The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-02
When Eggs are Chean.

- ---A A 66o GEc SLGAR
The farmer often complains. says the
Rural Homo, that his hens 90 not Law in the
winter season, when eggs are high ard
scare. nut prefer to lay Whea prices are low.
II the hens were capable of approaching
the desires OF their masters pnd give them a
supply OF eggs in winter, prices would be
as low at that season as at any other period,
and hence disappointment would result in
the failure 10 derive profit. The demand
always exists, but the high prices are due TO
scarcity eggs. When eggs are cheap it is
because the hens are keeping up the sup
ply.
The question u be considered is not the
prices Of eggs but the profit derived from
them. The account with the hens should
not be kept for a year only, but fJr each
month, and the cost Of the food, as well as
the sales from poultry and eggs, for each
month, should be carefully compared and
we venture to assert that those who have
not made such an experiment will be aston
lshed 20 notice how unfairly the hens are
treated in the matter Of egg production.
Leaving out that class OF farmers who
stuff and pamper their hens with the mis-
taken supposiiion that the more food the
more eggs, the ones who really make a GOOD
all, except occasionally during the winter.
Such persons do not expect any eggs in win
ter, and do no. worry over the loss at all
out as soon as the warm spring days ap-
pear they expect their hens TO lay. They
want no pure breeds, and claim that the
common hens will lay more eggs than the
large Brahmas. Strange to saw they are
correct, for only the active common hen
can exist under such unfavorable conditions.
The survival of the fittest, ;" and their COM
Dulsory work for existence, gives them al
advantage over BTahma, Just as the razor
back hog in the forest would live and
thrive Whsre the Berkshire would perish
True, there IS a great mortality among the
common hens, and their chicks, but that is
expected, and goes TO the profit and loss"
department.
The hens, being compelled to provide for
themselves, raise their young, and lay eggs
IN the summer, cost nothing at all and ara
consequently profitable
During the summer an active hen can
look out for herself. She has no favors 20
ask. but she must be an active, quick. indus.
trious bird, keeping busily at work. Her
very occupation fits her for the duty of lay
ing, and as she has no more cod to combat
no more storms to face, and requires but a
small proportion of food to supply bodily
waste. her food can be applied to the pro-
ductiOn of eggs. The Brahma is given more
attention.
In fact, if farmer steps aside to try
something better than common hens he
gives item more attention because he ex-
poets them to do more. He had read some
where that no eggs are to be
had unless the hens are well
fed, and he at once proceeds to make the
heas lay by feeding them as heavily as pos
sible.
The Brahmas having al! the food they
wish within their reach, and not being CONS
PEELED to work for living" quietly enjoy
the time on the roosts, their inactivity and
frequent feeding rendering them as fat as
seals, and they do not lay an egg because
they are out OF condition. When the
winter is over the farmer finds them un-
profitable, and when spring begins they still
do not lay. They are sent to market, all
pure breeas are condemned, aud the COM
mon hen is again installed, and the farmer
adheres to his original belief that common
hen is as good as any other
II farmers would treat even their common
hens with due consideration in winter they
would lay fair proportion Of eggs. but the
common hens cannot be compared with the
pure breeds IN any respect. The ignorance
of the farmers is no greater than the iguor-
ance Of fanciers (some of them with repu-
tation) who go to the other extreme. Tue
hen Is naturally industrious, and unless she
Is kept III exercise Sic VIII lay Out lew eggs,
and her condition depends largely on how
she Is fed.
The feed hopper is something that should
be unknown No ben should eat from a feed
hopper filled with grain. 1t is a lazy mans
contrivance for lazy heus The hens should
be compelled TO seek every grain they eat,
and they should be fed ia manner to sup
ply their actual wants, guarding against an
exceis, and if they have dry and warm
quarters they will then lay in winter.
When eggs are cheap the food is cheap
nothing in summer to some farmers There
is more profit on eggs in summer than III
Water. And there is also another pCiut to
observe when eggs are low and that Is the
farmer always has good market at his
home on his own tabls, for his poultry and
eggs. 1t is foolish to sell poultry and eggs
at low prices and pay twice as much for
beef, or subsist on pork and potatoes. Farm
ers are consumers as well as producers, and
when eggs are low they can supply them
selves and thus prevent the markets from
being over-supplled.
There Is also al additional price to the
regular quotations that is always chee7fully
given for strictly fresh eggs. and every
farmer has an opportunity of deriving bet
ter prices for his produce, right in his near
est town, If he will but ests tish for himself
areputation for selling only fresh eggs He
need not then bs governed by quotations,
but can fix his own prices, and he will have
no difficulty in selling all that his hens will
produce.