230 BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



in outside life in a weakened condition. The chick may 

 have the appearance of being healthy, but if nature's organs 

 are not perfectly constructed they may fail to perform the 

 functions necessary for life, and the chick droops and dies. 

 It is then of vital importance to successful production of 

 chickens, that the breeding-stock should run at large at the 

 time that the eggs arc forming and being deposited that we 

 wish to use for hatching. With this, then, in view, you should 

 place all such stock in the two outside apartments of the 

 fowl-house about March 1st, in most localities in New Ensj- 

 land, allowin2; twelve hens to each viarorous cock to insure 

 the fertility of the eggs. 



If the fowls have been laying abundantly during the win- 

 ter, many of them will become broody by this time, and all 

 that desire to sit should bo placed in the two middle apart- 

 ments of the fowl-house. About March 10, place thirteen 

 good-sized, well-shaped eggs under each sitter. If both 

 apartments are full there will be twenty-four hens covering 

 the nests, with three hundred and twelve eggs. Care should 

 be taken that the nests are so constructed that the hens can 

 cover them easily, for if the nests are poorly made some of 

 the eggs may become chilled and spoiled. There is no 

 better material than tine, uncut hay for making nests for 

 sitters. At time of sitting sprinkle both nest and hen with 

 fine tobacco dust and carbolic acid, either of which will in- 

 sure the coming chicks from lice, although a second applica- 

 tion three or four days before hatching would be advisable. 

 If the eggs were fresh at time of setting, as they should be, 

 most of the chicks will appear on the twentieth day of incu- 

 bation ; but if several days old when set, the chicks will be 

 a day or two later. Allow both hen and brood to remain in 

 the nest for twenty-four hours after hatching, and they will 

 need no food during that time. The hen and chicks may 

 then be removed to a dry coop, two by three feet on the 

 bottom and havini2r a movable l)oard floor covered with fine 

 hay chaff. The coops should be placed not loss than twelve 

 feet apart in some sheltered southern exposure, where the 

 chicks may be allowed to run about and bask in the sun. 

 The hen should be confined to the coop for four days, after 

 which she should be allowed to run at large each fair day 



