70 PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



eggs from the egg breeds, such as the Leghorn and Ancona, 

 in the same incubator or under the same hen with brown- 

 shelled eggs of the heavier breeds, such as Plymouth Rocks 

 or Wyandottes. The white-shelled eggs from the smaller 

 breeds often hatch a little earlier than the brown-shelled 

 eggs of the larger breeds. Eggs from different varieties of 

 the same class of fowls may, however, be incubated together. 



Sound shells. Only eggs of sound shells should be set. 

 This precaution is evident if they are to be set under a 

 hen, as they are apt to get broken during incubation. Eggs 



of thin or porous shells 

 are undesirable even for 

 the incubator. 



Abnormal eggs. Neither 

 the hen nor the incubator 

 will hatch strong chicks 

 from eggs that are ab- 

 normal or small or poorly 

 shaped. 



PACKING HATCHING EGGS 

 FOR SHIPMENT 



Thousands of sittings 

 of eggs for hatching are 

 shipped each season and 



Figure 68. A turning crate for hatching eggs. . i .. 



many are sent long dis- 

 tances, but in some instances rough handling in transit 

 appears to affect the hatch from such eggs. A satisfac- 

 tory method of shipping eggs for hatching is to use a 

 common chip market basket, well lined on the inside with 

 excelsior. Wrap each egg in a layer of paper, and put 

 enough excelsior around the egg to make a ball of about 

 three inches in diameter. Pack the eggs securely in the 

 basket, covering them with a layer of excelsior. Then the 

 basket should be covered with a strong piece of cotton cloth. 



