The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-02-27

Many eggs that are laid In the late
winter and early spring are infertile.
For this reason it 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
fresh one. while fertile egg will show
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 as blood ring.
Eggs vary in this respect, some show
ing only streak of blood. The test
ing should be done in 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 rule,
command higher price than 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:
1. Keep the nests clean; provide
one nest for every four hens.
2. Gather the eggs twice daily.
8. Keep the eggs in cool, dry room
or cellar
A. Market the eggs at least twice a
week
An infertile egg is one that is laid
by hen that has not been allowed to
run with a male bird, or by a hen
from which a male bird has been sep
arated from seven days to three weeks
Experiments have shown that the time
; varies In most cases, however, IA
days is long enough to wait for the
eggs to become infertile after the male
bird is removed from the female. 1t
is impossible to hatch an infertile egg
, or to cause a blood ring to form in
one. 1t also keeps in good condition
in temperatures that will cause fer
tile eggs to rot.
A fertile egg is just the opposite OF
, the infertile in many respects. 1t is
the egg that is produced from hens
that are running with male birds, al
though occasionally there are hens
running with male birds that lay in
, fertile eggs. This is often the case
! with hens that are confined in yards
and runs, and birds that do not have
green feed, or those that are overfat
The fertile egg is the egg from which
, the chick is Matched, and the egg
= that spells so quickly when subjected
: to the ordinary methods of handling
! on the farm and when marketed in the
. hot summer months under adverse
q conditions.