SECTION II. 



THE YOUNG STOCK 

 CHAPTER I. 



HATCHING AND BROODING. 



IN MOST CASES the keeper of a back yard flock depends 

 on the old hen that can cover thirteen to fifteen eggs to do 

 the hatching and she is as often entrusted with the busi- 

 ness of brooding the chicks. If the hens begin laying in the 

 fall or early winter, there are sure to be some broody ones 

 among any of the varieties of Plymouth Rocks by March 

 first, which is as early as most poultry-keepers care to set 

 hens. If the hens do not become broody early enough, or if 

 the poultry-keeper prefers to break up those which do become 

 broody in order to get them to laying again, and use their 

 eggs for hatching, a small incubator is a practical necessity. 

 All the high-grade makes will give satisfactory results if 

 properly handled and supplied with good eggs. Furthermore, 

 they are so perfected that they require but little care and are 

 safe and also easy to handle. Inasmuch as complete instruc- 

 tions for operating are supplied with each machine, it is not 

 necessary to describe these methods in this book. 



The Sitting Hen's Nest. Setting a hen is a more important 

 and exacting matter than most people think. Many hatches 

 are spoiled because the nests are not properly made. It is 

 unreasonable to expect a hen to distribute her warmth over 

 a large area and still have enough to incubate the eggs, par- 

 ticularly in cold weather. A warm nest is absolutely neces- 

 sary and that means that it must be made, or at least lined, 

 with a fine material, such as fine, soft hay and be built in a 

 good, warm box. The sides of the box, however, should not 

 be so high that the hen will land heavily on the eggs when 

 getting down into the nest, or one side must be cut down to 

 allow her to enter easily. At the same time the box must be 

 deep enough to extend well up around the side of the hen's 

 body and of the right size so that the hen will fit snugly to 

 the nest, so that the heat of her body may be adequate for 



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