MANAGING THE SITTERS. 93 



and take from nests any sitters which failed to leave the 

 nests at the proper time, the nests being "get-at-able" 

 because each has a door fronting the alley, as will be 

 described further on. The 7th operation in the pro- 

 gram drops grain in full view of the sitters on a level 

 with their nests and only about two feet away, and the 

 sound of the bell or of the hammer being one to which 

 they had been accustomed for months, if not for years, 

 the cases will be few where taking them off by hand will 

 be necessary. If there was very much of this removing 

 sitters by ' ' main strength and awkwardness," labor saving 

 would bid a sad farewell to the whole scheme. But so 

 strong is the confirmed habit of going with the crowd at 

 the hammer stroke, and so exciting is the sight of their 

 companions feasting so near, that few will fail to leave. 

 Those proving tardy are marked by a dab of fresh red 

 paint on the white groundwork of their feathers, and if 

 you have plenty of other sitters, when the bird has 

 received two or three marks you can not only relieve 

 her from her task, but remove her from the building 

 altogether. The nest boxes being of wirework mostly, 

 the hens which did not leave their nests, if any, can be 

 readily seen. Next, while the sitters are running all 

 over the large yard, and from one small yard to the 

 other, and visiting the water troughs and dusting places, 

 the operator inspects all the nests to detect anything 

 amiss. Whenever he reaches either end of the alley he 

 operates all the shelves in the small yards, and perhaps 

 in the main building also. The ' sitters will run around 

 with persistent activity the most of the time, whether 

 the feed shelves are worked or not. Finely cut dried 

 clover rowen or nicely cured corn fodder early in the 

 season, or some sort of green vegetable stuff later, and 

 gravel, must be in the yards for all, both layers and 

 sitters. When the birds have had time enough for eat- 

 ing, the doors of passages to sitters' nests are put in the 



