EGGS FOR MARKET 



The hen in her wild state lays about thirty eggs per year. The 

 farmer's average hen lays not over one hundred. On egg farms 

 the average is 150, and some of the fowls of the "bred to lay" strains 

 will average even more. 



There are 365 days in the year, and I do not see why a pullet that 

 is fully matured, that comes from an egg-laying strain, a pullet 

 properly fed and cared for, should not lay over 200 eggs per year ; 

 in fact, I have had hens that will do even better than that. I will 

 admit that a hen will not lay 200 eggs a year without constant and 

 intelligent care, and the question confronting us is, will the addi- 

 tional number of eggs pay for this care? Also how shall we give 

 this care and secure these results? 



You hear of heredity and pedigree in cows, in horses, in dogs. 

 Heredity is as important with hens as with any other stock. Here- 

 dity has as much to do with the success of hens as the right hand- 

 ling. Heredity (or pedigree) and handling must go together. The 

 two-hundred-egg hen must be "bred to lay." She must come from 

 an egg-producing family. No matter how scientifically a hen is 

 fed, or how well housed, you cannot make an extra fine layer out of 

 one whose parents for generations past have been poor layers. It is 

 impossible -to take a flock of mongrels and scrubs and get 200 eggs 

 each a year from them, although good handling will greatly increase 

 the yield of even mongrel's. 



The different breeds require different handling, but no matter 

 what breed you have, there are three essentials to egg production- 

 comfort, exercise and proper food: 



Comfort 



Under the head of comfort comes first of all cleanliness. A hen 

 that has lice, or fleas, or mites, or ticks on her cannot lay her full 

 amount of eggs. You must help the hen in her efforts to make you 

 money. Give her every encouragement to lay. Cleanliness every- 

 where. A comfortable, enticing nest, rather dark, where she "may 

 stealthily deposit her precious egg. Renew with nice clean straw 

 once a month. Do everything to coax the hens to lay. If trap- 

 nests are used, there should be enough of them so that the hens 

 will not be kept waiting, for by keeping a hen off the nest she will 

 frequently retain her egg until the next day, and will soon learn to 

 be a poor layer. Cleanliness means a clean, sweet-smelling roost- 

 ing place, where she may sleep undisturbed by lice or mites. Just 

 think for a moment how in the human family a fresh, clean bed in 

 a quiet room will court slumber. I have passed the night in an 

 Arab's tent in Africa that was infested with fleas, and my heart is 

 full of sympathy for a hen that has to live in some of the mite- 

 infested henneries I have seen in California. Under this head comes 

 freedom from draughts. A draught in this country will give hu- 

 man beings face ache, neuralgia, earache and a swelled face. It has 

 exactly the same effect on hens. Influenza, swelled head, roup, al- 



