196 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



Egg Eating 



Egg eating is usually the result of faulty nest con- 

 struction whereby the eggs are allowed to roll in 

 front of the hen. A nest that is too large or per- 

 fectly flat, or that for any reason allows the eggs to 

 roll out from under the hen, encourages egg eating. 

 Sometimes an egg is broken in the nest, and the 

 hens, from eating the broken egg, get a liking for the 

 taste of egg and soon find that they can break them 

 for themselves. Usually the darker a nest is, the 

 less danger there is of the hens getting this expen- 

 sive habit, and it can usually be prevented by gather- 

 ing the eggs as soon as possible after they are laid. 



When the habit is once formed it is difficult to 

 break, and often the only cure is to eat the hen. 

 Filling an egg shell with a mixture of cayenne pep- 

 per or other disagreeable but harmless condiments 

 or drugs, and leaving it in the nest for the hen to 

 taste, will sometimes effect a cure. Leaving china 

 eggs in the nest or about the house for the hens to 

 peck at is also discouraging. Director Quisenberry 

 says: "If the hen persists in this bad habit, trim 

 the point of her beak till it bleeds." 



Toe Picking 



The habit of picking each others' toes is one which 

 White Leghorn chicks which are closely confined 

 sometimes develop. Sometimes this indicates lack 

 of animal food, and it is well to give extra meat in 

 some form when toe picking is discovered. The use 

 of deep scratching litter is a good preventive, and 

 keeping the chicks busy is another. It is always 

 necessary to remove the injured chicks from the 

 flock, for the taste of blood drives the flock wild, and 

 they will soon kill the chick that has blood about it. 



