AMERICAN POULTRY CULTURE 



Testing out the infertile eggs is necessary in arti- 

 ficial incubation and often very desirable where 

 Testing hens are doing the hatching. Hens 



the Eggs that steal their nests sometimes have 

 too many eggs under them for best results, and if 

 the infertile eggs are tested out as soon as possible 

 the good eggs will be more certain to hatch well ; 

 or, when several hens are set at one time, if the 

 infertile eggs are tested out one or more of the 

 hens may be reset with fresh eggs. 



The egg-tester illustrated (or one similar to it) 

 takes the place of the chimney on a lamp in a dark 

 room. By holding the eggs up to the opening in 

 the tester, those that are infertile can readily be 

 distinguished, as they will be perfectly clear. The 

 living germs will appear as a small spider-like body 

 if the testing is done between the fifth and tenth 

 days. The inexperienced should not attempt to 

 test eggs before the seventh or eighth day, or he 

 may throw out a few good eggs along with the 

 others. Don't hold eggs before the strong light 

 any longer than necessary. 



If a second test is made at the end of the second 

 week, those germs that have started and died may 

 also be removed. The live germs will now appear 

 very different from the first test, the lower portion 

 of them being almost wholly dark and opaque, 

 while at the large end of the egg an air space 

 covering nearly one-fourth the total surface may be 



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