15 



CARE OF EGGS UPON THE FARM. 



Collecting Eggs. — The frequent and regular collection of eggs from 

 the poultry house is not viewed with sufficient importance by the majority 

 of farmers. The usual practice is to gather the eggs but once a day during 

 both winter and summer. While this may suffice at certain times of the 

 year, collections should be made more often during the hatching season 

 when broody hens are continually invading the laying pen. In the hot 

 midsummer weather, and during the colder part of the winter, a similar 

 practice should obtain. If frequent collections are not made during these 

 periods the loss due to frozen, heated and hatched eggs, though not 

 apparent to the farmer, will nevertheless be great. 



A general lack of system is also evident on many farms. The 

 responsibility of collecting eggs is seldom allotted to one person. The 

 result is that on some days no collections are made, or, if one is given 

 the work who is not familiar with the location of all the nests, some may 

 be overlooked and left until a day, or perhaps several days, latter. A 

 surprising discovery in this investigation was the fact that 11.8 per cent, 

 of the farmers visited were so uninterested in their poultry that no special 

 provision whatever had been made for nests. In the case of others there 

 were far too few nests for the number of hens kept, and in still others 

 too many, a condition which, in winter, favors the chilling and freezing 

 of eggs. These facts are evident from a study of Table No. 9. It is little 

 wonder that when the product of such farms is candled and graded, there 

 is found a very heavy shrinkage. Few of the above difficulties arise where 

 there is provided one clean, inviting nest for every five hens in the flock. 



Table No. 9. — Showing Relation oe Number oe Nests to Number 

 OF Hens on 448 Ontario County Farms. 



Improper Methods oe Keeping Eggs Preparatory to Marketing. 



The mistake of storing eggs in improper places, preparatory to mar- 

 keting, is common with many farmers. There seems to be a general lack 

 of appreciation of the fact that an ^gg is a very perishable product. Few 

 realize that the heat of an adjoining room or the odor of some strong- 

 smelling vegetable, is sufficient greatly to reduce the quality of eggs. The 

 source of trouble in many instances is the holding of eggs in a damp 

 cellar, or in a small room or pantry, adjoining a heated kitchen. Eggs 

 should be kept in a cool room free from draught, dampness or any foul 

 odors, and in a temperature not exceeding sixty degrees. Usually such 

 a place may be found in a cool dry cellar or cellar-way. 



