SELECTING HATCHING EGGS 259 



sufficient exercise, and where tliey have little sunshine and fresh 

 air, are almost certain to lay eggs which are low in fertility, and 

 even lower in vitality. Fowls that are fed on highly concen- 

 trated foods and forced to the limit for egg production usually 

 lay eggs which are so nearly devoid of the life-giving principles 

 that they are virtually useless as breeders. 



To get fertile eggs, with strong, hatchable germs, plenty of 

 fresh air, sunshine, exercise, green food and a well-balanced 

 rational diet throughout are necessary. For this reason the 

 breeding stock should be kept on free range as much as possible. 

 Abundant range is the greatest panacea in the world for chick 

 and grown fowl alike. 



The importance of selecting none but well-formed eggs for 

 hatching purposes cannot be overestimated. Not only is this 

 essential to the actual hatching capacity of the eggs, but it goes 

 a long way toward improvement generally. Eggs which are 

 well shaped and normal are almost certain to produce chickens 

 which will later mature and lay well-shaped eggs, consequently 

 the poultryman is enabled to secure better prices for his products 

 by reason of their uniformity and superior quality. ' 



Select the eggs of a medium size and an average as to color 

 and shape. By that I mean, let the selection be governed by the 

 average product of the hen or breed, rather than by some arbi- 

 trary standard. Eggs that would be considered abnormally 

 large on one farm, might be considered medium-sized on another 

 plant, or even small on a third. Discard all eggs which are un- 

 usually long, too round, flattened on one side, elliptical, wedge- 

 shaped, and those which have any excrescence or ridge. Mon- 

 strosities cannot be expected to hatch. 



The ideal hatching egg is the real egg-shaped specimen, nicely 

 rounded at. one end, with a gradual taper to the other, and having 

 a firm shell of good texture, free from bumps, corrugations and 

 other imperfections. Avoid eggs with very thin shells or ex- 

 ceedingly thick shells, or those with invisible cracks. A good 

 plan is to sound each egg as it is selected, by tapping it gently 

 with a lead-pencil or with one's finger-nail. I have seen eggs 



