Evening journal., 1913-06-12
CARE OF THE EGG
ON TIE FARM

Every year there is a loss Of mil
lions of dollars in bad eggs. the direct
result OF haphazard methods of pro
duction. marketing and shopping
which are now In vogue in many
States. The greatest part Of this loss
is due mainly to ignorance or indif-
ference on the part of the farmer and
producer, and only a small part IS
caused by carelessness on the part of
the buyer and shipper.
With a view to determining the
causes of the great loss in eggs. the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture undertook a thorough investiga-
ticn of the problem, and in its latest
publication on the subject Cbulletin
100, Bureau of Animal Industry, are
presented the results of experiments
conducted in Kansas to determine
what deterioration took place in eggs
/ when retained under typical condi-
tions on the farms in the country
store, and during transportation.
The field chosen for the work was
one where the production and market
ing of eggs was an important factor,
la location where the cooperation Of
| several farmers could be secured, and
a town that was far enough from Il
central collecting plant so that the
effect OF typical transportation condi-
ions could be observed. The eggs were
! collected at a stated time each day
, from several lfarms. and every egg
fertile or infertile. was supposed to
be absolutely fresh when entered in
the experiments.
The different tests included keeping
eggs in dwelling houses, i'm cyclone
cave, in nests provided for laying
hens, eggs placed under sitting hen.
under cOrncrib. in nest I'm weeds or
underbrush, in nest in strawstack. and
in stolen nests for periods varying
! from two to seven days
The tests emphasized the fact that
i infertile eggs keep better than fertile.
One-third of the annual loss in eggs
is due to blood rings" A blood ring
is caused by the development and sub
sequent death of the embryo of a fer
tile egg subjected to heat No en-
bryo can develop in an infertile egg,
no matter how long it may be subject
ed to heat. Unless cooled at once and
kept cool, a fertile egg will spoil in
hot weather as quickly as raw milk.
Some OF the loss due to riots" and
spots" is caused by contamination in
the nest and is largely if not entirely
preventable.
Among the results of the tests il
was found that:
Eggs kept in the cyclone cave proved
much better in quality than those KEPT
under other conditions.
Taking the season as a whole. al
unheated room in a dwelling is no
conducive to good quality in eggs.
During the hot summer months tn,
conditions surrounding the weed nest
the nest in the straw stack, or under
the corn crob. and the stolen nest, a,
well as the keeping of eggs in the
house, favor the production of spots
blood rings and rots.
Infertile eggs, regardless of where
they may be kept, are much more re
sistant to deterioration than fertile.
Two-thirds of the total loss in fer
tile and infertile eggs takes place OF
the farm. The basic factors responsi
) BILE for this condition are the hap
, hazard methods of poultry manage
ment on the farm.
The results of all the experimental
! work point to the fact that the pro
e duction of the infertile egg is IN
greatest asset in the attempt to pro
! duce high-quality market eggs during
hot weather.
To assure a high quality of produc
and prevent in a large measure III,
loss now experienced in the value o
2 the countrys egg production. pro
ducers are urged to observe the fol
lowing five simple rules:
1, Give the hens clean nests
2. Gather eggs at least once daily
S. Keep eggs in a cool. dry place
4. Market eggs at least twice
week.
g. Kill or sell all mature mall
birds as soon as the Matching season
CIOgpg