348 Home Production of Poultry. 



to have two or three chickens amono^ them of about a week old, 

 to teach them to peck and eat : if the chickens do not readily 

 run under the artificial mother, for want of some educated ones 

 to teach them, it will be proper to have the curtain in front 

 made of rabbit or hare skin, with the fur side outwards, for the 

 warmth and comfort to attract them ; afterwards, they run under 

 the flannel ones. The top of the artificial mother is thickly per- 

 forated with holes, for the heated air to escape. When I first 

 attempted to raise poultry in this way, I lost immense numbers, 

 owing to the roofs of the mothers not being sufficiently ventilated. 

 The cages are kept perfectly dry and. clean with sand, or moss. 

 The above is a proper size for 50 or 60 chickens ; but as they 

 increase in size, they, of course, require a larger ' mother.' 

 When they are a week old, and the weather is fine, the boy 

 carries them and. their artificial mother to the grass-plot, and 

 nourishes and keeps them warm by placing a long narrow tin 

 vessel, filled with hot water, at the back of the mother, which 

 will retain its heat for three hours, and is then renewed, fresh 

 from the steamer. In the evening, the chickens are driven into 

 their cages, and resume their station at the warm wall ; this goes 

 on until they are nearly three weeks old and able to go into a 

 small room appropriated to that purpose. The room is furnished 

 with frames similar to the artificial mother, placed round the 

 floor, and with perches conveniently arranged for the chickens 

 to roost upon." The food consisted of coarse barley-meal steamed 

 till quite soft; given alternately with steamed potatoes finely 

 minced ; and the boy was " also employed rolling up pellets of 

 dough, made of coarse wheat-flour, which he throws to the 

 chickens to entice them to eat, thereby causing them to grow 

 surprisingly." Mrs. D^Oyley adds that, within two summer 

 months, her hens produced upwards of 500 chickens, 400 of 

 which she reared for the table or market. 



Mr. Geyelin is a strong advocate for the " artificial hen." 

 "The functions of a hen towards her chickens," he says, " consist 

 of forming a covering to prevent the natural heat of their un- 

 fledged bodies from cooling; also to break into small pieces any 

 food that is too large for them ; and lastly, to protect them 

 against danger. The artificial hens do all this, but they perform 

 the duties a good deal better and with less casualties to the 

 chickens. Chickens do neither require artificial heat nor that of 

 their mother ; all that is necessary is to provide them with a 

 suitable covering for their bodies until they are full-fledged, to 

 preserve their natural heat. During cold weather, however, their 

 homes must be warmed the same as for lull-grown poultry ; 

 with a good ventilation without draught, a dry floor, sun-light, 

 and a small run." The frames lined with long fleece, to brood 



