CHAPTER XVIII 

 SELECTING HATCHING EGGS 



Composition of Eggs. — Chemically, the composition of an egg 

 remains practically constant, notwithstanding serious changes 

 may take place in the hen's bill-of-fare, her environment and 

 general care, which are in turn reflected in her state of health. 

 In other words, we find in this condition, which has been estab- 

 lished by careful scientific experiments, one of the highest laws 

 in nature — that the animal will sacrifice its own bodily strength 

 and health in a supreme effort to produce a perfect offspring. 



Comparisons have been made between the eggs of fowls in 

 robust health and those in a more or less anemic, sickly condition, 

 and it has been found that they are almost identical in composi- 

 tion. Also, there is little or no difference in the composition of 

 eggs from different breeds. This is an interesting idea, especially 

 so when we consider the controversy that sometimes breaks 

 forth between the advocates of brown-shelled and white-shelled 

 eggs. 



This does not mean, however, and should not be so construed, 

 that there is no difference in the flavor of eggs, because there is 

 a vast difference in this quality — a very great difference. Further- 

 more, there is a great difference in the fertility of eggs and in 

 their hatchability, also in the vitality of the chicks, which are 

 manifestations of the differences between the well-fed, vigorous 

 fowl, and the bird which is impoverished by disease or improperly 

 nourished. In short, though the chemist may not detect any 

 difference in the make-up of the egg, from a reproductive point of 

 view it is there, nevertheless. 



The most logical way to account for this is due to the fact that 

 egg making is in reality a double process — it is a reproductive 



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