BEHAVIOR OF CAPONS WHEN BROODING CHICKS 323 



minor character and difficult to distinguish clearly from those 

 of a broody hen. On the other hand they sometimes crow and 

 may give attention to the hens, their behavior at such times 

 being as complex as that of the cock. 



It is remarkable that the Leghorn capons should receive the 

 chicks quite as readily as the Rhode Island Reds. S n'ce the 

 females rarely become broody (only two or three per cent) one 

 would not expect to find such strong evidences of the broody 

 instinct in capons of this race. The differences in the races 

 with regard to broodiness is well marked. Of the Reds, only 

 about two per cent fail to become broody at least once during 

 the first year, while many individuals become broody eight or 

 ten times within a year from the time they begin to lay. We 

 have no statistics of our own on the Leghorns, but a breeder 

 of white Leghorns reports that his records show that of nearly 

 three hundred pullets only twelve became broody (most of 

 them only once) but one became broody five times and one 

 three times. My own experience with Brown Leghorns is of 

 the same general character. As a rule, Leghorns that show 

 signs of broodiness rarely make good mothers, for the exhibi- 

 tions of broodiness are very transitory. 



Although the tests are not extensive enough to warrant 

 definite conclusions, it would appear possible that the brooding 

 instincts of the capon are after all not necessarily a female 

 character. Many male birds, e.g., pigeons, assist in brooding 

 .and rearing the young. The domestic cock sometimes assists 

 the hen in finding a nest. An instance of a broody cock which 

 hatched a clutch of eggs was recently published in " Fur and 

 Feathers." Darwin states in "Animals and Plants," as follows: 

 ' The capon takes to sitting on eggs, and will bring up chickens. 

 . . . Reaumur asserts that a cock, by being long confined in 

 solitude and darkness, can be taught to take charge of young 

 chickens; he then utters a peculiar cry, and retains during his 

 whole life this newly acquired maternal instinct." 



Tests of non-broody hens, castrated hens, normal males and 

 chicks of various ages from various races will have to be made 

 in order to throw more light on the question of the capon's be- 

 havior. Older chicks are sometimes used as leaders in teaching 

 very young chicks the way in and out of a brooder. A single 

 test that was made of a normal male gave negative results. 



