THE CHICK BOOK 



67 



Eggs for Hatching Broilers. 

 The first problem, and one of the most important to the 

 broiler raiser, is the eggs from which to hatch the chicks. It 

 is November, December and January eggs that pro- 

 duce the December, January, and February chickens, 

 and eggs in those months are scarce and high. Eggs at this 

 writing (February) are selling at forty-five cents a dozen, 

 wholesale; nearly four cents apiece. It is evident, then, that 

 eggs at this season are worth decidedly more than the two 

 and a half cents apiece figured by Mr. Twining. His fig- 

 ures, however, extended into and through the period of low- 

 est prices for egg-s, and the books showed that his average 

 for the (about) nine thousand eggs incubated was nearer 

 twonty-five cents a dozen than the thirty cents of the fig- 

 ures. We visited a large practical poultry farm early in 

 December and found the owner just closimg 

 a case of fine tooking eggs he was sending 

 to market. We asked him if he was selling 

 any eggs to market poultry raisers and he 

 replied, "No, sir! It don't pay to bother with 

 that trade. I'm getting torty-flve cents a 

 dozen wholesale for these eggs, and the most 

 that market poultry raisers will pay is five 

 dollars per hundred; that isn't difference 

 enough to pay me for packing them to ship 

 by express and pay for 

 correspondence, time, 

 etc., that It takes." As 

 we haid visited a mar- 

 ket poultry raiser only 

 a couple of d'aj-s before 

 iind he had exclaimed 

 about the difficulty of 

 getting good hatching 

 eggs to fill his incuba- 

 tors, a compairison of 

 the two differing i>oints 

 of view is interesting. 

 The one man haftJ th© 

 eggs in good suipply, 

 said he was getting a 

 hundred and over a day 

 and could no doubt ship 

 five or six hundred eggs 

 a week if the other 

 would offer a price 

 which would make it 

 worth while taking cai-e 

 of the orders. Five dol- 

 lars pei hundred. did not 

 tempt him, possibly six 

 dollars per hundred 

 would. 



"Good Hatchable 

 Eggs." 



Next to getting egga 

 to put in the incubators 



the most important matter is the quality of 

 the eggs, is the getting of good, strong bod;ed 

 eggs that w'ill hatch' out strong, vigorous 

 chicks. Indeed, it may well be stated that 

 the quality of the eggs is the most important point; 

 it isn't an imposs^ibility to get one or two or three 

 thousand eggs, buit to get eggs wheh will turn out a 

 reasonable proportion of sturdy, "bound-to-live" chicks 

 is more difficult. This brings us to "the hens behind 

 the eggs," as it is impossible that eggs be in the best 



shape ;o hatch good chicks unless the hems that produce 

 them are in high condition. They must be in per- 

 fect health and be fed a food ration that supplies the ele- 

 ments of which good eggs are made in addition to 

 the food (which must Include a sufficient supply of 

 green food to "balance" the grain and animal foods), the 

 fowls must be kept in clean quarters, must be kept free from 

 vermin, must have an abundance of fresh air to breathe, 

 and must have sufficient exercise to keep the circulation 

 active and promote good digestion. This looks formidable 

 at first, but is really nothing more than common prudence 

 dictates, because "the hen that lays is the hen that pays," 

 and the hens must have good food and care if we expect 

 them to lay. 



The term "quality of the eggs" means much more than 



the average reader 

 will realize. It is most 

 important that eggs 

 for market be of good 

 quality, be strong- 

 bodied and full-bod- 

 ied; if less than this 

 they are seconds or 

 thirds and sell for a 

 lower price. Of how 

 much greater impor- 

 tance that they be 

 strong bodied and full 

 bodied if they are to 

 be incubated. If weak 



R . p . J^ 

 The Profitable and Unprofitable Type 

 In Market Fowls. 



and watery they can 

 not hatch good, 

 strong chicks. There 

 may be sufficient body to 

 the egg to nourish the em- 

 bryo (and beyond) the critical 

 period of exclusion, but the in- 

 fant chick will be so weak and 



Illustration referred to by Mr. Hunter. ^^^'^1° '' Cannot "make-a-live" 



