408 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



There are as many, perhaps more, external influences. The 

 most potent of these influences are evaporation, heating, musti- 

 ness, mold, bacterial contamination, moisture, bad odors and so 

 on. 



The egg shell is porous, so that the embryo chick may obtain 

 air, and this porosity exposes the contents to the drying influence 

 of the atmosphere surrounding it. The rate at which the in- 

 terior moisture is lost depends upon the humidity and tempera- 

 ture of the air in which the eggs are stored, also the rate at which 

 the air is moving over or among the eggs, and the texture of their 



shells and membranes. 

 As evaporation con- 

 tinues, air replaces the 

 moisture, which enlarges 

 the air cell, and if the eggs 

 are kept long enough, 

 and at the same time pro- 

 tected against heating or 

 contamination, all the 

 moisture will evaporate 

 and the yolk and albu- 

 men will become a dried 

 mass. 



Storage Place. — A 

 cool, sv/eet cellar or refrigerator is the most desirable place for stor- 

 ing eggs, in which they may be kept for three or four weeks without 

 serious evaporation . See Fig. 265 . N ever store eggs in the ki tchen 

 or shed, or where they are subjected to warm air or currents of air. 

 The best receptacle is a pail or box, something that will prevent the 

 free circulation of air through the eggs, and yet allow a moderate 

 amount of ventilation, hung in a cool, moderately dry place where 

 there are no odors to be absorbed by the eggs. Avoid excessive 

 dampness, for this may cause mold or other changes to take place. 

 If eggs are allowed to remain in the one position for a long time, 

 the yolks will rise and stick to the shell membranes, which is, 

 of course, an objectionable feature. Moreover, if they are stored 



Fig. 265. — A well-ventilated, clean vege- 

 table cellar is a good place for the farmer 

 to hold his eggs until ready for market. 



