248 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



generally reserved for household use in the home family. 

 There is always a cause for these extreme abnormalities' 

 in shape and size. This cause may be so obscure that 

 one may not point to it definitely, but it is almost sure to 

 be some abnormal condition of the organs of reproduc- 

 tion in the female. It may be only an irritated state, or 

 it may be more serious inflammation or other trouble 

 with the egg tract. But the abnormally shaped egg is 

 proof of a condition which needs attention. The egg 

 tract lies packed closely within the abdomen of the 

 female fowl ; it has many folds and turnings, through 

 all of which the egg must pass on its way to exclusion, 

 and during which passage it must increase constantly in 

 size, and must receive several layers of white (albumen) 

 and a tough membranous skin and shell. These are 

 attained in regular order, and the process is one requir- 

 ing time. It may be two weeks, more or less, between 

 the detachment of one shining, pinkish yellow bead or 

 pellet from the embryo egg cluster and its appearance 

 in the basket of the egg gatherer some fortunate night. 

 The soft tract, full of blood vessels, through which it 

 must pass on its journey toward daylight, is many inches 

 long, and is somewhat closely surrounded by the intes- 

 tinal tract and other internal organs. There must be 

 some spare room for the developing eggs, and the 

 heavier the laying, the more crowded must be the ab- 

 dominal space. Males are often clumsy or rough in 

 their service, and may injure the laying fowl with her 

 burden of eggs. Again there may be inflammation of 

 liver or other organ, and this seems to communicate 

 itself to the cluster of egglets awaiting their turn for 

 development. At times the tiny yolks are found virtu- 



