THE EGG QUESTION 



175 



have been selected for beauty of fea- 

 ther and form and their owners may 

 not have chosen those that layed the 

 largest eggs, whilst some have care- 

 fully chosen the largest egg-layers, and 

 bred from those, not caring for ex- 

 hibition birds, and again a third party 

 might have united these two qualities 

 and have both prize winners and the 

 best of layers. It depends upon the 

 ability of the breeder and also upon 

 his object. 



Black Minorcas do admirably in the 

 climate of Southern California. I do 

 not know how they would grow in a 

 damper, colder climate. You would 

 have to inquire of people who have 

 had experience in that kind of a cli- 

 mate. 



Sudden Death Lately I have ha4 

 three hens die suddenly, and apparent- 

 ly without cause; my neighbors have 

 also lost several. Perhaps you can 

 enlighted us and suggest a remedy. 

 The hens were laying, combs red and 

 large, crops full of wheat, etc., but 

 die on the nest over night. I held a 

 post mortem examination and could 

 find nothing radically wrong. Each 

 had well formed eggs and many of 

 them. They roost high in the open 

 air; run out nights and mornings on. 

 alfalfa. I feed wheat mostly, and 

 once every other day, hot bran mash 

 with a spoonful of egg-maker. Have 

 had over 40 dozen eggs without inter- 

 ruption since January 1st, from 

 twelve pullets Minorcas of my own 

 raising. This is the first death I 

 have ever had except of the little 

 chicks. Pens are clean, no lice or 

 mites. Have studied closely and can't 

 "savy." Perhaps you can. The heart 

 of the first one seemed the only cause 

 for death, as it had a large inforct, 

 probably fatty degeneration; the other 

 was normal. Dr. J. A. B. 



Answer I think, as your hens died 

 on the nest, that they had some diffi- 

 culty in laying, and were probably 

 egg-bound. The Minorcas laying a 

 large egg, are frequently subject to 

 this trouble, more so, in fact, than 

 the other breeds which lay smaller 

 eggs. Straining in laying frequently 

 is the cause of a blood vessel break- 

 ing in the head, which, of course, re- 

 sults in apoplexy. Minorcas rarely 

 suffer from an over-fat condition, as 

 they are a very active breed. 



Egg-Eating Hens Would you 



kindly tell me how to treat egg-eating 

 hens? What will 'cure them? Mrs. 

 R. E. G. 



Answer The best way is to cut 

 the head off the offender and eat her, 

 for she is certain to be fat. The in- 

 formation you ask for is as follows: 

 Mr. Morse (a chicken expert) gives 

 five remedies for the bad habit of egg- 

 eating. First: Fit up an arrange- 

 ment whereby the eggs, as soon as 

 layed, slide down and out of sight, 

 into a sort of false bottom under the 

 nest. The hens will not eat them 

 because they cannot get them. Sec- 

 ond: Have a lot of China eggs lying 

 about promiscuous-like on the floor. 

 Trying to eat such eggs is likely to 

 discourage egg-eating. Third: Fix up 

 a hollow egg with aloes. One bite is 

 enough. Consult the corner druggist 

 as to how to make the mess. Fourth: 

 Have grit and crushed oyster shells 

 about in abundance in self-feeding 

 boxes. Fifth: Do not stuff your 

 hens full of mash in the morning 

 and let them sit around all day, like 

 "Father" in the song, "Everybody 

 Works But Father," but feed them 

 grain in litter and make them hustle 

 all day. This keeps them out of mis- 

 chief. Mr. Morse's advice may be 

 good, but I recommend using trap 

 nests by which means you will easily 

 discover the guilty hen, and if she 

 is not too valuable, the verdict should 

 be decapitation. Keep oyster shells, 

 grit and charcoal before your hens 

 and there will be very little egg-eat- 

 ing for it is a vice which always com- 

 mences with weak or soft egg shells. 



Novel Nests Do you know the 

 name of the maker of a nest with an 

 opening in the bottom so that the 

 eggs will drop through into a box 

 below to prevent the hens from eat- 

 ing the eggs? 



Answer I have seen the mention 

 of such nests but have never in all 

 the many poultry ranches I visited, 

 seen such nests in use. You might 

 try darkened nests. They are simply 

 a curtain of burlap hung in front of 

 the nest with a split up the middle. 

 When the hen has layed and stepped 

 off the nest the curtain closes behind 

 her and she can not see the egg to 

 eat it. This has been found suc- 

 cessful. 



