90 



The Business Hen. 



ing operation is not expensive when done systematically. We pay under 

 contract one cent per dozen for grading, cleaning and packing all of our 

 eggs, both for market and for hatching. The person who does the work 

 makes good wages. 



The quality of fancy eggs must be good as to flavor, firmness of white 

 and color of yolk. Care therefore must be taken in the feeding of fowls 

 to have plenty of green food and a certain amount of corn, both of which 

 give to the dull yolks a deep yellow color. Very pale yolks, which are 

 certain to follow prolonged feeding without the foods mentioned, are apt 

 to be looked upon with suspicion by particular customers. It is true that 



excessive feeding 

 of laying hens up- 

 on foods which 

 have a very pun- 

 gent odor, such as 

 onions or cabbage, 

 will affect the fla- 

 vor of the egg. 

 Both turnips and 

 cabbage, however, 

 can be fed with 

 perfect safety in 

 limited quantities, 

 especially if fowls 

 are well supplied 

 with other foods. 

 THE PACK- 

 A G E. — A good 

 article is worthy 

 of a neat package. 

 Fig. 45. MAKING EGG CRATES. Appearances count 



for much in catching the eye or pleasing the palate. If eggs go to 

 market in a neatly made, well varnished, carefully stenciled crate the 

 customer has reason to expect that the same care used in packing the 

 eggs has been exercised in producing and gathering them, and in this 

 he usually is not mistaken. Good serviceable egg crates can be made with 

 very slight expense. Most farmers should be able to make them. It is 

 the most profitable kind of rainy day work. Fig. 45 shows a group of 

 Cornell University poultry students making egg crates, which are used to 

 deliver eggs from the College poultry plant. These crates have a capacity 

 of multiples of three dozen; to hold either three dozen, six dozen, nine 

 dozen, 12 dozen, 15 dozen or 30 dozen. Regular commercial egg crates are 

 purchased for five to ten cents each with fillers. The best ends are used 



