Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-23
EMBRYOLOGY: HOW EGG
DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS
Time Required, Fertilization
Life Germ, Shell Formation
Blood Spots, Body Heated Eggs,
Other Abnormalities.
BY r. BERT ARMSTRONG.
Expert Pouliryinan and Writer.

!
e Expert Poultryman and Writer.
A knowledge Of embryoiogy how
the egg is formed and developed In
ono Of the fundame ntals of poultry
culture. Without this information the
poultry keeper cannot have clear
idea of his work. He Is at lose when
the hens fail 10 lay: he cannot account
for drones in the flock :he Is not equip
phd Ia select the best breeders; feed
ing principles puzzle him: and he Is
unable to fix The responsibility for
bloody eggs, body heated eggs and
other Irregularities. He is working
in the dark. SO Ia speak
without becoming too technical.
although certain techncaIities are un-
avoidable, the purpose Of this article
is 10 describe the principle processes
in egg development.
The chi"f female organs II reproduction
arc the ovary and oyiduct These organs
| represent two distinct staRes in the for
nation of the cgg Tho first step rs the
creation of the Yolk the second process
Is the formation If the albumcn or white
aud the shell and shell membrane Tbe
first step takes place ~ the ovary tho
second step IN the oyidIct
strictly speaking there arc two sets
OF reproductive organs IN the hen, although
| MY ono sci the ieff set functions
| The right acf - organs degenerate etly
| 10 life and practically disappears.
he ary ics o. the left aide If Tho
body close 30 the back bone II Is buck
of the lungs and resembles n miniature
bunch Of grapes These spheres vary ~
size from that ~ tho fulv-ievpIopod
ynlk down to tho point where ihey arc
scarcely visible 70 tho naked F7ch
sphere IS m iun 'urc yolk col oflvclv
fhey are termed Ova The rapidIty with
which they develop NTH ful eirc yol,a
depends upon the inherited trndrnrire
Of tho hen fnstered and stimulated by
proper management and gool fordtng
rnonurylyr roerR op urva.
There nrc hundreds of tins volE= n
tho normal hen sarc authorities estimate
them IN the Thousands Apparently tie
number Is not hxcd epinntg Those
whlch develop into eggs are ICES certain
Some hens aro haqlutclv stcrilr Ihcy
haye no f,pwer r. develop thrir org coils
They never lay Such specimens trr rarr,
nrtunately and arc ~ ~ eomIarod tq
fowls born with Some rnqlforrnallou
Other hens hsVe hut limited power "a
produce their cgR coils 'crl'4ps fhcv
develop hut two pr three dozen eggs cac Il
year. ~ he spring. "heu conditions are
particularly favorable tt other iimcs
they put nn fat and loaf Such hcns
are dronos They shoud he c,illcd from
thc flock aud usrd ~ neat They ull
never earn thclr keep rs laycrs
Ihrn there are hens !, ht,sr reproductive
Organs arr 50 yicorals and easIly -tifaI-
lafed tlat thcf lay almost WITHOUT ~cssa
ton. aud continue o. 4 s1 iar Il coupe
wears II ly from this class IL layers that
ue get records ~ 20n and 3f0 eggs year
Remember however that The 300.
cgg hrn IS about "a rare as the sterile hen
\ flock average II 80 eggz Ycar after
year should satisfv Tie fondest dreams II
Any poultry kceper This rate III pro
dIrti9n insurers 4 good profit Put
don tolerate the flock that falls heiovv
loo eggs per year nder present ronft-
tlons II highprred feed. EIch fowls viii
not declare dividends
now THE loLK nTrEas.
Starting ~ a tiny sphere in The ovarv
the miniature yolk Is surrounded hy
thin Membrane, loncd - the main stalk
NJ the oyary by n stalk ef Its own. which
membrane and stalk Is called he fnihcIe
This membrane consists Of network of
blood-vessels completely surrounding the
yolk. save FOR future line, called The
stigma y hon the void attains ful
SIZE tho follicle rupturcs along the line ii
tins sntnre. whcrcupon the yok escapes
lntothe oNiduct. whore It IS ready t o receive
the aibumcn the white
Should = blood-ve-Se become broken.
however slightly. during this process
and loose drop oi blood, he drop IS
expelled along with the completed voik.
E4ss III, ~. I,
egg Iullets iaying their tirst eggs. or
hens which are forced for eCg production
are most likely to weld eggs with blood
spots Candling the eggs Is the only
safeguard against Tins defect
h escape OF the volk from the ovarv
Is known as the process of oFulation
It tins stage af the eggs development
the HE germ IS tertllzed. il fcrtiIlzed AT ali
Thus hen eggs can become fertile
within 4 couple OF days after they are
mated. Moreover, enc fertilization is
sufficient for quite 4 number of eggs,
sometimes one mating leaves It's effects
Tor several weeks
The life germ which Is contained In
all eggs whether fertile or not. Is attached
To the thin, invisible membrane covering
and embracing The vol This covering
S called the yitellme membrane The
5oitSlltS vi TIT Apth - Iftt yellow mass
5 called the vitelhls 1t is the most
vital part Of the egg. hence the name.
The yItellInc ncuj rane is quite strong
II the fresh egg and eorrespondingly weak
Il the stale egg Witness how easily the
.oid Of a cold storage egg is punctlred
Because of this failing in strength we are
autloned u hatch none but fresh eggs
he fresher the better Ii seldom paws
o attempt II hatch eggs over two weeks
Id
FORMATION or TIE WHITE.
The oviduct into which the ripcncd
ok is expelled, IS much coiled tube
bout twenty inches long filing large
ortlon Of the lett hall Of the abdomen
starts Just below the oyarv and extends
. the vent or cloaca There is no direct
between the oyarv and the
viduct The interior end Of the latter is
laped like funnel to facilitate entrance
the yolks as they are dropped from /
1e ovary 4
In the immature pullet and IN the /
en passing through the molt or other
Use out OF condition the oyiduct is
lrunken and contracted During the
ylng period it is greatly enlarged Ii
this enlargement which displaces the 4
testInnl tract and digestive organs
ms giving tu the layer her full. dietendcd Il
ok in the keel or underhody 4 l4ypr II