56 Examining the Eygs. 



authority: "Eggs had been supplied and a sitting hen 

 lent to a neighbour, and, when she had set in a granary 

 ten days, she was shut out through the carelessness of a 

 servant. Being a stranger in the farmyard, the hen was 

 not recognised, but supposed to have strayed in from an 

 adjoining walk, and thirty hours elapsed before it was dis- 

 covered that the hen had left her nest. The farmer's wife 

 despaired of her brood ; but, to her surprise and pleasure, 

 eight chickens were hatched. The tiled roof of the granary 

 was fully exposed to the rays of the sun, and the tempera- 

 ture very high, probably above 80 deg. during the day, and 

 not much lower at night." Valuable eggs, therefore, 

 should not be abandoned on account of a rather lengthened 

 absence ; and ordinary eggs should not be discarded as 

 worthless if the hen has already sat upon them for a fort- 

 night or so ; but if she has been sitting for only a few 

 days, it is safer to throw them away, and have a fresh 

 batch. 



During the hen's absence, always look at the eggs, 

 remove any that may have been broken, and very gently 

 wash any sticky or dirty eggs with a flannel dipped in 

 milk-warm water. See that they are dry before putting 

 them back. If the nest is also dirty, replace it with fresh 

 material of the same kind. Gently drive the hen back to 

 her nest as quickly as possible, to prevent any damage 

 from the eggs becoming chilled. If a hen should break an 

 egg with her feet or otherwise, it should be removed as 

 soon as it is seen, or she may eat it, and, liking the taste, 

 break and eat the others. Some hens have a bad habit of 

 breaking and eating the eggs on which they are sitting, to 

 cure which some recommend to boil an egg hard, bore a 

 few holes in it, so that the inside can be seen, and give it 

 while hot to the culprit, who will peck at the holes and 

 burn herself; but hens with such propensities should be 

 fattened for the table, for they are generally useless either 

 for sitting or laying. 



Some persons examine the eggs after the hen has sat 

 upon them for six or seven days, and remove all that are 

 sterile, by which plan more warmth and space are gained 



