Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-19
Showing Variations In Size Of Hens Eggs.

Many eggs that are laid in the late
winter and early spring are infertile.
For this reason 1t is advisable to set
several hens at the same time. After
the eggs have been under the hen for
seven days they should be tested to
see whether they are fertile or infer
tile. Infertile eggs should be re-
moved and used at home in cooking
or for omelets, and the fertile eggs
should be put back under the hen.
For example; Thirty eggs are set I'M
der three hens at the same time, ten
under each At the end of seven days
we find on testing the eggs that ten
are infertile, which leaves us 20 eggs
to reset, which we do by putting them
under two hens and have the remain
ing one to set over again after she
has set only seven days.
A good homemade egg tester or can
die can be made from a large shoe
box or any box that is large enough to
go over lamp by removing an end
and cutting hole little larger than
the size of a quarter in the bottom
of the box, so that when 1t is set over
a common kerosene lamp the hole in
the bottor will be opposite the blaze.
A hole the size of silver dollar should
be cut in the top of the box to allow
the heat to escape. An infertile egg,
when held before the small hole with
the lamp lighted inside the box, will
look perfectly clear. the same as a
fresh one, while fertile egg will show
a small dark spot, known as the en-
bryo, with mass of little blood veins |
extending in all directions if the en-
bryo is living. If dead, If the egg has |
been incubated for at least SO hours, |
the blood settles away from the en-
bryo toward the edges of the yolk, |
forming in some cases an irregular cir |
Gle of blood, known az a blood ring. |
Eggs vary in this respect, some show
ing only a streak of blood. The test
ing should be done in a dark room.
Proper Methods of Marketing Eggs.
When ready to sell the eggs grade
them according to size and color and
put them into the following classes, is
the advice contained in farmers bull
letin 562 of the department Of agricul-
ture:
Large white eggs. large brown eggs,
small white eggs, and small brown
eggs. A uniform lot will, as a rule,
command higher price than a mixed
one. When taking them to town keep
them covered and out of the direct
rays of the sun. The following rules
should be followed In the care Of
eggs:
/. Keep the nests clean; provide
one nest for every four hens,
2. Gather the eggs twice daily.
8. Keep the eggs In a cool. dry room
Or cellar.
4. Market the eggs at least twice a
week
An infertile egg Is one that Is laid
by a hen that has not been allowed to
run with a male bird, or by a hen
rom which a male bird has been sep
irated from seven days to three weeks.
have shown that the time
7aries. In most cases, however, IL
lays is long enough to wait for the
sggs 10 become infertile after the male
bird is removed from the female. II
8 impossible to hatch an infertile egg
" to cause a blood ring to form in
,ne. II also keeps in good condition
n temperatures that will cause fer
lie eggs to rot.
A fertile egg is just the opposite OF
he infertile In many respects. II is
he egg that is produced from hens
hat are running with male birds, al
hough occasionally there are hens
with male birds that hay in
ertile eggs. This is often the cas- r
With hens that are confined in yards
nd runs. and birds that do not have
Ireen feed. or those that are overfat.
The fertile egg is the egg from which
he chick is Matched, and the egg
hat spells so quickly when subjected
o the ordinary methods OF handling
IN the farm and when marketed In the
lot summer months under adverse
conditions.