Chapter I: The Building of the Corning Egg Farm 21

Started with 60 Buff Rock Eggs 22
More Money in Eggs 25
Adopted White Leghorns 25
First Use of Roosting Closets 27
We Count only Livable Chicks 30
Percentage of Cockerels Low 31
The Great Flock System Succeeds 33
Foreigners Visit the Farm 34
Investigated for Germany 35
Selection of Cockerels 36
Pullets Lay in 129 Days 37
Keeping Down Labor Bill 39
Adopted Hot Water Incubators 40
Why Great Farms Fail 41

CHAPTER II

EGG FARMING THE MOST PROFITABLE BRANCH OF POULTRY KEEPING 43

Developing the Great Layer 43
Corning Method in Small Flocks 44
On Large Farms 46

CHAPTER III

WHAT IS A FRESH EGG? AN EGG SHOULD BE SANITARY AS WELL AS FRESH 48

Manure Drainage to Drink 48
Diseased Meat to Eat 49
As the Food, so the Egg 49
A Perfect Egg a Rarity 50
Unlimited Demand for Quality Eggs 50

CHAPTER IV

PREPARATION OF EGGS FOR MARKET 54

CHAPTER V

SELECTION OF THE BREED.--THE STRAIN IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE 58

S. C. White Leghorns Outclass All 59
Line Breeding--Not Inbreeding 61
How Corning Farm Produces Unrelated
Cockerels 62

CHAPTER VI

ADVANTAGES OF LARGE FLOCK SYSTEM--REDUCES COST OF HOUSING AND
ECONOMIZES IN TIME AND LABOR 64

Draughts the Stumbling Block 65
2,000 Birds to a House 66

CHAPTER VII

WHAT IS A WINTER LAYER?--THE PROPERLY HATCHED AND REARED PULLET 68

Must Feed Green Food 69

CHAPTER VIII

A GREAT LAYING STRAIN--THE SELECTION OF BREEDERS TO PRODUCE IT 71

Eighteen Months Old 71
Trap Nests a Failure 72
Type Reproduces Type 73

CHAPTER IX

BEST TIME TO HATCH 76

Experiment in Late Hatching 78

CHAPTER X

SUCCULENT GREEN FOOD--SATISFACTORY EGG PRODUCTION IMPOSSIBLE
WITHOUT IT 80

Sprouted Oats Best 82
How They are Grown on the Farm 82
Timothy and Clover Cut Green 84

CHAPTER XI

ANTHRACITE COAL ASHES--A SUBSTITUTE FOR MANY MORE EXPENSIVE
NECESSITIES 86

Better Than Charcoal 87

CHAPTER XII

EGGS FOR BREEDING SHOULD BE LAID BY A REAL YEARLING HEN 89

90,000 Orders for 40,000 Eggs 90

CHAPTER XIII

POLICING THE FARM WITH BLOODHOUNDS, ETC. 92

Shoot First--Investigate Afterward 92
Socrates, the Great Bloodhound 93

CHAPTER XIV

NECESSITY FOR PURE WATER--AN EGG IS CHEMICALLY 80% WATER 96

Automatic Fountains Essential 96
Hot Water in Cold Weather 97
Hens Drink More in Afternoon 97

CHAPTER XV

HARD COAL ASHES, OYSTER SHELL, AND GRIT 99

CHAPTER XVI

BEEF SCRAP AND GREEN BONE SUBSTITUTES FOR NATURE’S ANIMAL FOOD 101

Green Cut Bone Nearest Nature 101

CHAPTER XVII

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING--EVERYTHING ON TIME 103

Fixed Feeding Hours 103
Four Collections of Eggs Daily 105
Mash Fed in Afternoon 105