The Essentials of Poultry Raising 



79 



fifteen eggs. Each egg should be wrapped in soft paper, fine 

 hay, or excelsior before being placed in its cell to insure a 

 "springy" nest for it. Sawdust, bran, or cottonseed pack too 

 closely and are not suitable. 



183. Points in Grading Eggs. Eggs are graded according to 

 freshness, cleanliness, size, color, and soundness of shell. 



184. Cracked Shells. Broken shells are called blind checks, 



Fig. 28. A HOME-MADE CANDLER. 



checks, dents, and leakers. Blind checks can be determined 

 only by the candle test. A crack that is visible is called a check. 

 If the shell is dented and does not leak, it is called a dent. If 

 the crack or dent has a broken shell membrane, the e.g^ con- 

 tents will leak, and such an tgg is called a leaker. 



185. Use of the Candler. Fig. 28 shows a home-made candler. 



