THE POULTRY RUN.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 100, 3 October 1918, Page 4

THE POULTRY RUN.

ALL ABOUT EGGS. It is generally supposed that when an eyg is broken into a saucer, and a small white spot is seen on the centre of its yolk, such an egg is fertile. Many people test for fertility in this \wij, but it is no guide as to the actual value of eggs from a hatching point of view, as eggs, whether fertilised by the male bird or not, show the spots referred to. In unfertilised .eggs the spots are quite small and wliitc, whilst in those containing live germs they are larger, and may even show, more or less distinctly,, circles around them. The influence of the vital fluid of the male bird upon the. yolk spots or germ discs makes the eggs fertile. The hen provides the eggs' with the germ discs only, and such discs will remain sterile till impregnation from the male takes place. Poultry keepers will, therefore, do well io dispel the erroneous idea that all eggs showing white spots upon their yolks are actually fertile ones, and may be taken as a guide by those who contemplate selling eggs for hatching purposes. Some people cannot understand why eggs laid by hens running with a male bird do not hatch although eggs laid by the same hens and used for culinary purposes all showed the white germ discs refeued to above. The reason for such hatching failures is traceable to inactivity or. The part of the male bird. If strongly fertilised eggs are required the best way to secure them is to place into the bteeding pens strong, active males, and to see that such males get a proper allowance of food. Don't rely upon the white spot theory as a guide to the securence of fertile eggs, but upon your own common-sense management of the male birds. Uncommon Knowledge. The followiug items relative to the hen's egg may be of interest to many novice poultry keepers. It is estimated that the average length of an egg is .'.' --7-000 ins., and that its average dia- ;•).-' ,i at the broad end is 1 72-100 ii , whilst- its weight is about oneJ ; .'a of a pound. The shell con'stii..:'i;s about 11 per cent., the yolk 32 pc'i cent., and the albumen or white, 67 per cent, of the total egg. Protein and fat are the two nutritive elements to be found in an egg, the rest of the latter being composed of water and a small quantity of mineral matter. Some people imagine that brown-shelled eggs contain richer nutritive qualities than are to be found in white-shelled ones, but there is no difference. to be found in the quality of eggs, whether their shells be brown oi white, so long as the fowls which y,;<\:uce them are equally fed on good ioj,is. The colour of the shell is no guide as to the internal quality of an egg, but the nature of the food f d to the fowls often is. If fish, oriioiu;, turnips, and other strongly-flavoured products are too frequently fed to the laying stock the eggs produced will taste of such things. There is no food to equal in palatibility such eggs as are made from fresh, sweet and wholesome feeding stuff.'-". L~!0 of Eggs. Eggs for edible use should be stored where the atmosphere is free from impurities, and should not be placed near other products of a highly-flavoured nature Otherwise they will absorb objectionable elements through the pores of their shells. Where large quantities of eggs are to be stored it is advisable to remove the male bird from among the laying stock, the object being to secure germless eggs, these remaining in a good edible condition for a longer period than do those which are fertilised. Eggs for hatching should be collected from the nests as soon as possible after they are laid, and should be placed *where the temperature ranges between 45 and 55 degrees—that is if they cannot be set immediately. Long storage is not advisable, as the fresher the eggs are when set .the stronger will be the vitality of their germs, and the stronger will be the chickens hatched from them. Eggs for hatching should be clean, a condition that can only be secured by keeping clean the nests they are laid in. Choice of Eggs. Too little attention is often paid; to the shape and quality of the shells of eggs chosen for hatching purposes, with the result that many, chickens fail to come to light. It is little use setting es?gs. with thin, rough, round, or very, long shells, as such are practicably useless, for incubation. If such eggs did happen to hatch, the chicks would be either weak or deforced, and not worth spending time, and' food Upon. The choice of eggs for hatching is an item, in which little time need b< '.aken up in, making a wise selection, and it is, one that calls for attention fr,ojn. every reader who desires high hatching percentages and strong tearable chicks. NOTES FOlt THE NOVICE. Fowls will not keep in good health unless they have ""constant access to: —(1) Shell grit (for making the eggshells and supplying lime for bodily needs); (2) small stone grit (for purs poses of digestion—the stones are held in the gizzard, and the grain in passing iH'rough is pounded up); and (3); crushed charcoal (for filtering and sorbing the impurities in the body and" acting as an internal cleanser). ■•;!, When you are starting breeding operations don't use any birds unles? they are 12 months old.