46 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



(2) the albumen or white which under incubation 

 becomes the chick, (3) the yolk, which is intended 

 to furnish a supply of food for the newly hatched 

 chick, (4) the shell, a double covering. 



The germ, whether it has been fertilized or not, 

 may be seen as a tiny round white spot on the yolk 

 of the egg. As the egg is about 65 per cent water, 

 it is easy to see that water plays an important part 

 in the diet of the fowl and also in the incubation 

 of the egg. 



Selecting Hatching Eggs 



Not every fertile egg is a good hatching egg. Dis- 

 card, in selecting the eggs you are to set, all under- 

 sized and all oversized eggs. The undersized eggs, 

 if they hatch, will produce undersized chicks, and 

 the oversized eggs are very likely to be infertile. 

 Discard all eggs with chalky spots in the shell and 

 all that are rough or unevenly colored. Select those 

 of uniform size and shape and color, for you want 

 your flock to produce eggs which will require the 

 least possible grading. Select also the firm-shelled 

 eggs and those of a size you can market as "extras." 



Care of Hatching Eggs 



Hatching eggs should be gathered several times 

 a day in warm weather lest some broody hen start 

 incubation ahead of time. They should be kept in 

 a temperature of about fifty degrees, and turned 

 every day to keep the germ from settling to one 

 side. 



Eggs that have been kept more than two weeks 

 should not be used for hatching, and one week is 

 better. The sooner incubation is begun after the 

 egg is laid, the better is the chance of hatching a 

 strong, vigorous chick. When eggs have traveled a 



