THE NATURAL METHOD. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE F/1R<ME-T{'S FLOCK OF HEU^S. 

 C. S. VALENTINE. 



THE most purely natural method is a " go-as-you 

 please " which allows the mother hen to feed, breed, 

 nest and brood at her own sweet will. Must this be 

 insisted on in order that the method may be called 

 natural ? Shall breeding stock be confined to such an extent 

 as merely to bring breeding conditions under the control of 

 the owner of the birds, or may we look upon any method that 

 does not make use of the wooden hatcher and mother as nat- 

 ural ? The last, I think, is now the commonest acceptation of 

 the term, and with such meaning it will be used in this article. 

 First, then, even with natural methods it is far better that 

 the breeding stock be selected, using the best cockerel with 

 older hens, if a preponderance of pullets is desired. Let the 

 hens be the pick of the whole flock in size, vigor and laying 

 qualities. If it be impossible to make such selection, let the 

 male be of the best, not related to the hens, and note the eggs of 

 the best hens, using these for setting. A light feed of grain 

 once a day, together with a little meat twice a week, will pay, 

 even where the fowls have the freest range. 



To hatch the chicks under hens is the natural way ; it is 

 also natural for the hens to be lousy, to fight among themselves, 

 to break eggs and to leave the nests at random at least these 

 are some of the natural results of domestication. If even a 

 fair number of chicks is expected, the sitters ought to be as 

 completely subject to their owner's will and as free from other 



