64 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



strav/ beaten and crushed till quite soft, forming 

 a nice moderate hollow, and again well filling up 

 the corners, so that eggs cannot roll away. In 

 each corner put amongst the straw a small lump 

 of camphor, which will do much to keep away 

 insects. As a rule nothing more will be needed ; 

 but if the weather be persistently and unusually 

 dry, or in a hot season, it is well during the last 

 ten days of incubation to take some warm water 



in a kettle, and pour a few spoon- 

 Moisture fuls on, or rather into each of the 



corners of the nest. The object is 

 not directly to wet the eggs, but that the 

 moisture may descend underneath the straw, 

 and create a moist atmosphere. We have 

 formerly advised and practised taking the hen 

 off at night and sprinkling the eggs with warm 

 water in hot weather, but we long since satisfied 

 ourselves that this was usually overdone, and 

 often did mischief. Another good plan is 

 to pour a teacupful of warm water on the 

 ground close round the nest, in hot or dry 

 weather. Any moistening at all should be 

 restricted to this ; in wet or cold weather 

 none should be attempted. At such seasons, 

 or for early broods, nests should be made 

 with special care and with more straw ; and 

 if the ground be damp, it is better in winter 

 to put in the nest first half a spadeful of clean 

 dry ashes, which will do much to prevent chill. 



If a hen cannot be set on the ground, it is 

 well to place, as the foundation of the nest, a 

 good thick turf cut to fit the box, and well 

 curled up at the corners by some earth put 

 underneath, so as to form a basin for the straw. 

 We thus have a foundation to which we can 

 apply some moisture if required. In default of 

 this, we think eggs thus hatched above ground 

 are usually the better for a slight daily sprinkle 

 in hot dry weather, during the latter half of the 

 period. There can be no doubt, however, that 

 at one period damping or sprinkling the eggs 

 was much exaggerated, to actual harm and loss. 

 Nature has provided sufficient moisture in normal 

 circumstances, and we only have at the utmost 

 to provide for any deficiency our nests may 

 present, as against the situations which they 

 would occupy were Nature free to take its course. 

 The nearest approach we can make to this, is to 

 damp the substratnm of the nest when required. 

 It is best to set a hen at night, when she 

 will rest quietly on the ground whilst the 

 eggs are arranged, if shaded from the light of 

 the lantern. Most hens, if then placed in 

 front of the nest where they can see the eggs, 

 will quietly walk right on and settle themselves. 

 A strange hen should, if possible, be brought 

 to her new quarters also at night, in a basket. 



with an egg or two under her. If sent by 

 rail she should be left in a quiet place till 

 dark, then removed to a nest ; but not to the 

 one she is to hatch in until her personal con- 

 dition has been ascertained, as hinted above 

 We rarely remember failure with strange hens 

 when treated in this way. 



The number of eggs set should be graduated 

 to the hen, and the season ; for very early 



broods, seven or eight of her own 

 Number of sized eggs are enough. If more 



are attempted, the outer ones may 

 get chilled ; but, still more, we have to con- 

 sider how many chickens the hen can 

 properly brood when they have somewhat 

 grown ; if she has too many, in cold weather 

 the weaker ones will not get warmed, and are 

 either stunted or may perish. At a time (long 

 ago) when we sold eggs at a high price for sitting, 

 we very soon came to a rule of not letting any 

 person have more than ten at a time, and we 

 found that the average results reported to us 

 were better than with more, up to the middle of 

 April. With warmer weather, of course, more 

 can be allowed, but we think eleven enough, if 

 they are known to hatch well. They should be 

 arranged so as to lie in a moderate but not 

 excessive hollow, just enough to keep them well 

 together ; but in cold weather the straw should 

 be well raised around them. If not otherwise 

 marked, every egg should be marked round with 

 ink or pencil, as a hen may lay one or two after 

 sitting, which should be removed. 



The management of the sitting - hen will 

 depend much on circumstances. There may be 



but one or two broods in the year, 

 Management ^^-^^ ^\^^ ^-j^y [^^^^^ (.q i^g ggj ;,^ jj^g 



Sitting-hen. ordinary fowl-house. She should 

 then have her usual nest, of course 

 re-made for her, but should be secured from mo- 

 lestation by others, by having a square of wire 

 netting or light lattice propped against the 

 front when slie is on the nest. She should be 

 lifted off the nest at the same hour every morn- 

 ing, and fed in some way by herself, otherwise 

 she will not get enough, and time will be lost. 

 She must also have access to a dust-bath. Whole 

 barley is the best food for a sitting-hen. She 

 will rarely remain away more than half an hour, 

 more often not that, if what she needs is at 

 hand ; and when the proper time is up may 

 be gently driven or coa.xed back to the neigh- 

 bourhood of her nest ; to catch her and replace 

 by hand is to court disaster. A longer absence 

 is not necessarily fatal, and it only does harm 

 to be over-fidgety. We have repeatedly had 

 hens absent over an hour and still bring oflf 

 good broods, but much depends upon the 



