210 



EARLY SITTERS. 



There was a remarkable demand for sitters in the early hatching season, and it 

 was noticed that the sitting varieties were unusually tardy in becoming broody. 

 In the case of the farm fowls, the majority of the mixed breeds, kept for sitters, did 

 not become broody at any period of the season, and the thoroughbred Buff Cochins 

 had to be used as early sitters. The first hen to be put on eggs was a coloured 

 Dorking, on the 29th of March, followed by two Buff hens, on the 5th of April, and 

 four others on the 16th, 22nd, 25th and 28th of the same month, consecutively. In 

 the next month, four Buff Cochins, with five Brahmas, six Plymouth Eocks, one 

 Black Eussian, two Wyandottes and three mixed breeds were used as sitters. It 

 will be seen that of the total number of sitters, three only were not thoroughbreds. 

 Apart from tlveir fair laying qualities, the Buff Cochins, in two successive seasons, 

 have proved invaluable as early and reliable sitters. Had their services not been 

 required for hatching out chickens they would have been broken up and made to 

 lay again. For an early sitter, when it can be had, a light hen is to be preferred, for 

 at that time egg shells are apt to be thinner than at a later date. 



BREAKING UP A HEN. 



By breaking up a sitter, it is-meant to get her rid of the incubating fever and 

 laying again as quickly as possible. The beat way to accomplish this is tp put the 

 broody hen in a coop, or compartment without a neet, where she cannot si^t, feed her 

 generously, and in a few days she will cease to be broody, and if the good feeding 

 is kept on will soon be laying again. The practice of ducking the broody hens in 

 water, tying them to a stake, swinging them by their legs, is simply cruel and un- 

 necessary. Some hens, Wyandottes, for instance, are much more easily broken up 

 than others. A broody member of the Spanish family should not be used as a 

 sitter. Occasionally an exception may be found, but, as a general rule, although 

 very fussy, they are not reliable. 



EXPERIMENT 1. — HATCHING RESULTS PROM EGGS SET ON DRY BOARDS AND ON DAMP 



GROUND. 



In conformity with the intention expressed in last year's report, an experiment 

 was tried by setting a number of hens on eggs placed in nests on the dry boards of 

 the attic floor of the central portion of the poultry building, and others placed in 

 nests, directly on the damp earthen floor of the cellar. The eggs in all the nests 

 were tested on the seventh day of incubation. The following will show that the 

 eggs were fertile to a very satisfactory extent, and that there was very little 

 difference in the result: — 



UPSTAIRS ON BOARD FLOOR OP ATTIC. 



D»te when 

 set. 



April 5 . . 



do 22.. 



do 23.. 



do 25.. 



May 1.. 



do 7.. 



do 16. . 



Number of 

 Eggs set. 



22 

 13 

 11 

 13 

 15 

 13 

 11 



98 



Kind of Sitters. 



2 Buff hens 



1 Buff hen 



1 P. Rock hen 



1 Buff hen 



1 Brahma hen 



1 Buff hen 



1 Wyandotte hen. . 



Result of Test. 



Number of 

 Chickens 

 liatched. 



— I- 



7 unfertile, 2 addled, 1 broken 



1 unfertile egg, 2 did not hatch out, 2 broken by hen. 

 1 egg did not hatch 



1 chicken died in hatching 



2 eggs broken, 3 unfertile 



2 eggs broken, 1 did not hatch out 



3 eggs unfertile 



12 

 8 

 10 

 12 

 10 

 10 

 8 



70 



