74 The Canary Book. 



HENS SWEATING THE YOUNG BIRDS. A bath given daily 

 at this time will be found of great service. Some hens, 

 although good and attentive mothers, sit too closely upon their 

 nestlings, especially in hot weather, and overheat them to such 

 a degree as to prevent their thriving, or, to use a common 

 aphorism among fanciers, " sweat them to death." In cases 

 of this kind take one or two pieces of stick, cut very thin 

 and round common lucifer matches with the brimstone ends 

 broken off will answer the purpose and place them firmly across 

 the nest, pretty closely together, and as near the young birds 

 as possible without touching them ; this will keep the hen 

 from getting too closely upon them, and consequently prevent 

 her "sweating" them. But as the birds grow, fresh pieces of 

 wood will be needed, and they must be removed accordingly, 

 say, every two days, until the nestlings are about eight or 

 ten days old, when it will not be necessary to continue it 

 any longer. 



Canary hens sweat their young from various causes, but, I 

 think, mostly from over-affection. In some cases, no doubt, 

 hens that are not over strong naturally become weakened 

 during the process of incubation, they get exhausted, and 

 become inert. In such cases provide a basket-nest to let in 

 air freely, and give plenty of moss to build their nest with, 

 as it absorbs moisture, and not too much hair to line it with, 

 as it creates heat. These are the best preventives against 

 this unfortunate practice, which greatly weakens the progeny 

 and prevents the growth of the feathers, and often causes 

 the young birds to be weakly. It is one of the most diffi- 

 cult problems that a fancier has to deal with. Sweating-hens 

 should be placed in a cool part of the room where the direct 

 rays of the sun cannot reach them, a small glass vessel 

 should be placed inside the cage, to be used as a bath, and 

 water in which a small piece of alum or borax or a tea- 

 spoonful of salt has been dissolved may be put in this vessel 

 for the purpose named, and given fresh every morning; if 

 a hen can be induced to use it it will be found very 

 beneficial. 



