry raising than in 
 dairying, for the same amount of money invested? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Is it best to keep the old hens penned separate'y 
 from the pullets. 
 
 Answer — Yes, unless the breeder has ample range for his 
 fowls. 
 
 Question — Are sunflowers suitable for planting in the poul- 
 try yard, for shade? 
 
 Answer — Yes. They will have to be protected from the 
 fowls till they are about three feet high, if there is not ample 
 green food of other kinds growing in the yard. 
 
 Question — Will soiled straw from the horse or cow stables 
 do for scratching litter for the hens? 
 
 Answer — No. Chickens need clean surroundings as much as 
 other live stock, and if the litter or bedding is too dirty for the 
 horses or cows, it is too dirty for chickens. 
 
 Question — If one wishes to have 100 good laying pullets in 
 the fall, how many eggs ought he to incubate to get that 
 number? 
 
 Answer — About 500 eggs. This would allow for male birds 
 and cull pullets, leaving about 100 good ones. 
 
 Question — What is a stag? 
 
 Answer — Stag is a term used for a young male, but is used 
 only by fanciers of game fowls. 
 
 Question — What would be good weight for Plymouth Rock 
 or Wyandotte eggs? 
 
 Answer— Two pounds to the dozen. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 121 
 
 Question — How much weight can be put upon the ordinary- 
 farm chicken, when specially fattened for market? 
 Answer — An average gain of 2y 2 pounds. 
 
 Question — What ought it cost to fatten chickens for mar- 
 ket? 
 
 Answer — Five cents per pound. 
 
 Question — Is there any way to prevent male birds from 
 crowing? 
 
 Answer — No. People who are annoyed by the crowing of 
 male birds should not keep chickens. 
 
 Question — Is constant crowing an indication of unusual 
 vigor and vitality in a male bird? 
 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — Why are the American breeds of fowls consid- 
 ered the best for table poultry? 
 
 Answer — Because of the full breast and general plumpness 
 of the carcass in connection with desirable size and weight. 
 
 Question — Why are the Leghorns, as a rule, better layers 
 than the larger breeds? 
 
 Answer — They are not inclined to broodiness, and are sus- 
 ceptible to being forced for heavier egg production. 
 
 Question — Is line breeding profitable or necessary with 
 market poultry as well as fancy fowls? 
 
 Answer — Yes. The best layers are obtained by breeding 
 from the best layers and this is line breeding. 
 
 Question — Why do fowls that have free range produce a 
 larger per cent of fertile eggs than those kept in confinement? 
 
 Answer — Because the average fowl in confinement is not 
 fed properly. The difference is all in the feeding. 
 
 Question — How can ordinary stoneware milk crocks be used 
 for drinking fountains and the fowls prevented from getting into 
 them? 
 
 Answer — Procure a circular piece of board about one inch 
 greater in diameter than the top of the milk crock. Nail pieces 
 of lath 12 inches long all around the edge, 2 inches apart. Set 
 this frame over the crock, placing a weight on top of it if neces- 
 sary. 
 
 Question — Which is the largest fowl of the non-sitting varie- 
 ties? 
 
 Answer — Minorcas. 
 
122 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Question — What is the mode of killing fowls on the large 
 market plants where they are dressed and sent to market with- 
 out removing the head? 
 
 Answer — A sharp-pointed knife is used and the point is 
 thrust into the roof of the mouth, thence upward into the brain, 
 which produces unconsciousness and enables the killer to pluck 
 the feathers easily and quickly. 
 
 Question — Why is so much stress laid upon exercise and 
 compelling fowls to scratch for most of their food ? 
 
 Answer — Exercise creates a healthy appetite, develops bone 
 and muscle, is invigorating, stimulates a healthy circulation, 
 promotes digestion, keeps the mind and body occupied and pre- 
 vents the forming of bad habits, such as feather pulling, egg eat- 
 ing, comb picking, etc. ; keeps the body warm and in healthy 
 action in winter, saves food, prevents gorging and the resultant 
 evils, such as crop-bound, indigestion and diarrhoea; prevents 
 birds from becoming over-fat, makes eggs more fertile and pro- 
 ductive of stronger chicks and tends to prevent rheumatism and 
 cramps in old fowls and leg weakness in chicks. 
 
 Question — Which breeds stand confinement best? 
 Answer — Cochins and Brahmas. 
 
 Question — Do laying hens need more food than those that 
 are not laying? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What can be fed to rats that will kill them, with- 
 out chance of injury to fowls? 
 
 Answer — Mix equal parts of corn meal and plaster of paris 
 and place it in the rat'holes. The plaster of pairs hardens in the 
 stomach of the rat and is sure death. 
 
 Question — What weight capon sells best. 
 Answer — Birds weighing about 7 pounds. 
 
 Question — Which is the most popular variety of the Wyan- 
 dotte family. 
 
 Answer — The Whites. 
 
 Question — Why do women usually have better success with 
 young chicks than men do? 
 
 Answer — They are naturally more attentive to the wants of 
 the chick, and they give it better care. 
 
999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 123 
 
 Question — Are the early moulting hens more to be desired 
 than the late ones? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What percentage of males and females can be de- 
 pended upon as the result of incubating any given number of 
 
 eggs? 
 
 Answer — Half and half is as near as it can be estimated. 
 
 Question — What are some of the main causes of infertile 
 eggs? 
 
 Answer — Weak and debilitated breeding stock, lack of ex- 
 ercise, improper feeding and lack of animal and green food and 
 too many females in the pen. 
 
 Question — Will the moving of laying hens from one pen to 
 the other affect their laying? 
 
 Answer — It may for a few days. In some cases it does not. 
 
 Question — Are lice as troublesome iand plentiful in winter as 
 in summer? 
 
 Answer — No. 
 
 Question — Will fright and rough treatment of hens check 
 the egg production? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Questibn — What are the main objects of litter in the houses 
 and scratching sheds? 
 
 Answer — Cleanliness and exercise. 
 
 Question — What are the effects of inbreeding? 
 
 Answer — Unfertilized eggs, weak germs, chicks dead in the 
 shell at hatching time, a generally weakened constitution, chicks 
 susceptible to all sorts of diseases, without apparent cause, small 
 stunted specimens of slow growth, extraordinary development of 
 defects both noticeable and latent, decreased egg production, loss 
 of procreative power and the production of delicate short-lived 
 progeny. While inbreeding will produce any or all of these 
 conditions, the presence of them is not always evidence of in- 
 breeding. They may also result from other causes. 
 
 Question — What are the Standard varieties of fowls? 
 
 Answer — Barred, Buff, White and Silver Penciled Plymouth 
 Rocks; Silver Laced, Golden Laced, White, Buff, Black, Part- 
 ridge, Silver Penciled and Columbian Wyandottes; Black and 
 Mbttled Javas; Dominiques, Single Comb and Rose Comb, 
 
124 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
 Rhode Island Reds; Buckeyes; Light and Dark Brahmas; Buff, 
 Partridge, White and Black Cochins; Black and White Lang- 
 shans; Single Comb Brown, Rose Comb Brown, Single Comb 
 White, Rose Comb White, Single Comb Buff, Rose Comb Buff, 
 Single Comb Black and Silver Duckwing Leghorns ; Single Comb 
 Black, Rose Comb Black, Single Comb White Minorcas; White 
 Faced Black Spanish; Blue Andalusians; Mottled Anconas; 
 White, Silver Gray and Colored Dorkings; Red Caps; Single 
 Comb Buff, Single Comb Black, Single Comb White Orping- 
 tons; White Crested Black, Bearded Golden, Bearded Silver, 
 Bearded White, Buff Laced, Non-Bearded Golden, Non-Bearded 
 Silver, Non-Bearded White Polish; Golden Spangled, Silver 
 Spangled, Golden Penciled, Silver Penciled, White and Black 
 Hamburgs; Houdans; Crevecouers; La Fleche; Black Breasted 
 Red, Brown Red, Golden Duckwing, Silver Duckwing, Birchen, 
 Red Pyle, White and Black Games ; Cornish and White Indians ; 
 Sumatras; Black Breasted Red Malays; Silkies; Sultans; Friz- 
 zles; Malay Bantams; Game Bantams of the same varieties as 
 the larger Games mentioned above, also Bantams as follows: 
 Golden and Silver Sebrights; White and Black Rose Combs; 
 Booted; Light and Dark Brahmas; Buff, Partridge, White and 
 Black Cochins; Black Tailed, White, Black Japanese; Bearded 
 White, Buff Laced and Non-Bearded Polish. The turkeys are 
 the Black, Bronze, Buff Narragansett, Slate and White Holland. 
 The geese are African, Brown Chinese, White Chinese, Egyptian, 
 Embden, Toulouse and Wild or Canada. The ducks are Ayles- 
 bury, Black East Indian, Gray Call, White Call, Colored Mus- 
 covy, White Muscovy, Cayuga, Crested White, Pekin, Rouen, 
 Indian Runner and Blue Swedish. 
 
 Question — Does overcrowding reduce egg production? 
 Answer — Yes. 
 
 Question — What can be done for a bird whose leg has out- 
 grown the leg band, and the band has become embedded in the 
 flesh? 
 
 Answer — By carefully using a suitably shaped file the band 
 may be cut in two and pulled off. In banding young birds, care_ 
 should be taken to use bands large enough to allow for growth 
 and prevent this trouble. 
 
American Poultry 
 Journal 
 
 Year 
 Book 
 
 PUBLISHED ANNUALLY 
 
 The Authoritative Poultry Encyclopaedia 
 
 The 1913 edition contains 379 pages; eleven four-color illustrations of 
 single birds and pairs from life, mounted on heavy paper suitable for 
 framing, and 35 other illustrations, breeding charts, poultry house de- 
 signs, etc. The Year Book is not only an almanac of happenings in 
 the poultry world during the season, but the condensed information on 
 every subject relating to the poultry industry renders it invaluable for 
 reference. 
 
 PRICES — EXPRESS PREPAID 
 Paper Bound Edition ... $ .50 
 Cloth Bound de luxe Edition 1.00 
 
 Remember — This book contains complete Show Reports and 
 List of Winners 
 
 American Poultry Journal, the one great poultry paper of America, con- 
 tains as high as 252 pages per issue with beautifully colored supplements. 
 Published monthly. Send 10 cents for sample copy and special offers. 
 
 American Poultry Journal Pub. Co. 
 
 542 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 
 
American Poultry Journal's Practical 
 POULTRY BOOKS 
 
 How to Raise Chicks 
 By Dr. Prince T. Woods 
 
 A down to date manual on breeding 
 poultry. Absolutely the best book of 
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 American Poultry Journal 
 Year Book 
 
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 Why Poultry Pays and How 
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 Diseases of Poultry 
 
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 Am. Standard of Perfection 
 
 Latest edition published by the Amer- 
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 Origin and History of All 
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