THE EGG QUESTION 



1S3 



Largest White Eggs— I am starting 

 or trying to start a poultry ranch and 

 would like to ask you a question recent- 

 ly asked by some one else, but in a little 

 different way. Which of the good lay- 

 ing breeds lay the largest white eggs? 

 My aim is for good city trade.— E. A. M. 



Answer— The Black Minorcas have 

 the reputation of laying the largest 

 white eggs. Ine White Leghorns are 

 their close competitors. It very much 

 depends upon the strain or family. For 

 instance, one set of fowls may have been 

 selected for beauty of feather and form 

 and their owners may not have chosen 

 those that layed the largest eggs, whilst 

 some have carefully chosen the largest 

 egg-layers, and bred from those, not car- 

 ing for exhibiiton birds, and again a 

 third party might have united these two 

 qualities and have both prize winners 

 and the best of layers. It depends upon 

 the ability of the breeder and also upon 

 his object. 



Black Minorcas do admirably in the 

 climate of Southern California. I do 

 not know how they would grow in a 

 damper, colder climate. You would have 

 to inquire of people who have had ex- 

 perience in that kind of a climate. 



Sudden Death— Lately I have had 

 three hens die suddenly, and apparently 

 without cause; my neighbors have also 

 lost several. Perhaps you can enlighten 

 us and suggest a remedy. The hens 

 were laying, combs red and large, crops 

 full of wheat, etc., but die on the nest 

 over night. I held a post mortem ex- 

 amination and could find nothing radi- 

 cally wrong. Each had well-formed 

 eggs and many of them. They roost high 

 in the open air; run out nights and 

 mornings on alfalfa. I feed wheat 

 mostly, and once every other day, hot 

 bran mash with a spoonful of egg- 

 maker. Have had over 40 dozen eggs 

 without interruption since January 1st, 

 from twelve pullets — Minorcas — of my 

 own raising. This is the first death I 

 have ever had, except of the little chicks. 

 Pens are clean, no lice or mites. Have 

 studied closely and can't "savy." Per- 

 haps you can. The heart of the first 

 one seemed the only cause for death, as 

 it had a large inforct, probably fatty 



degeneration; the other was normal.— 

 Dr. J. A. B. 



Answer — I think, as your hens died 

 on the nest, that they had some diffi- 

 culty in laying, and were probably egg- 

 bound. The Minorcas laying a large 

 egg, are frequently subject to this trou- 

 ble, more so, in fact, than the other 

 breeds which lay smaller eggs. Strain- 

 ing in laying frequently is the cause of 

 a blood vessel breaking in the head, 

 which, of course, results in apoplexy. 

 Minorcas rarely suffer from an overfat 

 condition, as they are a very active 

 breed. 



Egg-Eating Hens — Would you kindly 

 tell me how to treat egg-eating hens? 

 What will cure them?— Mrs. R. E. G. 



Answer — The best way is to cut the 

 head off the offender and eat her, for 

 she is certain to be fat. The informa- 

 tion you ask for is as follows : Mr. 

 Morse (a chicken expert) gives five 

 remedies for the bad habit of egg-eat- 

 ing. First: Fit up an arrangement 

 whereby the eggs, as soon as layed, slide 

 down and out of sight, into a sort of 

 false bottom under the nest. The hens 

 will not eat them because they cannot 

 get them. Second: Have a lot of China 

 eggs lying about promiscuous-like on the 

 floor. Trying to eat such eggs is likely 

 to discourage egg-eating. Third : Fix 

 up a hollow egg with aloes. One bite is 

 enough. Consult the corner druggist 

 as to how to make the mess. Fourth : 

 Have grit and crushed oyster shells 

 about in abundance in self-feeding box- 

 es. Fifth : Do not stuff your hens full 

 of mash in the morning and let them 

 sit around all day, like "Father" in the 

 song, "Everybody Works But Father," 

 but feed them grain in litter and make 

 them, hustle all day. This keeps them 

 out of mischief. Mr. Morse's advice 

 may be good, but I recommend using 

 trap nests by which means you will eas- 

 ily discover the guilty hen, and if she is 

 not too valuable, the verdict should be 

 decapitation. Keep your oyster shells, 

 grit and charcoal before your hens and 

 there will be very little egg-eating, for 

 it is a vice which always commences 

 with weak or soft egg shells. 



