Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-15

Do not use, in the nests, disinfectants
or nest eggs having Objectionable
odors. as eggs will as quickly absorb
these as they will odors from filth.
Eggs should be collected at least
once day and in extreme cold or hot
weather twice a day. All Soiled ones
should be cleaned at once with a damp
cloth. They should never be soaked
in water as egg shells are porous and
large amount of filth would be
soaked through and flavor or taint the
egg,
The germ in fertile egg may start
to develop into a chick in a tempera-
ture as low as 70 degrees Fahrenheit
1t is therefore advisable to keep males
in the flocl1s only during the breeding
season, thereby producing infertile
eggs, especially during the warm sum-
mer months.
All eggs should be sold as promptly
as possible, for they deteriorate rap
idly. When it is necessary to hold
stored in a cellar or cooler where the
air is stale, where there is decayed
fruit or vegetables or near vegetables
havino stronp odorS such as onions,
cabbage. or turnips. The best place
to store eggs for short time is in a
clean. slightly moist cellar that is well
ventilated and preferably at tenn
These eggs should be candled before
shipping to remove any cracked or
thin shells, any that may have been
spoiled in stolen nests or that contain
blood clots or meat spots. If eggs are
held in q warm or dry room the m ois-
ture evaporates and a large air space
appears in the egg. Such eggs are
graded as held eggs" very poor
grade), and always suffer heavy dis
count on the market.
Proper Food For the Hens
The production of a large number of
high grade eggs is not only a matter
of breeding; proper feeding is an
equally important factor. Hens need
large amounts of water and this should
always be clean. They must have
sharp. hard grit always available
Smooth sand or gravel will not do.
Since good egg shell. contains
about 92 per cent. carbonate of lime,
this should be furnished in an avail
able and cheap form. know of moth
ing better for this purpose than oys-
ter shell, yet often when this is be-
lore the birds all the time we find
many soft and thin-shelled eggs.
This is usually due to the fact that
the method OF feeding is such the
hens take but little exercise, obtain
ing their food so easily that their
muscles become soft and their bodies
so lllled with soft and often times dis
eased fat that the lime cannot be util-
lied. Give plenty of green food all
the year round as a stimulant to ap-
petite, an aid to digestion and to pro-
duce rich yellow egg yoll<s. Do not.
however. feed onions or other vege-
tables or foods having q strong flavor.
as they might affect the flavor of the
eggs. Your State colleges and experi-
ment stations will gladly furnish YOU
with formulas for the rations best
suited to your locality.
Combine Salesmanship With
Production
The demand for high grade eggs is
always in excess of the supply. and
can best be filled by the man who
produces uniform output throughout
the year. In order to do this he must
hatch his pullets early enough to com
mence producing eggs before the hens
have ceased laying and begun TO
moult. Where conditions are similar
to New York State it is advisab Bile to
hatch Mediterranean varieties in April
and May and the larger breeds two to
four weeks earlier. Then if they are
properly grown, the poultryman can
supply his trade throughout the year.
The man who can do this instead of
selling to the country dealer or whole
saler Will have no trouble building up
a reputation with the consumer dur
ing the period of high prices that will