The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-05-08
Get Rid Of the Rooster.
tBy capt. T. F. prek. Commissioner Of AEri
culture

paign for the elimination Of the rooster
among poultry flocks during the season
between May and December. In this
connection Saturday, May %, has been
set aside as Rooster Day" in Tennes-
see and Kentucky. when every poultry
dealer in these States has agreed to pay
the same price for roosters as they DO
for hens and pullets.
Why? Because ROSTERS running win
the hens fertilizes the eggs laid by the
hens, thus producing fertile eggs, and
it has been found that fertile eggs are
the cause Of the loss OF over 40 per cent
Of the eggs produced during the warm
months Of June, July, August and Sep
TENDER in this State.
A fertile egg-an egg laid by hen
allowed to run with rooster-will be-
gin to hatch at temperature OF about
70 degrees. II the weather is at sum
mer heat the life germ in the fertile egg
lives and continues to incubate until a
chicken is Matched or else a change IN
temperature kills the germ and makes
a rotten egg.
This is the reason why we have SO
many spoiled eggs during the warm
weather. 1t is not necessary for the
rooster to be among the hens. Repeated
and careful experiments have proven
conclusively that a flock OF hens will
lay more eggs II the roosters are not
allowed to run with them.
After the breeding season is over
either kill, sell or contine the ROSTERS.
His presence during the warm months
means fertile eggs which mean bad
eggs and the consequent loss to the pro-
Queer and consumer. Fertile eggs spoil
very quickly when subjected to the ordi-
nary methods OF handling on the farm
and when marketed during the hot
summer months under adverse condl-
tions. Infertile eggs eggs laid by hens
not allowed to run with the ROSTERS
will keep in good condition in tempera-
lures which will cause fertile eggs to rot.
On May 30, Rooster day. in Ten
nessee, the school authorities OF the
cities, counties and towns in the State
have been requested to announce
Rooster Day" TO the scholars and it is
expected that it will be observed.
1t is an established fact that one out
OF every four eggs laid in Tennessee
during the warm months Is rotten by
the time it reaches the egg-buyer, and
the result Is that the buyers are max
ing the price to the farmers accordingly.
1t can be seen the fertile eggs lower the
prices Of iniertile eggs.
XIII the rooster" on and after May
%. Get rid OF him. Kill, sell or con
fine him. He spoils millions Of dol
lars worth Of eggs each month from
June to October.
Infertile eggs have been subjected to
a temperature OF 103 degrees in an in
cubator for over two weeks and then
used in baking cake which was eaten
by large group OF people and pro-
nounced delicious" by all. AT the
poultry show held in Nashville infertile
eggs that had been ia an incubator for
weeks broken on plates and handed to
several ladies present and they were
surprised by the apparent freshness OF
the eggs. They said the eggs could be
used on the table.
1t is advisable to market the old hens
in the summer as soon as the second
laying season is over, continues the De-
partments advice, as hens over two years
old rarely lay as many eggs as they do
in their pullet and yearling seasons.
Keep the nests clean, provide one nest
to every four hens; gather the eggs
twice week. Market all cockerels,
young ROSTERS except those intended
for breeding purposes as soon as they
attain broiler size, for they will pay a
larger profit at that time than il held
until fall, when the market becomes
over. crowded.
The Department is planning cam
paign among the boys and girls poultry
clubs 10 Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia
and North and South Carolina to en-
courage not only the production Of
better grade OF eggs but more uni
form method OF grading Arrange
ments are being made to offer prizes
for the production OF the best dozen
eggs, and it is expected that the State,
county or municipal officials will offer
such prizes as trips TO the Pan-American
Exposition at San francisco.
In conclusion, don't forget the date,
May "a, the day dedicated to the slaugh-
ter OF roosters and the saving OF mil
q I