EGGS FOR MARKET 



The hen in her wild state lays about thirty eggs per year. The 

 farmer's average hen lays not over one hundred. On egg farms 

 the average is 150, and some of the fowls of the "bred to lay" strains 

 will average even more. 



There are 365 days in the year, and I do not see why a pullet 

 that is fully matured, that comes from an egg-laying strain, a pul- 

 let properly fed and cared for, should not lay over 200 eggs per 

 year ; in fact, I have had hens that will do even better than that. I 

 will admit that a hen will not lay 200 eggs a year without constant 

 and intelligent care, and the question confronting us is, will the 

 additional number of eggs pay for this care? Also, how shall we 

 give this care and secure these results? 



You hear of heredity and pedigree in cows, in horses, in dogs. 

 Heredity is as important with hens as with any other stock. He- 

 redity has as much to do with the success of hens as the right 

 handling. Heredity (or pedigree) and handling must go together. 

 The two-hundred-egg hen must be "bred to lay." She must come 

 from an egg-producing family. No matter how scientifically a hen 

 is fed, or how well housed, you cannot make an extra fine layer out 

 of one whose parents for generations past have been poor layers. 

 It is impossible to take a flock of mongrels and scrubs and get 200 

 eggs each a year from them, although good handling will greatly 

 increase the yield of even mongrels. 



The different breeds require different handling, but no matter 

 what breed you have, there are three essentials to egg production 

 comfort, exercise and proper food. 



Comfort 



Under the head of comfort comes first of all cleanliness. A hen 

 that has lice, or fleas, or mites, or ticks on her cannot lay her full 

 amount of eggs. You must help the hen in her efforts to make you 

 money. Give her every encouragement to lay. Cleanliness every- 

 where. A comfortable, enticing nest, rather dark, where she may 

 stealthily deposit her precious egg. Renew with nice, clean straw 

 once a month. Do everything to coax the hens to lay. If trap- 

 nests are used, there should be enough of them so that the hens 

 will not be kept waiting, for by keeping a hen off the nest she will 

 frequently retain her egg until the next day, and will soon learn to 

 be a poor layer. Cleanliness means a clean, sweet-smelling roost- 

 ing place, where she may sleep undisturbed by lice or mites. Just 

 think for a moment how in the human family a fresh, clean bed in 

 a quiet room will court slumber. I have passed the night in an 

 Arab's tent in Africa that was infested with fleas, and my heart is 

 full of sympathy for a hen that has to live in some of the mite- 

 infested henneries I have seen in the West. Under the head of 

 comfort comes freedom from draughts. A draught in this country 

 will give human beings face ache, neuralgia, earache and a swelled 

 face. It has exactly the same effect on hens. Influenza, swelled 



