70 THE THAI' NICsT TEXT HOOK 



largelv fat. That in all tlie pointer that I am able to give and that may 

 be of no value, Careful chemical research may disclose the secret, or it 

 may be Imded by a chance shot from some unskilled source as so many 

 of our most , U1 ' Ie discoveries have been. Certain it is that to color 

 the shell brown would not necessarily imply that brown must be the 

 color of our color-producer. 



The bird's chemical laboratory is a place where many mysterious 

 compounds are made and no one has yet thoroughly explored it : 

 although some appear to think that they have. 



SIZE OF THE EGG. 



As a general proposition the size of the bird determines the size of the 

 egg. Specific examination will show, however, that there are a number 

 of factors that influence (he size of a bird's egg. 



The pullet that does not begin laying until eight or ten months old. 

 will, other things being favorable, lay a larger egg than she would have 

 laid had she begun at four, five or six months of age. This, I believe, 

 is not. wholly due to the greater development of the reproductive organs. 

 The egg grows in the body of the bird and its growth is dependent 

 upon the supply of elements that are diverted to that use by the bird. 

 These elements are all primarily the same as (hose that are used in 

 building the bird's own body. When our immature (in growth) pullet 

 begins to lay she begins to use material for egg production that she 

 needs for her own development and she continues to appropriate to 

 her own use some of the material needed by the eggs. The result is an 

 insufficiently nourished body and an insufficiently nourished egg. The 

 growth of the bird is somewhat checked by laying and the growth of 

 the egg is influenced by the growth of the bird. The immature -ize of 

 the oviduct, it seems reasonable to suppose, also has its effect. The 

 broody hen, as soon as she begins to store up material for use during 

 her pre-supposed confinement also begins to reduce the size of her v<x<i:. 

 As long as the incubating desire is present she will lay a .-mailer egg 

 until laying ceases or the incubating desire is removed. 



Mal-assimilation of food also seems to have a remarkable effect upon 

 the size, shape and quality of hens' eggs at any part of a laying period. 

 Thus we find individuals thai will produce eggs that are abnormally- 

 large or -small, or insufficiently or excessively provided with shell, or 

 not shelled at all, with no apparent relation to the number of eggs pre- 

 viously or subsequently laid or, indeed, the quantih or quality of the 

 supplied ration. Overfeeding, or feeding that is not properh balanced i- 

 no doubt responsible in many case.-. 1ml overfeeding, underfeeding and 

 unbalanced reeding can lake place in I he bird's I tody as well as in the feed 

 trough. Students of incubation may or may not find here a hint as to one 



