348 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



The following quotations from the Chicago Herald of 

 August 23, 1914, gives the grades recognized in that city 

 and the relative values placed upon different grades. The 

 range on that date was from 27 to 15 cents a dozen : 



Extras 26, 27 cents 



Firsts 22, 23 cents 



Ordinary firsts 19%, 20% cents 



CKecks 15, 16% cents 



Dirties 16, 17% cents 



Miscellaneous lots 16% to 22% cents 



Conditions that Injure the Quality of Eggs. While 

 the new-laid egg is "one of the most delicious morsels to 

 the human palate and one to fill the heart of man with 

 loving-kindness, ' ' it should be clearly understood that under 

 certain conditions it rapidly loses its peculiar excellence. 

 It is a perishable article. The rate of deterioration is in- 

 fluenced by many things, such as : 



Insufficient Nests. A new-laid egg may not be fresh; 

 that is, it may have lost its freshness by the time it is 

 gathered in the evening if there are insufficient nests for 

 the hens. If hens are continually on the nests throughout 

 the day the embryo may begin to develop in the fertile eggs. 

 At any rate, they will have lost some of their freshness. 

 When the nests are crowded all day it is a sign that there 

 are too few nests. 



The Broody Hen. At certain seasons of the year the 

 broody hens are responsible for a considerable loss in the 

 quality of the eggs. If permitted to remain with the flock 

 of layers the broody hens will injure a great many eggs by 

 sitting on them and starting incubation. 



Stolen Nests. Rotten and stale eggs often come from 

 the stolen nests. They are found by the children under the 

 corn-crib, in the straw or hay-stack or fence corner. When 

 these "finds" are mixed with the regular supply of fresh 



