HATCHING AND REARING 



127 



and moulded into shape with the fingers, 

 and tlien settled do^^n iirmly by rolling a 

 hot boiled fowl's egg round in it for a few 

 seconds. It is also a good plan when 

 changing the nest at this stage, esjiecially 

 if there are four or five young, to use a 

 nest a size larger than the one taken 

 away, as it gives the \oimg brood more 

 room to stretch and grow in comfort. 



If for this cause a wooden nest-box should 

 have to be replaced by an imitation of a 

 natural nest, the best ])lan is to shajie 

 a nest with moss inside the box. then 

 hue it with a little hair, and finish it olT 

 by working the cup or hollow in the 

 centre of the nest by pressure with a hot 

 hard-boiled egg as described. Mark that 

 the hen will not destroy such a ne.st. If 

 she were wishing to build, she would soon 

 put it to rights ; but when her object is 

 to lay, or, having laid, to sit, or, having 

 hatched, to feed, she accepts each jjosition 

 in the full exercise of the reigning instinc- 

 tive facidty of the hoin\ It is not a time 

 for play now, but rather for duty, and 

 instinct regarding that duty is stronger 

 than mischief. 



Having furnished a clean nest, the young 

 ones must not again be interfered with, 

 but be kept absolutely quiet, 

 for if they are once fright- 

 ened from the nest it is 

 very difficult to make them take to it 

 again. There is, of covirse, no danger of 

 this occurring now, but a week hence 

 such a thing might easily happen. A 

 breeder is always very glad when his j'oung 

 ones are strong enough to leave the nest, 

 and is glad to see them go, but he is always 

 desirous to keep them there as long as 

 possible, snug and comfortable, and well 

 cared for. Extreme care is necessary at 

 the last when the birds are just over a 

 fortnight old, when a startled sort of rest- 

 lessness pervades the nest. So long as 

 they squat and keep their heads well down, 

 there is not much to fear ; but as soon as 

 one youngster, more venturesome than the 

 rest, lifts up his head and turns himself 

 round, you may look out for a jump. 

 \Mien one goes they had better all go, for 



Leaving the 



Nest. 



they will still stick to each other a little 

 longer, and, acting in concert, may even 

 determine to return to the nest at night. 

 But a single yoimg one, if he persists in 

 refusing to return to the bosom of his 

 family, fares i-ather ill the first day or two 

 of his liberty, and it is best to take every 

 precaution to prevent premature flight, 

 which ought not to take place till the birds 

 are nearly three weeks old, by which time 

 they will be almost as large as their parents. 

 We are exceedingly loth to hint at the 

 possibility of any more misfortunes, but 

 by the time the young ones 

 Hens and j^^^^.^ reached this age it is 

 Second ° 



Laying. more than probable the hen 



will begin to show indications 

 of wishing to sit again — an event which 

 can scarcely be looked on in the light of a 

 misfortune, but which requires nice manage- 

 ment. Sometimes she will lay in her old 

 nest, depositing her eggs among the young 

 birds, who will not injure them, although 

 there may be as man\' as twenty-four or 

 thirty sharp little claws in the nest. In 

 any circumstances it is advisable to supply 

 her with a second nest-pan of the small 

 No. 1 size, which may be suspended on 

 the side of the cage, opposite the partition, 

 if it be a double cage, or if there be room 

 at the back it can be placed there, bear- 

 ing in mind that as the perches are all 

 movable, they can be removed at will to 

 suit the new arrangement, or additional 

 ones brought into use. It may be that 

 the building fever may not be very strong, 

 and the hen may be content to take 

 such accommodation as is offered, but 

 a small portion of new building material 

 should invariably be furnished in the 

 rack for her use, as its jDresence may be 

 the means of giving her emj)loyment at 

 a time when she is apt to illustrate the 

 truth of the aphorism that " somebody " 

 makes it his business to find mischief for 

 idle hands to do. By giving her a new nest 

 and fresh moss and other material — for it 

 is better to give her a mixture so that she 

 can find that which she fancies most — ■ 

 she will not be temj^ted to pluck the young 

 birds. 



