346 Home Production of Poultry. 



cossful. I am not aware how far any of tliese various machines 

 are adapted for a situation where the day temperature of the 

 surrounding; air might be 60°, and the night temperature nearly 

 freezing. For ordinary use the desideratum is an incubator 

 perfectly automatic, or maintaining one invariable degree of heat 

 in the eggs, uninfluenced by external changes of temperature, 

 and this with personal attention necessary only once or twice a day. 

 After all, the grand difficulty is not in hatching but in rearing 

 the young birds. Does foreign example teach us anything in 

 this matter? Certainly, the French chickens enjoy no balmy 

 climate, congenial soil, or other physical favour that may be 

 denied to tender broods in Britain. " In France, as here," 

 says Mr. Geyelin, " a cold or wet spring is equivalent to a great 

 loss in poultry, and it seems to be admitted everywhere that 

 cold and wet do not agree with poultry ; therefore, were it not 

 for some novelties I observed in the rearing, I might well have 

 said that their system is no better than our own ; in fact, they 

 show an utter disregard of all sanitary considerations, and I may 

 state that even the best-conducted establishment left room for 

 great improvement in this respect." 



H feThe winter and spring chickens are all reared in out- 

 houses ; but in mild spring weather and in summer a curious 

 practice is adopted. " In some parts of France, where poultry- 

 breeding is carried on as a trade, they seldom allow a hen 

 to lead the chickens after being hatched, as the hen is more 

 valuable for laying eggs ; but they intrust this office either , to 

 capons or turkeys, Avhich are said to be far better protectors 

 to the chickens than a hen. They require, however, a certain 

 amount of schooling preparatory to being entrusted with their 

 charge, which consists in this : — When a turkey has been 

 hatching for some months, and shows a disposition to leave off, 

 a glassful of wine is given her in the evening, and a number 

 of chickens are substituted for the eggs ; on waking in the 

 morning she kindly takes to them and leads them about, strutting 

 amidst a troop of seventy to one hundred chickens with the 

 dignity of a drum-major. When, however, a troop leader is 

 required that has not been hatching, such as a capon or a turkey, 

 then it is usual to pluck some of their feathers from the breast, 

 and to give them a glass of wine, and whilst in a state of inebria- 

 tion to place some chickens under them ; on getting sober the 

 next morning they feel that some sudden change has come over 

 them, and as the denuded part is kept warm by the chickens, 



they take kindly to them I feel in justice bound to say 



that these artificial living protectors are most efficient to shelter 

 chickens in the day-time, and in the evening they are placed 

 with their charge in a shallow box filled with hay, from which 



