62 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



smooth shells should certainly have the prefer- 

 ence, rejecting unusually large ones quite as much 

 as unusually small. Eggs from any hen 

 being laid rather smaller, is generally a sign of 

 insufficient feeding, and especially of insufficient 

 nitrogenous food. If this be not at once 

 remedied as soon as diminution in size is first 

 observed, a stoppage of laying may probably 

 come very soon, and it is not to be expected 

 that such eggs, from insufficiently nourished 

 birds, will prove vigorous in hatching, or the 

 produce show much constitution afterwards. 



Eggs are often purchased or sold for sitting 

 purposes, and such sittings require a few words. 



All such eggs will, of course, be 

 Packing Eggs j^^gj ^^j fg^ reasons already given, 

 for Sitting. , . , , , , , 1 II 



this date should be upon the small 



end; moreover, this is the end which will 

 be apparent when they are properly stored 

 with the large end down. Careful packing is 

 of course required, bedding loosely in bran 

 being quite insufficient. Where it is obtainable, 

 dry moss is amongst the best packing material, 

 and if every egg be wrapped loosely in a wisp of 

 paper, and then bedded carefully with a little 

 moss between each, and an inch of the moss 

 beneath and on top and all round, they will 

 travel well. Either a box or basket may be 

 employed, tying down the lid of the basket by 

 aid of a packing needle, or cording or screwing 

 down a bo.x cover ; for hammering nails should 

 be avoided. People who sell many eggs usually 

 have hampers made to a regular size and 

 pattern for them. Soft hay or wood wool are 

 nearly as good as dry moss, and used the same 

 way, taking care to wrap the eggs loosely in 

 their papers first, so as to leave corners and 

 creases projecting; these are as important as the 

 hay in preventing concussion. A hamper for a 

 single layer of eggs should be about six inches 

 deep, and the hay or moss should not be rammed 

 in tightly, but loosely enough to leave plenty of 

 spring in it. Fragile Bantam eggs are better 

 wrapped in thin or even tissue paper, but still 

 loosely, and bedded in wadding or cotton wool. 

 We consider packing of this kind, either in box 

 or basket, better than the small boxes with 

 compartments for each t^'g, so far as regards 

 eggs for sitting. 



Eggs carefully packed will hatch with per- 

 fect success, if they are properly treated, but 



this is not always the case. Wide 

 Besting Eggs, and long experience has proved 



beyond any reasonable doubt that 

 they do best if allowed to "rest" on their 

 sides in a quiet and cool place for fifteen to 

 twenty-four hours ; the germ, already partly 

 developed as we have seen, appears to be 



" fatigued " by the shaking of the journey, to 

 require rest after it, and to benefit from such 

 adequate repose before the new task of in- 

 cubation. But on the other hand, if there be 

 much delay beyond this, the interruption in its 

 career appears somewhat prejudicial, even 

 beyond the mere lapse of time, which we have 

 seen is in itself detrimental to a perceptible 

 extent. Anything of this kind is not fair to 

 the vendor of the eggs, or favourable to the 

 hopes of the purchaser. 



We are thus brought to the sitting-hen, on 

 the supposition of the present chapter that the 

 eggs are to be hatched in a natural 

 Sitting-hens. way. She will either belong to the 

 home stock, or be purchased or 

 hired. Amongst the hens or pullets kept, 

 much may be done to secure sitters in good 

 time. Silkies and their crosses, especially 

 with small or dwarf Cochins, are proverbial 

 for their propensity to sit after laying a few 

 eggs. But as the time approaches when a 

 sitting-hen will be required, one or two of the 

 layers known or presumed to be good sitters 

 should be specially looked after, giving less 

 nitrogenous and more carbonaceous food. A 

 marked change of diet of this kind, in the case 

 of birds that have been highly fed for eggs, has 

 often great effect in this way. Again, each hen 

 will probably resort to the same nest day after 

 day ; and while her own eggs are of course taken 

 away, each day she lays one, another nest-egg 

 should be left in the nest instead of it. This 

 simple and natural procedure will in very many 

 cases cause her to become " broody " when the 

 nest gets pretty full. The signs of a hen being 

 broody are well known generally, and consist in 

 remaining longer on the nest, till she stays there 

 altogether, and when she comes off walking 

 about with feathers loose and ruffled, and 

 "clucking" in the characteristic manner. As 

 soon as she appears settled, she should be 

 removed, if possible, to the perfectly clean nest 

 prepared for her maternal duties. She will 

 make no difficulty in settling there also, if a few 

 nest-eggs be given her till the others are ready, 

 or she be fit to be entrusted with them. 



Such a hen should be above suspicion as 

 regards vermin ; if not, a home-kept hen also will 

 have to be treated. But a borrowed or bought 

 sitter should always be examined carefully, 

 with, of course, turned-up sleeves. This may 

 save very much trouble and otherwise inevitable 

 loss, for strange hens are often literally swarming, 

 and such a hen cannot rear chickens ; they will 

 gradually droop and be no good, even if they do 

 not die. She may be too bad to risk at any 

 price ; but in most cases thorough dredging and 



