McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1914-05-08
Talks to Farmers
Get Rid of the Rooster
BY CAPT. II. f. PECK
Commissioner of Agriculture

a campaign for the elimination of the
rooster among poultry focks during
the season between May lst and De-
eember lst. In this connection Sat-
urday, May %, has been set aside as
Rooster Day" in Tennessee and Ken
tucky, 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 roosters running
with the hens fertilize the eggs laid
by the hens, thus producing fertile
eggs, and it has been found that fer
tile eggs are the cause of the loss of
over 40 per cent of the eggs pro-
duced during the warm months of
June, July, August and September, in
this state.
A fertile egg-an egg laid by a hen
allowed to run with a rooster-will
begin to hatch at a temperature of
about 70 degrees. If the weather is
at summer heat the life germ in the
fertile egg lives and continues to
incubate until a chicken is hatched or
else change in temperature kills the
germ and makes rotten egg.
This is the reason why we have so
many spoiled eggs during the warm
weather. 1t is not necessary for a
rooster to be among hens. Repeated
and careful experiments have proven
conclusively that flock of hens will
lay more eggs if the roosters are not
allowed to run with them.
After the breeding season is over
either kill, sell or confne the roosters.
His presence during the warm months
means fertile eggs which mean bad
eggs and the consequent loss to the
producer and consumer. Fertile eggs
spoil very quickly when subjected to
the ordinary methods of handling on
the farm and when marketed during
the hot summer months under adverse
conditions. lnfertile eggs - eggs
laid by hens not allowed to run with
ROSTERS will keep in good condition
in temperatures which will cause
fertile eggs to rot.
On May %, 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 Tennes-
see during the warm months is rotten
by the time it reaches the egg-buyer,
and the result is that the buyers are
making the price to the farmers ac-
cordingly. 1t can be seen that the
fertile eggs lower the prices of in
fertile eggs.
Kill the rooster" on and after May
%. Get rid of him. Kill, sell or
confne him. He spoils millions of
dollars worth of eggs each month
from June to October.
Infertlle eggs have been subjected
to temperature of 103 degrees in
an incubator for over two weeks and
then used in baking a cake, which
was used by large group of people
and pronounced "Geliciousw by all.
At the Poultry Show, held in Nash
vile, infertile eggs that had been in
an incubator for weeks were 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, contin-
ues the Departments advice, as hens
over two years old rarely lay as
many eggs as they do in the pullet
and yearling seasons. Keep the nests
clean, provide one nest to every 4
hens; gather the eggs twice a week.
Market all cockerels, young roosters
except those intended for breeding
purposes-as soon as they attain
broiler size, for they will pay a larger
profit at that time than if held until
fall, when the market becomes over
crowded.
The Department is planning a cam
paign among the boys and girls poul-
Try clubs in Tennessee, kentucky,
Virginia aud North and South Caro-
lima, to encourage not only the pro-
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