112 The Hen at Work 



may ruii out before the hen is ready to leave her 

 nest, and they will be unable to return to shelter 

 unless a sloping bank is provided, but will die in 

 a short time right under the beak of their poor 

 mother, who can do nothing but cluck and watch 

 them perish. 



Eggs for Hatching.' — The eggs for hatching will 

 be selected from hens you have set apart for 

 breeding, according to the plan outlined in the 

 chapter on breeding pens, or they will be pur- 

 chased froni poultry men who specialize on breed- 

 ing stock. Do not buy eggs from flocks confined 

 in houses, nor from people who are inexperienced 

 in breeding, unless for some special reason. Reli- 

 able dealers usually sell utility eggs at reasonable 

 rates. For the home flock costly eggs from fancy 

 matings are not necessary and will usually prove 

 a useless expense. 



When eggs are shipped for hatching, the germs, 

 which will later develop into chicks, are usually 

 displaced by the shaking the eggs receive. If 

 these eggs are started at once the germs will, in 

 many cases, develop in the wrong position, and 

 the hatch will be poor. Such eggs should be laid 

 on their side in a cool, airy spot for about a day, 



