42 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



QUESTION Will it injure eggs that are being kept for hatch- 

 ing if packed in bran or some such substance, with the small end 

 of the egg up? 



ANSWER Yes. The large end contains the air cell, and the 

 egg should rest on the small end or the side. 



QUESTION What causes soft-shelled eggs? 



ANSWER They may be the result of diseased organs of repro- 

 duction and especially of the oviduct. Excessively fat hens are liable 

 to lay soft-shelled eggs when the layers of fat are so abundant as to 

 force the egg out before it can receive a sufficient coating of shell. 

 Heavy laying birds are also thus afflicted, by reason of the egg pass- 

 ages being weakened by continual strain and not being able to re- 

 tain an egg after the shell begins to harden. In exceptional cases 

 it may be the lack of shell forming elements in the food. 



QUESTION Will eggs hatch that have had grease or coal oil 

 on them? 



ANSWER Very seldom. 



QUESTION How often should eggs be gathered in the coldest 

 weather ? 



ANSWER Three times per day. 



QUESTION Is there any way to ascertain the age of eggs ? 



ANSWER Germans have a process by which they claim to be 

 able to determine the age of an egg to the day. The egg is dropped 

 in a solution of salt containing eight ounces to the pint. If the egg is 

 only one day old it sinks immediately to the bottom; if three days 

 old it sinks just below the surface only, and from five days upward 

 it floats. It is well known that the air cavity at the blunt end of an 

 egg enlarges as the age of the egg increases. When the egg is 

 placed in the salt solution it will have a tendency to float with the 

 long axis vertical. A scale of angles is placed at the back of the 

 vessel, and from the inclination of the egg to the horizontal, it is 

 said, the age can be gauged almost to the day. A new laid egg lies 

 horizontally on the bottom of the vessel. When three to five days 

 old it raises itself so that its long axis makes an angle of about 20 

 degrees with the horizontal. At eight days the angle increases to 

 about 45 degrees ; at 14 cbys it is 60 degrees ; at about three weeks it 

 is about 75 degrees, while after four weeks it stands upright on the 

 pointed end. 



QUESTION What is the cause of thin, watery eggs? 

 ANSWER Poor food that is deficient in the elements composing: 

 the egg. 



