CHAPTER VII 



THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF EGGS 



Market eggs should be gathered and cared for as faithfully as if 

 for hatching. Cases with good clean fillers should be ready to receive 

 the eggs as soon as gathered, and the cases should be stored in a room 

 where the temperature can be kept at about SO or 60 degrees. There 

 s'hould be no strong smell from vegetables, oils or other matter 

 because eggs, like cream, absorb odors through the shell. The egg 

 fillers particularly, should be above reproach, for if there is any 

 broken egg on them althoug'h to all appearances dry and inoffensive, 

 there is danger. All such should be thrown out and clean fillers 

 substituted. No matter how fresh the egg is that comes in contact 

 witli a dirty filler, it will soon be tainted. If the eggs are to be 

 shipped to a distant market, no matter if but a few miles, they should 

 be sorted to conform with the demands of the market. If there are 

 both brown eggs and white, the brown eggs s'hould be put in one side 

 of the case and the white eggs in the other, a note on top of each 

 side explaining how many of each. Grocers like this method because 

 it saves them the extra trouble of sorting. If they have agreed to 

 give you one price, it makes no difference. Make a statement of how 

 many dozens of each — they will appreciate it Also be sure you send 

 nothing' but clean eggs to market. If you have pullet eggs keep them 

 separate and ship as pullet eggs, if you don't you may possibly lose 

 a good buyer. These are busy men and have no time to spend 

 explaining. Never, by any chance, leave eggs out in the sunshine. 

 Incubation starts very easily in the sun and from then on decay is 

 very rapid. If obliged to carry eggs during the hours of sunshine, 

 a good layer of green grass laid over the case will keep the direct 

 rays of the sun from striking them. 



Eggs for Hatching. — A revolving cabinet placed in a room where 

 the temperature can be depended upon not to get below 50 nor over 

 60, is the easiest and best way to care for hatching eggs. If they 

 have to be kept longer than five days, they should be turned from 

 small end to large end down, or the yolk may settle, and if this must 

 be done by hand it takes up considerable time. Eggs that are 

 strictly fresh hatch the best, but it is not always possible to have 

 strictly fresh eggs on hand, yet it is possible to keep the freshness as 

 well as can be done. 



