The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-08-17
PRODUCE MORE EGGS

Seventy eggs per year from hen
which consumes seventy pounds of
feed means that each egg costs the
price of one pound Of feed. The es-
Enlistment of minimum price Of
$500 per bushel on wheat is is
cents a pound, and at the rate given
above, it would cost 40 cents to pro-
duce one dozen eggs.
In the present National Egg Lay
ing Contest at Mountain Grove, Mo-,
all hens in competition have averaged
1925 eggs each in nine months As
the production of the average hen of
Missouri is between seventy and eigh-
ty eggs per year, it will be seen chat
the hens in the contest are going to
produce twice as many eggs as the
average hen in the State.
The readers Of this paper will doubt
less be interested to know some of the
things which cause high egg produc-
ton in the egg laying contest, as they
may help increase their egg yield.
First. Selection of females which
have charactics such as large comb,
large eyes, small head, wedge-shape
body, no spurs, and an alert, 2ctive
disposition.
Second. The hen makes eggs only
from the surplus feed above main
tanning her body. If maintenance
ration is fed, no eggs will be the re-
suit. Not only the quantity of feed
but the elements should be considered.
To illustrate, a hundred pounds of corn
will make 255 yolks and 1874 whites.
Therefore, 1874 eggs are all that can
be made if corn alone is fed. 10
pounds of beef scraps will make 10
yolks and ITO whites, so 10 eggs would
be all that could be made if beef
scraps are fed alone. But if 100
pounds of corn and 10 pounds of beef
scraps are fed together, they will
make 265 eggs instead of LA when
fed separately.
Third. Water is used to make the
greater part of the egg, to soften the
food, take nourishment to the tissues,
carry away worn out tissues, equal
ize the temperature, and many other
things. Therefore, fresh water should
be before the fowls at all times. Wa
ter given only once per day in an eX-
pertinent reduced the egg yield one
half. On many farms the water ves-
sci should be doubled in number or
size. No one can afford to feed high
priced feed yet limit the number Of
eggs produced by an insufficient wa
ter supply.
Fourth. The sun, which is so bene-
fetal to animal life, if too strong will
destroy it. The intense heat of the
direct rays of the sun in summer may
do Nc &c
absence or cold during the winter.
Then shade in summer is as import
ant as houses in winter.
Fifth. Lime is used not only for
the hens body but for making the egg
shells. Hens with no lime except in
feed and water produce only one egg
during the time it would take to pro-
duce ten eggs when supplied with
crushed lime rock or oystershell. The
common flint rock or gravel does not
contain lime. The flint is good for
grit to grind the food, but does not
supply the shell material. Many
flocks do not have sufficient time to
shell the eggs they would otherwise
produce. AS a result the hens are Of
ten condemned when they are not at
fault.
Sixth. Practically one-half of the
fowls life is spent on the roosts.
Therefore the roosting quarters should
be comfortable, not only in regard to
temperature but they should be free
from mites, lice, etc.
Seventh There is no animal which
responds more readily to care and at
tention than the fowl. Feeding and
watering regularly are necessary to
secure high egg yields. Neglecting
to feed and water regularly reduces
the egg production very quickly.
Eighth. Large fiocks do not usual
ly produce as many eggs per hen as
the small pen. One reason for this is
that in the small pen the hen does
not have to work and fight for an ex-
istence like she does in large flock.
This applies not only to feed but to
water, shade, roosts, and in fact, all
things pertaining to the fowls COM
fort.
Issued by Missouri State Poultry
Experiment Station, c. T. Patterson,