546 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



sections of five or six and placed one above the other, when one 

 has to be economical of space. A small room may be lined around 

 next to the wall with such nests and the blank space in the center 

 left for feed and water dishes. 



Food and Management of Sitting Hens. If the hen is well 

 disposed and can be left to come off the nest at will, little or no 

 trouble is involved. If for any reason the hen has to be confined 

 to the nest she should be taken off regularly once a day and allowed 

 to eat and drink. Good sound corn is about the best food for sitting 

 hens, although they may be fed such grains as wheat, oats, barley, 

 or buckwheat. Rye is not recommended, as the hens do not like it 

 and it does not prove to be a very healthful food for them. Grit, in 

 the form of coarse sand or broken stone, should be kept convenient. 

 Water must also be supplied. If the weather is hot, keep water 

 inside the nest so that the hen can drink whenever she desires. 

 Otherwise she becomes very thirsty and drinks to much at once, 

 often resulting in bowel trouble and diarrhoea. Some take the 

 hens off the nest in the morning and allow them a little run in the 

 wet grass. In that way the hen's feathers become moistened slightly, 

 thus adding a little moisture to the eggs each day. If the nest is 

 in an extremely dry place moisture should be added in some way. 

 There are several ways of keeping the eggs sufficiently moist. The 

 practice of allowing the hens to run in the wet grass each morning 

 is one of the best. Another is to place damp earth and sods under 

 the eggs. A third method, and one probably most largely used, is 

 to sprinkle or dip the eggs in water heated to 103 F. This is done 

 at least twice, once about the 14th and again the 18th day of the 

 hatch. If the eggs are on the ground or in a damp place no mois- 

 ture should be added. When removing the hens from the nest, 

 handle them carefully. Many good hens are spoiled by careless 

 or rough handling. If the hen has to be caught in order to put her 

 back on the nest do not place her directly on the eggs but on the 

 edge of the nest, thus allowing her to cover them in her own cau- 

 tious way. 



Precautions Against Lice and Mites. Sitting hens must be 

 kept free from lice and mites. In order to rid them of these pests 

 take each one gently by the legs and with the head hanging down- 

 ward, dust the feathers well with some good insect powder 

 and replace on the nest. It would be best to repeat this about the 

 10th and 18th days of the hatch. Attention to lice at this period 

 may save many chicks later in the season. A hen cannot be a satis- 

 factory sitter if she is infested with lice. Very often those that are 

 well fitted by nature for good mothers are driven from the nest by 

 insect pests. The lice running around over the body and gnawing 

 at the skin and feathers cause intense itching and in trying to get 

 away from these pests the hen forgets all about her desire to sit and 

 deserts the nest. If strongly inclined to sit she may desert one nest 

 and move to another, trying to escape her enemies. If a hen shows 

 any sign of uneasiness be careful to inspect her body for lice and 

 also the cracks and crevices about the nest for mites. If either is 



