SELECTING THE HEN 317 



chicks and yet confine the hen. Such coops should be constructed 

 of Hght material so that they can be easily carried from place to 

 place, and should be made at very low cost. 



Rides for Making a Good Nest. — The main requisite of a good 

 nest is a depression in the centre, so that there can be no danger 

 of the eggs being shoved out and rolled into the corners. This is 

 important, for many eggs may easily be lost in this way. Where 

 the nest is built directly upon the ground, the best plan is to hollow 

 or scoop out the centre, banking up the loose dirt around the edges, 

 and covering the floor with nesting material. Where, however, 

 the nest is built on a wooden or portable floor, it is well to put in 

 two or three inches of dirt, scooping this out in the same way, 

 then place the nesting material upon it. When a barrel is used or 

 any box with a large flat bottom, the nest should be partially 

 formed from other matter before putting in the nesting material. 

 In the case of the barrel, a brick at front and back will help to 

 shape the nest, and confine it to one place. The hollow in the 

 nest should be large enough to accommodate all the eggs to be 

 hatched; a good rule is to make it at least a foot in diameter at 

 the top and sloping toward the bottom, where it should be from 

 two to three inches in depth. Soil in the bottom will help to form 

 and preserve the shape of the nest, and it maintains a certain 

 degree of atmospheric moisture, which is desirable. 



Nesting Matenal. — Alany materials are excellent for finishing 

 a nest; the best, however, is straw or hay, cut in about six-inch 

 lengths. If extremely long and coarse uncut straw is used, it will 

 be hard to shape the nest, and the eggs will very likely be caught 

 in it or roll under the large wisps so that it will be impossible for 

 the hen properly to care for them. Leaves may be used to good 

 advantage; but, whatever the material, there must be no grain, 

 as the birds are apt to destroy the nest in picking at the grain. 

 Shavings are suitable for laying nests, but objectionable for hatch- 

 ing nests, because they are loose, the eggs often become buried in 

 them, and they do not retain as high a degree of heat as is needed. 



Selecting the Hen. — In selecting a hen for hatching purposes 

 the following considerations should be borne in mind, for reasons 

 stated: (1) Her size is important, that is, her ability to cover the 

 desired number of eggs completely. The small hen can cover only 

 a few, and there is danger, that those near the edge will not be 

 kept warm enough. The larger the hen the better, other things 

 bemg equal. (2) Be sure that the hen selected has the broody 



