Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-05-31

is found, it is probable that many OF
the hens have formed the habit. Who
ever gathers the eggs should watch
for the slightest indication OF eggs
having been broken in the nest.
If an egg has been eaten, the litter
i'm the nest will be moist and will need
replacing at once with clean, dry
straw or shavings. The yOlk of the
broken egg will often be smeared on
the feathers about the head of the
guilty hen. This hen must be remov-
ed from the flock before others learn
the habit. 1t is we'll to confne, for a
day or two, suspected hen so as to
make sure the egg was not accident
ally broken and eaten,
How They Begin Eating Eggs.
Egg eating usually starts from an
egg accidentally being broken in the
nest, or from hens laying soft-shelled
eggs, In some cases where hens are
not we'll supplied with shell-forming
material, the habit may be started
from feeding shells that have not been
crushed before feeding. Many fiocks,
too, will break and eat eggs that they
see other hens lay on the floor, but
will not interfere with eggs laid in
the nests. At other times, hens learn
to eat eggs because they are too close
ly confined, or because they are fed
ration lacking in egg-forming ma
terial. In such case, the hen is es-
pecially greedy for the contents of
the egg. Sometimes the lack of shell
material is the cause. The hens oft
en- break the eggs, eat the shells, leav-
ing the rest of the egg. In such a
case the feeding of oyster shell and
green bone will help to correct the
trouble.
Change In Ration Helps.
Whenever the trouble is noticed in
the flock it is advisable to change the
ration, give more range, or do what
ever seems to be needed to correct
conditions. If the trouble is not gen
eraI, but confined to one or two hens,
watch for them and use them on the
table unless they are valuable for
breeding purposes. If they are valu-
able for breeding, cut the tip ends of
their beaks, removing thin slices un-
til you note that blood will follow if
more is removed This makes the
beak so blunt that the hen cannot
readily break the egg and also makes
the beak tender. Occasionally, a hen
has the habit so fixed that even this
treatment will not help. At the Elk
pertinent Station, success has not re-
suited from the feeding of eggs con-
tanning pepper or other irritants, such
as are frequently recommended.
To prevent egg eating, feed a well
balanced ration and give access to
oyster shells. Keep all nests we'll lit
tered so that eggs are not likely to
be broken. Induce the hens to take
plenty of exercise by feeding all grain
in a deep litter of straw, whenever the
flock is confined to the house. Pro-
vide darkened nests, so that the hens
are not likely to see that an egg has
been broken, and so that hens will
not be likely to frequent the nest ex-
cept when ready. to lay. Gather the
eggs frequently. If the eggs are al
lowed to accumulate in the nests the
danger from breakage is greatly in
creased.
Feather Eating a Bad Habit.
This is one of the worst habits Of
chickens and is often attended with
considerable loss. Fowls acquire this
habit in three ways. First, from hav
ing nothing to do; second, from be-
ing fed a poorly balanced ration; and
third, from eating feathers smeared
with blood plucked from table poUl-
try.
This habit is most often seen in
fiocks that are closely confined. In
some cases, the hen that is attacked
does not resist and the outer ends of
the feathers are removed. At other
times, the entire feather is pulled out,
especially if the hen that is attacked
tries to get away. Both hens pulling
usually results in the removal of the
feather.
Hens Often Killed by Flock.
Most feather eaters at first pull the
feathers from the rump or the neck.
If pin feathers are removed or the
muscles at the base of the feather be-
come torn, bleeding follows and the
other hens in the flock become canni-
balls, kill the hen unless she is re-
moved. This trouble not infrequent-
ly develops among brooder checks,
causing severe losses.
Some hens develop feather picking
even when kept under good conditions
and unless valuable for breeding pur-
poses, should be killed. If the hen
is valuable, temporary relief may be
had by trimming the beak so that the
mouth parts cannot be shut close
enough to grip the feather. At the Elk
pertinent Station three years ago a
hen that had already learned the habit
was kept from doing damage by trim